Criterion 4 – Student Assessment
AUNQA requirements for Criterion 4
TRSU QA uses each one of AUNQA criterion requirements below to assess the relevant QA practice of a program.
4.1 Assessment alignment
A variety of assessment methods are shown to be used and are shown to be constructively aligned to achieving the expected learning outcomes and the teaching and learning objectives.
Diagnostic questions
- To what extent do the assessments and examinations cover the content of the courses and the programme (content validity)?
- To what extent do the assessments and examinations cover the objectives of the courses and of the programme as a whole (construct validity)?
- Are a variety of assessment methods used? What are they?
- Are the assessment methods constructively aligned to achieving expected learning outcomes? How are the constructive alignment evaluated?
4.2 Assessment and appeal policies
The assessment and assessment-appeal policies are shown to be explicit, communicated to students, and applied consistently.
Diagnostic questions
- Are there clear regulations for assessment or examination? How are they communicated to students?
- Are they applied consistently?
- Are the students satisfied with the assessment procedures? Do students have complaints?
- What is the appeal procedure? Did the students appeal? What is the cause?
4.3 Assessment for completion
The assessment standards and procedures for student progression and degree completion, are shown to be explicit, communicated to students, and applied consistently.
Diagnostic questions
- Is there an assessment for students to progress to a higher level? When and how is it conducted?
- Is there an assessment for students to complete a degree and receive an award? How is it applied?
4.4 Assessment criteria
The assessments methods are shown to include rubrics, marking schemes, timelines, and regulations, and these are shown to ensure validity, reliability, and fairness in assessment.
Diagnostic questions
- Is the assessment criterion-referenced?
- Are all the courses required to have rubrics and marking scheme for the assessment?
- How are validity, reliability and fairness assured in assessment?
- Are there safeguards in place to ensure objectivity?
4.5 Measuring achievement
The assessment methods are shown to measure the achievement of the expected learning outcomes of the programme and its courses.
Diagnostic questions
- What are the assessment methods for the achievement of course learning outcomes? How are the achievement measured?
- What are the assessment methods for the achievement of program learning outcomes? How are the achievement measured?
- Is there a relationship between the achievement of courses and program learning outcomes? How is this explained?
4.6 Assessment feedback
Feedback of student assessment is shown to be provided in a timely manner.
Diagnostic questions
- Is feedback of student assessment required by every course? When and how is the feedback provided to students?
- Does the feedback help improve student performance in the final assessment? Why or why not?
4.7 Assessment review
The student assessment and its processes are shown to be continuously reviewed and improved to ensure their relevance to the needs of industry and alignment to the expected learning outcomes.
Diagnostic questions
- When is the student assessment and processes reviewed? What is the review procedure?
- What aspects of student assessment are subject to review or improvement?
- How is the student assessment considered relevant to the need of industry?
- How is the alignment of student assessment to the ELOs evaluated? How might it be improved?
Scoring for TRSU QA
| TRSU-QA score | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Items showing QA practice | 1 item | 2-3 items | 4-5 items | 6 items | 6 items +4.7 |
AUNQA scoring rubrics
A seven-point rating scale used for AUNQA assessment is described below.
1. Absolutely inadequate
The QA practice to fulfil the criterion is not implemented.
There are no plans, documents, evidences or results available.
Immediate improvement must be made.
2. Inadequate and improvement is necessary
The QA practice to fulfil the criterion is still at its planning stage or is inadequate where improvement is necessary.
There is little document or evidence available.
Performance of the QA practice shows little or poor results.
3. Inadequate but minor improvement will make it adequate
The QA practice to fulfil the criterion is defined and implemented but minor improvement is needed to fully meet them. Documents are available but no clear evidence to support that they have been fully used. Performance of the QA practice shows inconsistent or some results.
4. Adequate as expected
The QA practice to fulfil the criterion is adequate and evidences support that it has been fully implemented. Performance of the QA practice shows consistent results as expected.
5. Better than adequate
The QA practice to fulfil the criterion is better than adequate. Evidence supports that it (the QA practice) has been efficiently implemented. Performance of the QA practice shows good results and positive improvement trend.
