Criterion 1 – Expected Learning Outcomes
AUNQA requirements for Criterion 1
TRSU QA uses the AUNQA criterion requirements below to assess the QA practice of a program.
1.1 Outcomes formulation
The expected learning outcomes are appropriately formulated in accordance with an established learning taxonomy, are aligned to the vision and mission of the university, and are known to all stakeholders.
Diagnostic questions
- What is the purpose of the study program?
- How are the expected learning outcomes formulated?
- How do we measure the ELOs, or know they are achieved?
- How are they aligned to the university’s vision and mission?
- Do employers have specific requirements for the graduates to meet?
- Are the ELOs tuned to the need of employers? By what means?
1.2 Outcomes alignment
The expected learning outcomes for all courses are appropriately formulated and are aligned to the expected learning outcomes of the program.
Diagnostic questions
- How are the ELOs of courses or CLOs formulated?
- How are they aligned with the ELOs of the program or PLOs?
- How are the CLOs measured? How do we know they are achieved?
- How are CLOs made known to the staff and students?
1.3 Transferability
The expected learning outcomes consist of both generic outcomes (related to written and oral communication, problem-solving, information technology, team-building skills, etc) and subject specific outcomes (related to knowledge and skills of the study discipline).
Diagnostic questions
- How are the subject specific outcomes formulated?
- How are the generic outcomes formulated?
- How are they measured? How do we know they are achieved?
- Are both the outcomes equally important? Or which outcomes are given more emphasis than the other? Why?
- Are the generic outcomes valued more to employers than the subject specific outcomes? Or the other way round?
1.4 Stakeholders’ input
The requirements of the stakeholders, especially the external stakeholders, are gathered, and that these are reflected in the expected learning outcomes.
Diagnostic questions
- How are the requirements of external stakeholders gathered?
- How are the requirements used to formulate the ELOs?
- How do the PLOs or CLOs reflect the stakeholders’ requirements?
- To what extent are the ELOs influenced by the labor market?
- Is there a well-defined job profile?
1.5 Student achievement
The expected learning outcomes are achieved by the students by the time they graduate.
Diagnostic questions
- How is the achievement of the learning outcomes measured?
- To what extent have the learning outcomes been achieved?
- How are the learning outcomes translated to concrete requirements of the graduates?
- Are the learning outcomes reviewed periodically? What changes or improvement are considered?
Scoring for TRSU QA
| TRSU-QA score | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Items showing QA practice | 1 item | 2 items | 3 items | 4 items | 5 items |
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.
How to write a response to the criterion requirements
- The response should describe a QA practice that the program do to fulfil the criterion. The QA may be a PDCA (plan-do-check-act) process to ensure the quality, and include documentation, evidence and result of the implementation.
- The response should illustrate clearly what the QA mechanisms or instruments are; when, where, by who, and how they are implemented and managed to fulfil the criteria.
- The response should identify and evaluate problems or issues that are not addressed, and indicate how the problems will be dealt with. The diagnostic questions in each of the criterion requirements may help identify the problems.
- To be concise and factual, the response should focus on information or data (or objective evidence) that directly addresses the criteria, and provide trends and statistics to show achievement and performance.
How the QA practice fulfil the criterion
Quality assurance practice should have QA plan that evaluates and may modify organization’s procedures to ensure that they provide the desired results. It includes documentation for the planning, implementation and assessment procedures for a project, process or any QA activity. To fulfil requirement 1.1 Outcomes formulation, for example, the QA plan should provide information to answer the following questions.
- What procedure does the program use to formulate the expected learning outcomes?
- Is a learning taxonomy used to write the statement of LOs? What taxonomy and how is it used?
- Is the taxonomy used for program or course learning outcomes, or both? Why?
- What are the objectives in terms of the quality of the learning outcomes (e.g. transparency, ease of assessment, the extent of alignment, enabling hierarchy, effectiveness, clarity to the stakeholders)?
- What is the process used to ensure that the quality objectives are met?
- What is a method used to measure the achievement of the quality objectives?
Operational Results
1.1 The programme to show that the expected learning outcomes are appropriately formulated in accordance with an established learning taxonomy, are aligned to the vision and mission of the university, and are known to all stakeholders.
