Faculty of Health Sciences Quality Assurance Framework

The Faculty of Health Sciences is committed to providing a high-quality and distinctive learning experience for students, in line with the University’s goals as outlined in the University of Adelaide’s Strategic Plan 2008-2012 and as documented in the Faculty’s Learning and Teaching Strategic Plan 2009-2011. In addressing this aim, the Faculty operates within, and builds on, the overall quality assurance requirements and processes of the University of Adelaide and other agencies such as the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA). Additionally, the Faculty has established a Quality Assurance Toolkit for Learning and Teaching to assist Faculty staff in the evaluation of teaching and learning.

The Idea of Quality Assurance

Quality assurance is an activity whose primary purpose is to regularly monitor, evaluate and improve the quality of teaching and learning. It forms an integral part of the learning and teaching process.

Performing quality assurance activities helps us to learn about the quality of our programs, and whether they meet the needs of students and, more broadly, the needs of the community. In obtaining feedback on how students view our teaching and assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the courses we teach, information is available to us on ways we can improve. Quality assurance activities can also help us to systematically review the progress of students, their assessment results and their career outcomes.(i)

Implementing Quality Assurance

The Faculty of Health Sciences quality improvement process is based around the Quality Cycle. Staff are encouraged to apply this framework to the review of processes, programs and courses.

Adopting a practical approach, the Faculty has also devised the Faculty Quality Assurance Toolkit for Learning and Teaching. Disciplines and courses across the Faculty can apply the tools contained within this kit to examine, reflect on, evaluate and enhance their teaching activities.

Quality assurance: A multi-tiered process