6. Example of best practice
The QA practice to fulfil the criterion is considered to be example of best practices in the field. Evidences support that it has been effectively implemented.
Performance of QA practice shows very good results and positive improvement trend.
7. Excellent (example of world-class or leading practice)
The QA practice to fulfil the criterion is considered to be excellent or is an example of world-class practices in the field. Evidences support that it has been innovatively implemented.
Performance of the QA practice shows excellent results and outstanding improvement trends.
Guide to writing a self-assessment report (SAR)
- The report is the account of the self-assessment. It is not only descriptive but also analytical. It identifies and evaluates the problems and also provides an indication of how the problems identified will be dealt with. (Use the diagnostic questions provided in each of the AUN-QA criteria to do this.)
- Illustrate clearly what, where, when, who, and how the QA mechanisms or instruments are implemented and managed to fulfil the criteria. This will help to piece all related information together.
- Focus on information and data (objective evidences) that directly address the criteria. The report has to be concise and factual. Provide trends and statistics to show achievement and performance.
What is the QA practice to fulfil the criterion?
Quality assurance practice should mean QA plan that evaluates and/or modifies organization’s procedures to ensure that they provide the desired results. The QA plan documents the planning, implementation and assessment procedures for a project, process or any QA activity.
The QA plan should provide information about some or all of the following.
- An overview of the project or process describing background, need, scope, activities, and deadlines;
- Quality objectives to be attained (for example, characteristics, effectiveness, cycle time, cost, etc.);
- Steps in the process that constitute the operating practice or procedures of the organization;
- Allocation of responsibilities, authority, and resources for different phases of the project/process;
- Specific document describing standards, practices, procedures, and instructions to be applied;
- Suitable testing, inspection, examination, and audit programs at appropriate stages;
- A documented procedure for changes and modifications to a quality plan as a process is improved;
- A method for measuring the achievement of the quality objectives;
(Source: https://asq.org/quality-resources/quality-plans)
Operational Result
4.1 A variety of assessment methods are shown to be used and are shown to be constructively aligned to achieving the expected learning outcomes and the teaching and learning objectives.
…….
4.2 The assessment and assessment-appeal policies are shown to be explicit, communicated to students, and applied consistently.
……..
4.3 The assessment standards and procedures for student progression and degree completion, are shown to be explicit, communicated to students, and applied consistently.
…….
4.4 The assessments methods are shown to include rubrics, marking schemes, timelines, and regulations, and these are shown to ensure validity, reliability, and fairness in assessment.
………
4.5 The assessment methods are shown to measure the achievement of the expected learning outcomes of the programme and its courses.
……..
4.6 Feedback of student assessment is shown to be provided in a timely manner.
……..
4.7 The student assessment and its processes are shown to be continuously reviewed and improved to ensure their relevance to the needs of industry and alignment to the expected learning outcomes.
…….
Evidence
| ID_Evidence | Name_Evidence |
| 4.1-1 | |
| 4.1-2 | |
| 3.2-1 |
Self-Assessment
| Requirements | Result | Score |
| 4.1 A variety of assessment methods are shown to be used and are shown to be constructively aligned to achieving the expected learning outcomes and the teaching and learning objectives. | / | 1 |
| 4.2 The assessment and assessment-appeal policies are shown to be explicit, communicated to students, and applied consistently. | / | 1 |
| 4.3 The assessment standards and procedures for student progression and degree completion, are shown to be explicit, communicated to students, and applied consistently. | / | 1 |
| 4.7 The student assessment and its processes are shown to be continuously reviewed and improved to ensure their relevance to the needs of industry and alignment to the expected learning outcomes. | / | |
| 4.4 The assessments methods are shown to include rubrics, marking schemes, timelines, and regulations, and these are shown to ensure validity, reliability, and fairness in assessment. | / | 1 |
| 4.5 The assessment methods are shown to measure the achievement of the expected learning outcomes of the programme and its courses. | / | |
| 4.6 Feedback of student assessment is shown to be provided in a timely manner. | / | 1 |
| Overall | 5 | |