Quality Assurance and Self-evaluation at the Faculty of Medicine University of Ni š

1. Quality Assurance and Self-evaluation at the Faculty of Medicine University of Niš Asst. Prof. Ivana Stojanović Coordinator for Teaching Quality Assessment of the Center for QA

2. Reform Commission (2002) • Quality Control Commission (2003) • Center for Monitoring, Assurance, Improvement, • and Development of the Quality of Study • Programs,Teaching and Research (2005)

3. Fundamental Tasks and Goals of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš (mission) • The Faculty through its educational, investigational and health care activities contributes to high-quality and efficient education of doctors of medicine, doctors of dentistry, pharmacists, and nurses-technicians, the knowledge and skills of which can satisfy the needs and demands of the wider area. • In order to improve and preserve the population health, the Faculty effectuates functional and institutional relationships with all regional health care centers, the teaching bases above all, and especially with top health care institutions in the country and abroad.

4. Fundamental tasks and goals of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis (mission) • The Faculty will educate the students to be competent in the acquired qualification and try to enable the acquirement of the necessary knowledge for further learning and professional advancement through doctoral studies, professional, academic and health care specializations, and all the forms and level of continual education.

5. Fundamental tasks and goals of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis (mission) • The Faculty will try to effectuate more comprehensive interweaving of educational, research and health care activity, through more active didactic approaches, promoting creativity, critical approaches and synthesis of acquired knowledge & skills. • The Faculty will try to create the environment in which the students, teachers and associates could realize their professional interests and advance their knowledge, and every effort in the direction of quality provision will be recognized, approved of and validated.

6. Fundamental tasks and goals of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis (mission)

7. Qualityas the measure of adaptation to a goal Expectations & demands: • Societies • Governments • Students • Teachers • Employers Realization of the mission and fulfillment of the goals Quality is the intention Mission of the Faculty

8. Policy of Quality Assurance System at the Faculty of Medicine in Niš is based on the followingpriciples: • quality assurance system has a student focus • it issupportive and assists students & staff • it is ‘open’ and well documented, with information easily available to staff, who can participate fully and receive extensive feedback • it satisfies the quality assurance requirements of the University and any external quality assurance agency which the University must satisfy • it is based on the principle that each member of staff is responsible for his work • the system itself is kept under review Seminars

9. Statute of the Faculty of Medicine

10. Center for Monitoring, Assurance, Improvement, and Development of Quality of Study Programs, Teaching and Research The Centerwas established at the session of the Assembly for Education and Science,Faculty of Medicine University of Niš,on 15 November 2005. The Center continues the activity of theCommission for the Teaching Process Control. The President of the Center is Academician, Prof. dr Vladisav Stefanović, full professor at the academic course Internal Medicine - Nephrology

11. Basic principles of the Center activity, as an integral part of the strategy of quality assurance: • The Center integrates the culture of quality assurance into all aspects of Faculty activity • The Center does not monitor, but builds up the institutional mechanisms which would guarantee continual improvements • The Center brings forth the yearly and long-term activity plan, adopted by the Assembly for Education and Science • After the suggestion of the Center, the Assembly for Education and Science devises and adopts the standards and procedures for quality assurance • The proceedings for quality assurance are adopted for each field of quality assurance to establish in detail the actions of the subjects in quality assurance system in higher learning institutions • At least once a year the Center submits the report on its activity to the Assembly for Education and Science

12. Basic principles of the Center activity, as an integral part of the strategy of quality assurance: • The Center organizes continual discussions on quality • The Center develops evaluation procedures to investigate various aspects of quality of education & research • The Center gathers the info on quality from all users (students, teachers, administration stuff, management, public) • Except for the teachers & associates, the members of the Center commissions are the student representatives – 20% of the total number of members • Special commission of the Center analyzes the causes of low-quality, inefficient and too long studies • The Center provides feedback info from the students and directs their suggestions and critical remarks • The Center initiates and organizes professional training of the teachers, associates and administrative stuff • The activity of the Center is open to the public

13. Comission for Teaching Process Quality Assessment Comission for Research Quality Assessment Center for Quality Assessment Comission for ECTS Implementation Comission for Study Efficiency Analysis Quality assessment

14. Objectives • Evaluation and reform of curriculum • Follow-up and evaluation of teaching process • Introduce contemporary standards in teaching • Reform and modernization of teaching process • Assessment of grade system • Implementation of Grade regulations at courses which don’t have it already

15. Internal Evaluation Internal evaluation focuses on: • Aims, structure and content of study programs • Organization of study programs • Quality of performance • Conditions in which teaching and learning processes are carried out

16. Relevant documents • 30.06.2003. - “Rules and regulations on teaching process quality monitoring at Faculty of Medicine University of Niš” • 27.02.2007. - “Strategy of quality assurance atFaculty of Medicine University of Niš” • 08.10.2007. - “Rules and regulations on quality assurance, monitoring and improvement at Faculty of Medicine University of Niš” • 08.11.2007. - “Standards and procedures for self-evaluation and quailty assurance at Faculty of Medicine University of Niš”

17. Standards forself-assesment and quality control Standard 1: Quality assurance strategy Standard 2: Standards and procedures for quality assurance Standard 3: Quality assurance system Standard 4: Study program quality Standard 5: Teaching process quality Standard 6: Quality of science research, artistic and professional work Standard 7: Quality of teachers and associates Standard 8: Quality of students Standard 9: Quality of textbooks, literature, library and IT resources Standard 10: Quality of management of higher education institution and quality of non-teaching support Standard 11: Quality of premises and equipment Standard 12: Financing Standard 13: The role of students in self-assessment and quality control Standard 14: Systemic follow up and periodic quality control

