Internal Quality Assurance

We are responsible for development and implementation of Internal Quality Assurance culture strategies to ensure constant development of Teaching/Learning process.

Use of internal quality assurance procedures should promote further intellectual and academic achievements.

It will also promote shared values and commitments of all communities involved (academics, administrative and support staff and students). Internal evaluation is the cornerstone of quality assurance in higher education. The Bologna Process implies that students are full members of the higher education community. They should participate in the organization and content of education. Student participation in institutional governance should be prescribed by law.

The students’ involvement in self-evaluation and reflection is also important. Because self-evaluation processes contribute to improving academic results and developing students' autonomy, teachers and tutors must develop them.

External evaluation of Quality assurance is a condition of credibility of results of internal evaluation Greater autonomy for higher education institutions therefore also means greater responsibility for the quality of teaching and learning. It means real accountability of the academic system within the National Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency. Accountability must go hand in hand with autonomy.

 

Due to all above mentioned, the strategic goals and procedures of quality assurance can be defined:

 

• Teaching and research quality improvement.

• Improvement of quality assurance organizational structure.

• Respect to institutional autonomy.

• Developing an internal quality culture.

• Cost-effectiveness of Instructional Support.

• React to National Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency recommendations and evaluations.

• Avoiding of bureaucracy, wasting costs and unnecessary regulation.

 

Quality Assurance Department is structural group in GSAAC Administration Organizational Hierarchy that manages above mentioned quality assurance policy. The faculty at GSAAC is internal “academic segment” of GSAAC. Exactly quality assurance service at the Faculty is authorized to evaluate and determine the policy of quality assurance, to create the database and primary processing of data. The quality assurance staff understand the implications of external regulation and laws, as well as internal policies and procedures; provides a balance between literal adherence to policy and the use of policy as a guide. It sets the Evaluation Criteria and Quality Indicators for evaluation of quality of teaching and research at GSAAC.

 

In this paper, we present the organizational characteristics and the main aspects of the development of Quality assurance at GSAAC. Quality Assurance Personnel are responsible for assessment, verification and suggesting enhancements to the various parts of the institution In development of Quality assurance system take part “quality evaluators" (evaluators) and “Objects for quality assurance” (objects).

 

Evaluators are named from academic and administrative personnel. The economic, legal and organizational aspects of evaluation process are directed by administrative group.

 

The object for evaluation is a program of study, defined by the curriculum. This includes the courses, modules, syllabus and other educational experiences, the methods of delivery, and the structure of requirements and electives into which these are arranged to give coherence to the program.

 

In the evaluation of the effectiveness of an undergraduate academic program, it is essential to consider the students it serves and those it might serve in the future. Student needs influence the design of the curriculum, the faculty to implement it, and the services to support it. The quality and success of the program depends upon the extent to which it meets the needs of its students.

 

The above mentioned is based on student-oriented versus teacher-oriented programs of studies. The teacher-oriented approach to learning is generally time independent, based on the assumption that the proper object of study is what the individual professor thinks the student should learn in his or her course. The student-oriented approach gives greater weight to the design of the overall curriculum and focuses especially on the usefulness of study programs for a future position of the graduate in society.

 

One of the major criteria for evaluating undergraduate educational programs are: student competencies/learning outcomes. Learning outcomes should: reflect broad conceptual knowledge and adaptive vocational and generic skills. Subject specific competences (theoretical, practical and/or experimental knowledge and subject related skills) are connected to a particular subject discipline and labor market oriented.

 

The purpose of quality assurance is to ensure both the effectiveness and the efficiency of delivery of learning within the service. Quality assurance Service ensures systematic evaluation of Curriculum activities of GSAAC, although with different level of activity.

 

Academic process is dynamic: with a beginning but no end. It is essential that “subjects” involved in academic process teachers and students need to be developed permanently, their performance to be upgraded. Similarly, curricular materials need to be upgraded to reflect higher expectations that will be guarantee of making progress in medical education. Success in medical education depends on balance and parallel development of three components teaching, learning, research and service functions-excellence in teaching, research/scholarly activity support and consideration of professional service experience.

 

The main role and function of quality assurance service is the creation of performance evaluation indicators that may be called indicators of “triple spiral model". The spiral symbolizes the unity of medical education and research -research-teaching-medical-care programs on different levels (under and postgraduate). The spiral model for the development of coordination means a learning model with horizontal and vertical integration of medical education elements.

 

We give special attention to factors like trust, transparency, self-regulation: a key to life-long learning in medical education and self-valuation of professional skills, that is recognized to be an essential requirement in undergraduate medical education. QA service has capacity and competence to keep a balance between innovation and tradition, socioeconomic advantage, achievement motivation, and academic performance , mandatory vs. free choice of courses.

 

Quality assurance system itself as a useful instrument for the work on improving education offered at GSAAC, has a large scope and embraces all processes that affect the quality of education. To receive trust we have to be worthy of trust It is our responsibility to care about our students.