The current seven PLOs focus the graduate’s competency and performance based on the international standard on creating world class business executives and conducting high quality of business research in order to reflect the goals and objectives of the Master of Business Administration program, the Faculty of Business Administration, and St. Teresa International University. Expectations regarding the roles that enterprises, organizations, and academics should play have also been discussed with stakeholders. Updates to the curriculum are approved by University Council and occur at least every five years. As demonstrated in Table 1, our PLOs were developed using the updated Bloom’s learning taxonomy 2001 in accordance with the most recent curriculum revision process in 2021.
The PLOs are in line with the goals of the Faculty of Business Administration, and the TRSU as a whole. Through research consulting, PLOs have been consistently marketed to academic institutions and research centers of relevant stakeholders across international borders.
The program committee discuss the PLOs every year, taking into account current business administration situations as well as input from stakeholders such as employers, alumni, students, and research. Every member of the academic staff understands their role as teachers in helping students accomplish their PLOs and is a member of the program committee. On the first day of orientation for students, the PLOs are shared with the enrolled students.
The alumni and the employers of current students recognize the PLOs through a survey using the assessment of stakeholder preferences and the achievement of PLOs.
Table1: Categories of PLOs Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy
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PLOs of MBA Program |
Specific PLOs |
Generic PLOs |
Bloom’s Taxonomy Level |
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1. Obey the law and follow the code of ethics in business management and leadership activities. |
Affective / Valuing |
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2. Able to analyze and suggest ways to improve the economy, society, and politics using the findings from academic work. |
Cognitive / Applying |
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3. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of theories and principles of business science and be able to apply that knowledge to analyze changes in the economic environment and the impact of technology on business operations, and foresee major shifts in the economy as well as in the business world. |
Cognitive / Applying |
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4. Able to apply knowledge and work skills as well as the ability to think, search, interpret, and evaluate information for solving business problems. |
Cognitive / Applying |
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5. Able to take responsibility for own actions and be responsible for work in the group. |
Affective / Valuing |
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6. Understand and accept differences, and assist and facilitate colleagues from different backgrounds in solving various conflict situations. |
Psychomotor / Articulate |
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7. Able to use management techniques, statistical data and research findings to identify and solve organization problems as well as able to communicate those solutions using different communication channel effectively. |
Psychomotor / Articulate |
Table 2: PLOs of MBA Program Aligning to Vision and Mission of University and Faculty
|
Vision and mission of institution |
PLO1 |
PLO2 |
PLO3 |
PLO4 |
PLO5 |
PLO6 |
PLO 7 |
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STIC’s vision |
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St Teresa International University intends to be a leading university that is acknowledged and accepted nationally and internationally. |
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STIC’s mission |
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1. Produce graduates with high academic achievement and English language proficiency. |
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2. Develop research and academic works that is acknowledged and recognized nationally and internationally. |
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3. Develop a Center of Excellence for Academics, Professional Development, and English Language Competency. |
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4. Preserve Thai and International arts and culture to form a coexisting multi-cultural society. |
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5. Employ an administrative system that achieves excellent in organizational management. |
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FBA’s vision |
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We aim to be the pioneers in developing innovative and professional business administrators for critical and competitive times by changing the landscape of business education. |
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FBA’s mission |
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Our mission is to develop students as business leaders and future generators of sustainable value for business and society. Through insights into advanced management practices and community engagement, we strive to educate students to be the forefront of business and contribute to the transformation of the global economy. |
Table 3: Stakeholders’ Communication Channels
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Stakeholders |
Communication Channels |
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Meeting |
Document |
Social media |
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Academic staff – Academic committee – All academic staff |
-Monthly -Annually – Course orientation |
Program manual / Course manual Meeting report |
Website |
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Instructor of other faculties: – Faculty of Science – Faculty of Art – International School |
-Annually |
Program manual / Course manual Meeting report |
Website |
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Current students |
-Biannually – Course orientation |
Program manual /Course manual |
Website / Facebook |
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Potential students / parents |
Annually -Informal discussion |
Program manual |
Website / Facebook |
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Employers |
-Informal discussion |
Program manual |
Website / Facebook |
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Alumni |
-Informal discussion |
Program manual |
Website / Facebook |
1.2 The programme to show that the expected learning outcomes for all courses are appropriately formulated and are aligned to the expected learning outcomes of the programme.
