Using institutional renewal to build a culture of accountability and evidence-based decisions.
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Transcript of Using institutional renewal to build a culture of accountability and evidence-based decisions.
Using institutional renewal to build a culture of accountability and evidence-
based decisions.
MSCHE IN LATIN AMERICA
Moises Silva, Ph.D.Director of Institutional Researchand Quality AssuranceAccreditation Liaison OfficerUniversidad Mayor (Chile)
Soledad Ramirez, Ed.D.Executive Director for Academic AffairsUniversidad Mayor (Chile)
A Glimpse of Universidad Mayor
• Private and non-profit institution, founded in 1988
• Located in two cities (Santiago + Temuco)
• Organized in 10 Colleges
• 39 Professional Schools
• Conservatory of Music
• About 15,000 students
• Over 6,000 Graduates
• Over 60 Undergraduate Programs (Professional Degrees) • 35 Master Degree Programs
• 43 Other Postgraduate Programs
• Granted Full Autonomy status in 1996 (Chilean Licensing System)
• Granted Accreditation in 2005 (National System)
• Granted Candidate status in 2006 (MSCHE)
• Invited to initiate Self-Study process in 2006 (MSCHE)
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Higher Education in Chile
• Heterogeneous institutions
• Increasing demand for effectiveness, efficiency and social relevance
• Increasing demand for integrity (accountability)
• Competition for resources
• International education
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Quality Assurance in Latin America• Accreditation initiatives are rather new
• Institutional research capability is growing
• Trans-national experiences
And in Chile• Licensing ----- Eventual Full Autonomy
• Accreditation: Self Study - Site Visit - Effects
• State-controlled National Commissions
• Universidad Mayor: Autonomy in 1996 Accredited in 2005
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Why International Accreditation?
• Consolidate a place, obtain a distinctive seal of quality in the Chilean environment
• Assure continuous improvement
• Facilitate student mobility and increase academic exchange
• Establish a new point of reference for the State-controlled National Accreditation System
• Become a member of a special “club”
Why MSCHE?
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Additional Elements of the Challenge Faced
• Meet 21 Eligibility Requirements and 14 Standards (more demanding than the national system)
• Invest 5 years on an initial phase that can turn into nothing (uncertainty; longer than the national system)
• A cycle of internal reviews and external evaluations (continuous work)
• Demands from a different language and uncomfortable calendar
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Formal Results as Today• Candidacy status granted in June 2006• Invitation to Self Study in June 2008
Some Massive Effects so Far• A transformational change - Organizational structure - Planning and budgeting - Institutional research - Human and physical resources development - Institutional curriculum (CurriculumMayor) - Information system and technology - Institutional and student learning assessment
• But mainly a cultural change
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Planning and Budgeting: A Sensitive Area
• Resistance to change
• From central decision-making to proper campus involvement
• Educating Faculty and staff (and empowering)
• Administration and Faculty talking to one another
• “Money and heart fly together”
• Institutional Mission: Mission Impossible?
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Initial CMY
Discipline CMY
Professional CMY
Graduate orSpecialized CMY
Bachelor Licentiate
Professional
MasterSpecialization
Professional Education
Basic Education
Management and Entrepreneurship Education General Education
DegreesCurrículumMayor (CMY)
Curriculum Blocks
Educational Areas
2 2 - 3 1 - 2 1 - 2
Years
Optional
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Curriculum Revision to Integrate UM General Competences and MSCHE
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• PHASE 1
– Task force to study the integration of both components
– Proposal for policies and 7 basic objectives
– Feedback from faculty and Schools chairs (over one semester of work)
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PHASE 2
• School chairs and faculty perform thorough analysis of all courses across the curricula to determine level of tribute to 7 objectives:
– Teaching methods
– Evaluation strategies – Course content
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Phase 3
• Analysis and needs assessment to identify weak objectives performed by Schools assisted by Academic Office (AO)
Phase 4
• Reformulation of General Ed Area of CMY
• New course structure for 2009 academic year, starting next March with participation of all Schools assisted by AO
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Phase 5
• Generating General Education Teachers’ profile and docent selection
Phase 6
• January 2009 :General Ed Instructors Training Program; and
• General Ed Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan to be developed by instructors assisted by AO
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Assessment Procedures in the CurriculumMayor (CMY) and Design of the Educational Effectiveness Assessment System:
Organizing Facts and Experience
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Review of assessment procedures in the CurriculumMayor (CMY) and
Design of the Educational Effectiveness Assessment System
• At each stage or block of the CMY two elements were identified:
- students’ main activities- assessment procedures
performed
Some examples
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Initial Stage
• Activities
– Freshmen induction– Classes– Seminars– Field work– Laboratories– Beginning stage
completion– Teachers
roundtable– Students web work
• Assessment procedures
– Students opinion– Tests– Exams– Likert scales– Students reports– Competence evaluation– Outcomes analysis– Teachers evaluation
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Discipline Stage
Activities
• Classes, seminars and workshops
• Laboratory work
• Practicum
• Study trips
Assessment procedures
• Tests, exams, reports
• Portfolios, rubrics
• Students reports
• Supervisor evaluation
• Portfolios and reports
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Professional Stage
Activities
• Professional Practicum
• Internships
• Integrated seminar
• Dissertation
Assessment procedures
• External evaluation and supervisor’s report
• Students report and supervisor’s report
• Exam
• Written research project with external evaluation
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The System’s Main Features
• All elements are linked
• There are summative evaluation events after each stage or curricular block
• There are faculty group analysis of students learning outcomes, and actions are taken
• There are quantitative and qualitative methods
• Alumni follow up activities are included
• It is a dynamic on going cycle of events
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Some closing remarks• UM is fully understanding that student learning is the University business
• Organizational learning is taking place
• A move towards an evidence and accountability culture is in progress---------------------------• Assistance of MSCHE workshops, officers and consultants and other organizations is important
• MSCHE role in QA may be extended
• MSCHE action in Latin America is being noticed
• Has been a highly beneficial experience
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