Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement Processes
Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement Processes in Advanced Massage
In this report I shall be considering the role of quality assurance (QA) and quality improvement (QI) processes within the Advanced Massage Course
I wish to focus on how these processes relate to the process of assessment for both students and tutors.
QA is used in all areas of work from Hospital Procedures to Manufacturing processes, it can be defined as ‘a systematic process of verifying that a product or service being developed is meeting specified requirements’ (Dept. of Health, 2009). Newcastle College has clear, well defined and comprehensive QA processes, including monitoring, external verification. Working with other institutions and internal verification and audits.
The overall Q.A. framework is illustrated in the diagram attached I would like to focus on the area of the diagram which relates to assessment.
Student Assessment
The tutor is responsible for setting out a framework of assessment which includes assessment of written work and practical work. According to the Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) standards these should ‘produce valid, reliable and sufficient evidence’ (EP 2.2) and that these methods should be applied ‘fairly and effectively’ (EP 2.1).
The assessment methods used on the course include ongoing formative assessments, such as observation of practical skills and regular coursework assignments which create a portfolio of evidence, and final summative assessments, such as a practical exam where the students demonstrate their ability to carry out a massage which is effective and follows the guidelines set out throughout their period of learning.
Written assignments, are designed to have validity, currency, authenticity and sufficiency.
Validity means they should accurately reflect the learning they are designed to measure, currency requires that they reflect current knowledge.
Authenticity means they must be actually produced by the student concerned,
In this report I shall be considering the role of quality assurance (QA) and quality improvement (QI) processes within the Advanced Massage Course
I wish to focus on how these processes relate to the process of assessment for both students and tutors.
QA is used in all areas of work from Hospital Procedures to Manufacturing processes, it can be defined as ‘a systematic process of verifying that a product or service being developed is meeting specified requirements’ (Dept. of Health, 2009). Newcastle College has clear, well defined and comprehensive QA processes, including monitoring, external verification. Working with other institutions and internal verification and audits.
The overall Q.A. framework is illustrated in the diagram attached I would like to focus on the area of the diagram which relates to assessment.
Student Assessment
The tutor is responsible for setting out a framework of assessment which includes assessment of written work and practical work. According to the Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) standards these should ‘produce valid, reliable and sufficient evidence’ (EP 2.2) and that these methods should be applied ‘fairly and effectively’ (EP 2.1).
The assessment methods used on the course include ongoing formative assessments, such as observation of practical skills and regular coursework assignments which create a portfolio of evidence, and final summative assessments, such as a practical exam where the students demonstrate their ability to carry out a massage which is effective and follows the guidelines set out throughout their period of learning.
Written assignments, are designed to have validity, currency, authenticity and sufficiency.
Validity means they should accurately reflect the learning they are designed to measure, currency requires that they reflect current knowledge.
Authenticity means they must be actually produced by the student concerned,
References: Department of Health http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/index.htm LLUK Professional Standards available at http://www.lluk.org/2986.htm Biggs, J. (2001) ‘The Reflective Institution: Assuring and enhancing the quality of teaching and learning’ In: Higher Education Springer Netherlands. Volume 41. Number 3/April 2001 pp 221-238. Available at http://www.springerlink.com/content/m2472106v357t754/ (Accessed 12th December 2009) Bibliography Campbell, Anne and McNamara , Olwen (2004) Practitioner research and professional development in education Paul Chapman Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education Petty, G. (2004) Teaching Today, Nelson Thornes.