Academic Quality
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INTRODUCTION
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Introduction
Kia ora - welcome to this resource for kaimahi to support academic quality at Unitec Te Pukenga
Mā te Rangatiratanga, Te Whakaritenga, Te Kaitiakitanga, Te Kotahitanga, me Te Ngākau Māhaki.
Ka tau i raro i te whakaaro kotahi, hei oranga mō tātou katoa. Haumi ē! Hui ē! Taiki ē!
Te Korowai Kahurangi leads academic quality at Unitec Te Pukenga by partnering with you and your School. Te Korowai Kahurangi speaks of the cloak of quality that protects and guides, with excellence.
This Moodle site is a 'go-to' place for Unitec Te Pukenga teaching staff. It is a roadmap for Unitec's academic quality processes, designed as a one-stop shop for you - bookmark this page and come back to it regularly to check in with the requirements associated with your role. The academic quality information is divided into three main sections:Before the course begins
During the course
After the course has ended
There is also a glossary of terms we frequently use at Unitec. If you click on any words which are in bold, the glossary definition will pop up or you can go direct to the glossary section from the home page.
Some links will also take you to further information on Te Aka, the Nest, Unitec's staff intranet.Tēnā koutou katoaKo Barr Beacon te māungaKo Birmingham-Fazely te awa
Ko English te iwi
Nō Sutton Coldfield ahau
Ko Sue Crossan tōku ingoa
I am an Academic Quality & Capability Partner in Te Korowai Kahurangi, and I have developed this academic quality Moodle course to support new staff.
The values of Te Noho Kotahitanga are central to Unitec's culture and ways of doing things. Throughout this Moodle site there are examples of ways in which they are demonstrated. -
WHY IS ACADEMIC QUALITY IMPORTANT?
Te Korowai Kahurangi (TKK) leads academic quality at Unitec. But why is it important?
Good teaching involves a cycle of improvement through planning, delivering, reflecting and evaluating, making improvements, and then going through the cycle again. As we reflect and evaluate, we must base any changes on evidence. We have several processes for doing this at Unitec. The guardianship of our programmes is an excellent example of kaitiakitanga in practice.
Academic quality ensures better outcomes for students through continuous improvement at the course and programme level. Robust academic quality processes ensure that our students are getting a good product. By following the processes provided, we keep ourselves and ākonga (student) safe. All teaching staff are responsible for ensuring academic standards for their courses are met. Staff are displaying rangatiratanga (authority and responsibility) by taking academic quality processes that relate to their course seriously.
Unitec has an agreement with New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) to deliver courses that meet certain standards. We need to check we are meeting those standards constantly, or we could lose the funding to deliver at Unitec. The Programmes we offer at Unitec are awarded wakaritenga (legitimacy) through approvals gained from NZQA and TEC.
One example of a quality process is the Course Evaluation and Planning (CEP). Teachers record their reflections at the end of the course before it is delivered again. The CEPs act as evidence for the Programme Evaluation and Planning (PEP) by reflecting on the ākonga (student) experience and outcomes in your course.
Every Programme at Unitec is accountable to a Programme Academic Quality Committee (PAQC) which oversees academic quality at the Programme level.
It is helpful to remember that the course/s you teach are part of a Programme. How does your course fit into the Programme? All the courses fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, to ensure graduates of the Programme meet the Graduate Outcomes.
Some programmes have been unified as part of developing nationwide Te Pūkenga qualifications. In this case, Unitec has been approved to teach the unified programme, along with other providers.
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THE CYCLE OF IMPROVEMENT FOR TEACHING STAFF
1. Plan your course outline and assessments. Check the Course Descriptor to see what topics and assessments have been approved by NZQA. Decide what order to teach the topics in. Read the previous Course Evaluation and Planning (CEP)s to learn about the history of the course.
2. Moderate the assessment materials.
3. Deliver the course.
4. Take part in check marking moderation.
5. Keep a record of all ākonga feedback
6. Check course institutional student survey feedback at the end of the semester.
7. Consider any feedback received from industry or other stakeholders.
8. Complete your Course Evaluation and Planning (CEP) which contributes towards the Programme Evaluation and Planning (PEP).
9. Are there any course improvements which can be implemented before the course is taught again? Improvements might be a result of feedback from ākonga, other stakeholders or moderation. Check with your APM or Programme Co-ordinator/Discipline Lead to determine if the changes need consent via either a change application.
10. 'Close the loop' by ensuring ākonga are aware of any changes made due to their feedback. This encourages them to take part in future surveys as they realise their feedback is valued.
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NEED MORE HELP? HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
Each programme has a Senior Quality Administrator (SQA) to provide support OR email Sue Crossan scrossan@unitec.ac.nz (Mt Albert building 110). Sue Crossan is also based on Waitakere campus one day a week - usually Tuesdays - on the 4th floor, near the Nursing and Medical Imaging offices. Do introduce yourself and Sue can (try to!) answer any questions.
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Te Korowai Kahurangi team at their 2024 End of Year event
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