Program Review
Program Review at UCB
The academic development, including development of programmes and curricula, requires a methodical arrangement and structuring of the existing QA system that deals with the planning of curricula in all academic programmes, followed by the evaluation and review of their development. Basic components of curricula and programmes review are as follows:
Curriculum Design
Drawing on effective principles of competency-based curriculum design, depending on the discipline, all curricula at UCB must fulfill the following:
- Meet the objectives set for it in order to achieve UCB mission.
- Meet the needs of the job markets, the community and the region.
- Curriculum content must be meaningful and relevant to each specialty.
- Curriculum must be shaped from lower order thinking skills to higher order thinking skills by using Bloom’s Taxonomy of learning.
- Secured space in the curriculum is important to allow the introduction of elective courses that provide opportunities for students to explore beyond their core courses.
Educational Competencies:
Competency-based curricula must include a set of qualifications that graduates and students must have through the acquisition of the combination of the following attitudes, skills and knowledge:
- Critical thinking.
- Problem solving.
- Managing information.
- Creativity and innovation.
- Communication.
- Collaboration.
- Cultural and global citizenship.
- Personal growth and well-being.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs):
ILOs, for each programme, should be structured and organized in the form of written statement as follows:
- ILOs should be mission related.
- ILOs should be “SMART”: Specific; Measurable; Appropriate; Realistic and Time bounded.
- ILOs should be tied with educational resources, teaching methods, course evaluation and student’s assessment.
- ILOs must contain an action verb to express “Knowledge and Understanding Skills”, “Intellectual Skills”, “Professional and Practical Skills”, and “General and Transferable Skills”.
- ILOs should be measured by using a matrix showing the correspondence between ILOs and the programme, in order to map the contribution of each course to the programme.
National & International Benchmarks and Standards:
Each programme must fulfill the set of standards, guidelines and requirements of international accreditation agencies.
- Curricula must fulfill the international standards in either design, content, delivery and the intended learning outcomes to enable students to cope with the rapidly evolving professions.
- The internal quality audit team reviews the compliance of each programme with the international quality benchmarks of accreditation agencies.
- The team follows up Faculties’ action plans to fulfill the recommendations concerning enhancement of curriculum of relevant programme.
- International accreditation agencies are considered as external reviewers of the quality of programmes and curricula.
Learning Styles and Curriculum Delivery Modes
Diversification of teaching and learning methods stimulates students’ motivation, self-reflection and engagement in the learning process, to promote a creative and innovative learning environment. Various styles used for achieving the desired learning outcomes are as follows:
- Student-Centered Teaching & Learning.
- Life-long learning.
- Research-based learning.
- Problem-based learning.
- Team-based learning.
- Student-Based Learning.
- Experiential learning.
- Inter-professional education.
- Work-based learning.
- Blended learning, and e-learning
Tools for Programme Review
Processes and tools used for evaluating and enhancing of academic programmes are as follows:
- “Student Course Assessment”, whereby students evaluate certain quality dimensions of teaching and learning at course level.
- “Exit Survey”, whereby senior students evaluate certain quality dimensions of teaching and learning at the programme level.
- “Faculties’ Advisory Committees Reports”.
- “External Reviewers”.
- “UCB Quality Assurance Committee Reports”.
- “Curriculum Committee”.
- BQA Reports
- “International Accreditation Reports”.