18. Aim: to get information through anonimous questionnairey on students’ opinion on: • the quality of studies • the quality of teaching • the application of the best practices to teaching and organization • the level of information that reach students • the level of student influence in the process of change • the quality of communication among students, teaching staff and administrative staff

19. Performing the self-evaluation • Goals of self-evaluation • Self-evaluation segments

20. Goals of self-evaluation Self-evaluation, as the first step in the evaluation process, has the following main goals: • to produce a brief overview of the teaching and learning process, bearing in mind the impact of the scientific and research activities in that process • to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the process ( applying the SWOT analysis);

21. Self-evaluation segments • study programs and subject courses • teaching staff and assistants • teaching and learning activity • students • resources (facilities and material conditions)

22. Parameters of teaching process evaluation • Students`s attitude to classes. • Course content correspondence with the analytical program (curricula). • Recommended literature. • Teacher’s personal discipline. • Eloquence quality in rendering theinformation.

23. Parameters of evaluation • Entertaining character of theuniversity lecture. • Psycho-pedagogical skills of the teacher. • Dignified conduct adequate to academic style.

24. The students gave marks 1-5 and answered the questions,where 1 denoted“complete disagreement” and 5 “complete agreement”.

26. Let us ask the teachers Let us ask the students • Student questionnaire • Teacher questionnaire • Teacher self-analysis • Exam analysis • Formation of thedocuments • Improvement measures Each course

27. Students’ questionnaire (undergraduate study programs) Students’ questionnaire (PhD study program) already done already done

28. Results of the quality of teaching evaluation – student questionnaire in the period 26.02.2007-05.03.2007.Study group – Medicine2722 questionnaires were statistically processed Gender distribution of the students who took the questionnaire Male 1211 Female 2698

29. Student distribution – study status No response Self-financed State supported

30. Attendance at the classes & behaviour No response Never Rarely Always Sometimes Often

31. Reasons for attendance at the lectures The teacher arouses interest and his presentations are excellent No response There is no appropriate textbook for the course and it is necessary to „take notes“ Lectures are mandatory & necessary for credit acquisition The teacher presents the contents clearly I wish to know the viewpoint of the teacher whom I may take the exam with

32. Reasons for not attending the lectures Lectures are not mandatory and credits acquired for regular attendance are minimal No response Technical teaching accessories to illustrate lectures are obsolete Textbooks contain all the required information – it is better to use time for other things Lectures contain lots of dry data and are rather monotonous I dislike the way lectures are taught – there is little to learn

33. Number of lectures within the course students attended during the semester None No response 1-3 4-5 11-15 6-10

34. Teaching well organised, students completely & timely informed Practice make students capable of indepen-dent work The available literature is appropriate (content, style, scope) for students Theoretical & practical instruction are adjusted Lectures are very useful (informative, clear, interesting, modern) Assessment methods are objective They prefer large textbooks to smaller ones

35. Quality of teaching evaluation at individual courses of interest No resp Anatomy Histology No resp Poor Poor Good Excellent Good Excellent Very good Very good Physiology No resp Biochemistry Poor Poor Excellent Excellent Good Good Very good Very good

36. Quality of teaching evaluation at individual courses of interest Medical ethics and sociology Excellent Poor Very good Good Medical statistics and informatics No response Excellent Poor Very good Good

37. Quality of teaching evaluation at individual courses of interest Pediatrics Internal Medicine Poor Nr Excellent Nr Poor Excellent Very good Very good Good Good Gynecology and obstetrics Surgery with war surgery Excellent Excellent Nr Poor Poor Very good Very good Good Good

38. Multi-level harmonization of the activities of the Center commissions and work-groups results in the self-evaluationreports on study programs and working conditions in allstudy groups, adopted by the Assembly for EducationandScience of the Faculty twicea year (after I and II semester) and available at internet site of the Faculty.

41. AccreditationandQualityAssuranceCommission visit to the Center Checking up the documentation...

42. Self-evaluation • Self-evaluation procedure has been performed from October to November 2007 according to the principles and standards given in relevant documents: • “Rules and regulations on standards for self-evaluation and quality assessment of higher education institutions” (National Council for Higher Education) • “Strategy of quality assurance at Faculty of Medicine University of Niš” • “Rules and regulations on quality assurance, monitoring and improvement at Faculty of Medicine University of Niš” • “Standards and procedures for self-evaluation and quailty assurance at Faculty of Medicine University of Niš”

43. Expected and realized outcomes • Promotion of quality culture • Improved quality of teaching • Matching present curriculum with European standards • Better students’ knowledge and skills • Enhancement of motivation levels of teachers and students

44. Methodology of self-evaluation • In final Self-evaluation report the results of each standard assessment were analyzed by the SWOT analysis, pointing out strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. • The Self-evaluation report ends with the suggestions of corrective measures which are supposed to further improve the quality of all aspects of the Faculty activities.

45. Self-evaluation report • Assembly for Science and Education of Faculty of Medicine Niš adopted the Self-evaluation report, proposed by the Center, on November 27th, 2007

46. 12.04.2008. – Accreditation of the Faculty of MedicineUniversity in Niš

47. The QA system is now tightly incorporated in all the activities of the Faculty, as an integral part of the institution’s strategic work in the reform process. Student participation QA CV Reform ECTS Continual Assessment Improvement Strategy Monitoring

48. Thank you for your attention ! contact e-mail: ivanaisava@bankerinter.net