The curriculum committee and the lecturers discuss and determine the courses in accordance with the PLOs related to the knowledge and skills on managing business organizations, creating a well-designed research proposal, conducting valid research, and translating the results into policy and/or business practice. Beginning with basic business management, finance, and accounting in the first semester of the first year and moving up to advanced business management and research in the second semester, the courses cover both theoretical and practical topics. Students also develop thesis proposals, conduct qualifying research using the knowledge and skills they have learned in the coursework, collect and analyze research data, and write scientific articles for international publication.
Table 5: Alignment of course learning outcomes with program learning outcomes
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Courses |
Subject specific LOs
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Generic LOs
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PLO2 |
PLO3 |
PLO4 |
PLO7 |
PLO1 |
PLO5 |
PLO6 |
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Cognitive / Applying |
Cognitive / Applying |
Cognitive / Applying |
Psychomotor / Articulate |
Affective / Valuing |
Affective / Valuing |
Psychomotor / Articulate |
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Foundation Courses |
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Foundation in Business Administration |
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Principles of Accounting |
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Required Courses |
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Business Economics |
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Accounting and Financial Management |
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Modern Human Resource Management |
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Marketing Management in Digital Age |
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Business Research |
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Competitive Strategy |
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Digital Technology for Business |
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Seminar in Management |
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Thesis |
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1.3 The programme to show that the expected learning outcomes consist of both generic outcomes (related to written and oral communication, problem solving, information technology, teambuilding skills, etc) and subject specific outcomes (related to knowledge and skills of the study discipline).
Master in Business Administration offers a comprehensive understanding of a company, taking into account key functional areas such as marketing, finance, management, and accounting. It supports graduates’ critical thinking skills in problem identification and tentative problem solving through research. Thus, the program’s goal is to generate graduates who, by using their acquired knowledge and capacity for lifelong learning, can successfully manage a firm. Graduates must also be able to critically and appropriately evaluate the data and results. PLOs related to these skills, which stand for learning outcomes’ domains and levels, are thought to be transferrable to other academic fields.
The PLOs incorporate both generic and specialized learning outcomes, as indicated by the provided justification.
General Learning Outcomes
2.1.1 Moral and ethical learning outcomes
(1) obey the law. Be aware of morality, ethics, honesty and sacrifice.
(2) Able to perform both as a good follower and a leader, able to work as a team, and able to resolve conflicts and priorities
(3) Respect rules and regulations of business and social administration
(4) Possess academic and professional ethics in business administration
(5) Able to analyze and suggest ways to improve the economy, society and politics arising from the findings in academic work.
2.2.1 Knowledge learning outcomes
(1) Knowledge and understanding of the principles and theories in business administration.
(2) Able to understand cultural differences Analyze problems, understand, and apply knowledge, skills, and use of appropriate tools to solve business problems.
(3) Able to monitor changes in the economic environment.
(4) Have a broad knowledge of the field of study in order to foresee changes and understand the impact of new technologies in business operations.
(5) Able to integrate knowledge of the study with knowledge in other related fields, such as impact of digital technology on society, politics, economy, etc.
2.3.1 Learning Outcomes in Cognitive Skills
(1) Able to think critically and systematically
(2) Able to search for, interpret and evaluate information to be used to solve problems creatively.
(3) Able to collect, study, analyze and summarize information regarding business needs and issues.
(4) Able to apply knowledge and skills to solve problems and determine the best alternatives in business administration.
2.4.1 Learning Outcomes in Interpersonal Skills and Responsibility
(1) Able to communicate with a wide range of people in both Thai and English effectively.
(2) Take responsibilities for one’s own actions and responsible for group work.
(3) Able to take the initiative to resolve both personal and public issues. Besides, show appropriate stances for one’s own and others in the group.
(4) Responsible for continuous personal and professional development.
(5) Understand and accept differences; can provide assistance and facilitation in resolving various situations in groups both in the role of team members or in the role of a leader.
2.5.1 Learning outcomes in numerical analysis, communication and information technology skills
(1) Posses skills in using new technology and/or electronic tools used in business administration
(2) Able to process research statistics and analyze the results that affect business management
(3) Able to communicate effectively (oral and in written); able to choose a proper media to reach maximum audience.
(4) Able to use information technology, digital media and information in business administration appropriately.
