Update on the Cross Project Task Force on Course Quality

1. Update on the Cross Project Task Force on Course Quality Claire Johnson

2. Remit for Task Force "Course Quality" • Mission: Enable rational selection of educational courses from the universe of available courses by defining the quality criteria to be fulfilled • List quality criteria to be used to flag European courses for their suitability to serve as "Elective Courses" for E&T Programs • Define "Quality" for use as a criterion to identify suitable courses offered outside of IMI JU E&T  • List quality criteria to flag European courses for their suitability to serve as CPD courses • Criteria incorporated into on-course • QA/QC processes (not content)

3. Meet the senior discovery biologist… My name is Jon. I’m a discovery biologist and I’ve been working in cardiovascular discovery for 15 years. My unit is under threat and I want to move into development. My skills and experience are really relevant to predictive toxicology and I don’t have time to do another qualification.

4. …and the mid-career research chemist My name is Ida. I’m a formulation chemist and a member of the RSC; I need a crash course on ADMET. I don’t want to have to do it again if I move to another company.

5. …and the early-stage researcher My name is AnnaLisa. I have a degree in pharmacology. I’m interested in a career in medicines research and haven’t yet decided what area I want to focus on. I need a broad-ranging master’s course and I’d like to do the first part in London while my husband finishes off his PhD; after that I don’t mind where I go but I don’t want to repeat parts of my course if I move to another university.

6. The concept of a harmonised CPD portfolio IMI E&T modules Modules recognised by professional bodies whose quality standards align with IMI’s Pharmatrain IFAAP recognized CPD EuroTox-recognized CPD SafeSciMet Modules not currently recognised by a professional body but that meet IMI E&T Shared Quality Standard Eu2P Meets IMI E&T Shared Quality Standard

7. CPTF Course Quality’s ultimate goal Ooh – I can build a portfolio of CPD in my own time that really means something to my employer and others in my industry! Wow! I can build CPD credits with my professional body and these mean something to others in medicines research too! Hey! I can start my master’s at KCL and then move to one of several centres of excellence all over Europe to complete my degree – without repeating modules! What’s more, if I find a job part way through my degree, I’ve already got the beginnings of a strong CPD portfolio in medicines research and I could complete other modules whilst I’m an employee!

8. Achievements • Collection of various ‘quality concepts’ from the team members (PharmaTrain, SafeSciMet, EMTRAIN, Eu2P) • Alignment with ENQA European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area • Quality assurance from professional/scientific bodies • ‘IMI E&T Shared Quality Standard’ defined • 9 quality criteria based on quality principles • Position Paper written by Task Force • ‘European initiative towards quality standards in education and training for discovery, development and use of medicines’ • submitted to European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

9. Course Quality Principles • Trainees are supported to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills • Course structures encourage exchange and multi-disciplinarity • Facilities, infrastructure, leadership and competences are adequate to deliver the approved curriculum • Equality principles are adhered to. • Teaching methods are appropriate to the goals of the course • Transparency is observed regarding potential conflicts of interest

10. IMI E&T Shared Quality Standard • A formalised and transparent QA/QC policy that includes the following: • University accreditation OR a suitable system for approving, monitoring and reviewing the training offered. • A system for quality assurance of teaching staff. • Regular review of the QA/QC process and demonstration that the training is further developed in light of this review. • A set of documented criteria for individual modules, courses or course programmes that include the following: • Defined and transparent admission criteria. • A predefined set of teaching objectives, leading to defined learning outcomes. • The facilities, infrastructure, leadership and competences available for the support of student learning should be adequate, appropriate and up to date for the training offered. • Assessment of the students' achievement in accordance with the agreed learning outcomes of the training offered. • A system for collecting, assessing and addressing feedback from learners, teachers, technical/administrative staff and programme/course/module managers. • Availability of appropriate and updated reference material

11. Current Activities • IMI Shared Quality Standard built into the ‘on-course’ catalogue • Proposals for monitoring quality criteria checks • Process / SOP • Task force or panel • Present IMI Shared Quality Standard to professional/scientific bodies at Life-Long Learning workshop, October 2011 • ECTS currency • Comparison of ECTS credits and related systems

12. Course provider input

13. Course provider view

14. Course seeker view

15. Affiliate membership of ENQA European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), a pan-European body that aims to contribute to the maintenance and enhancement of the quality of European higher education. Enable the IMI E&T programmes to -keep abreast of developments, -engage with experts and participate in seminars and workshops -opportunities to share experiences and the challenges