Specific outcomes
From the specified learning management plan, the curriculum has determined the yearly competencies or expected learning outcomes in each year as follows:
|
Year |
Study Plan 1 |
Study Plan 2 |
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1 |
Able to transfer knowledge and experience in the business as well as exchange and analyze information among cohorts in order to increase effective management skills. Able to select the key issues of current business and economy for in-depth study in thesis work. Demonstrate the characteristics of ethical and responsible citizens. |
Demonstrate advanced knowledge in business and organizational administration. Able to use Financial and human resource Information to make business decisions. Possess a foundation for a thesis, able to search to analyze and synthesize research including writing a thesis outline. Demonstrate the characteristics of ethical and responsible citizens. |
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2 |
Able to organize dissertations in a manner as to find the root causes of business problems and opportunities. Able to propose innovative solutions both in the formal examinations according to the curriculum criteria as well as presenting thesis works to the committee. |
Able to conduct in-depth research to uncover the root causes of business problems and opportunities to improve the organization and/or target business. Demonstrate innovations that promote long-term competitiveness and grow sustainably |
Our program also formulated specific learning outcomes for Thesis
1.4 The programme to show that the requirements of the stakeholders, especially the external stakeholders, are gathered, and that these are reflected in the expected learning outcomes.
Stakeholders in our program include academic staff, employers, students, alumni, and education quality assessors, as determined by a discussion within the committee. The PLOs related to competencies and skills of alumni and the needs of skills for current students have been discussed among stakeholders of our program continuously.
The primary input of curriculum revision comes from Students’ feedback (end of semester survey), instructors’ opinion (in TQF5) as well as recommendations from the educational quality assessment results at the curriculum level.
However, curriculum revision committee equally considers the inputs from internship providers, graduate users. Faculty members who have recently met with stakeholders provide information during program committee meetings. Based on feedback and comments from stakeholders, the committee discusses potential changes to the PLOs and content of the programs. Periodically, our program assesses whether the PLOs meet the needs of all parties involved.
It is intended to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the process of program specification mapping in the future to guarantee that PLOs, learning activities, and achievement evaluations are fully aligned with the needs of all stakeholders. In order to get more input and to gather suggestions and comments about expectations in a more organized manner, we intend to reach more stakeholders in the future. The survey’s alignment between PLOs and stakeholders’ expectations and requirements demonstrated that the latter supported the program’s seven learning outcomes, with the majority of respondents stating that these results are necessary for the work that their organizations do.
1.5 The programme to show that the expected learning outcomes are achieved by the students by the time they graduate
Each course’s teaching and learning activities as well as assessment techniques are developed and evaluated in the course specification (TQF3) and assessed using a variety of techniques as discussed in the course report (TQF5). When the course ended, the students also complete their self-rating evaluations for the CLOs and PLOs accomplishments on a yearly basis during the study. The evaluations of the courses and the teaching and learning activities are used to determine the students’ learning levels. Every student receives information regarding the valuation techniques used in their coursework, theses, and exams.
Following a discussion and communication with current students in the academic year 2023, all parties involved agreed that the PLOs represent the necessary knowledge and skills for the Master of Business Administration program. In addition, the PLOs satisfied the graduates and their users’ need as they are interested to encourage others in their organization to study in our program.
Evidence
| ID_Evidence | Name_Evidence |
| 1.1-1 | Program meeting |
| 1.1-2 | Student orientation |
| 1.2-1 | Curriculum mapping |
| 1.4-1 | TQF5-Students’ evaluation of the course |
| 1.5-1 | TQF3 |
| 1.5-2 | TQF5 |
| 1.5-3 | PLO Survey- graduate |
| 1.5-4 | PLO Survey- graduate user |
Self-Assessment
| Requirements | Result | Score |
| 1.1 The programme to show that the expected learning outcomes are appropriately formulated in accordance with an established learning taxonomy, are aligned to the vision and mission of the university, and are known to all stakeholders. | / | 1 |
| 1.2 The programme to show that the expected learning outcomes for all courses are appropriately formulated and are aligned to the expected learning outcomes of the programme. | / | 1 |
| 1.3 The programme to show that the expected learning outcomes consist of both generic outcomes and subject specific outcomes. | / | 1 |
| 1.4 The programme to show that the requirements of the stakeholders, especially the external stakeholders, are gathered, and that these are reflected in the expected learning outcomes. | / | 1 |
| 1.5 The programme to show that the expected learning outcomes are achieved by the students by the time they graduate | / | 1 |
| Overall | 5 | |