On 3 September, ANQA held a training session for prospective experts to be involved in the VET institution accreditation processes.
Key issues related to the evaluation of academic programme (AP) outcomes were discussed with Ruben Topchyan, ANQA's director, particularly the red flags associated with graduates’ professional preparedness and the evidence required to verify their achievement.
Drawing on examples from different professions, participants explored the fundamental competences and professional requirements that every graduate should possess to work in the relevant field. The discussion also addressed the evidence and data that can be used during accreditation to assess the achievement of these competences.
It was emphasised that the development and assessment of key competences should be ensured consistently throughout the entire AP. Some of these competences may be developed and assessed within an individual course or module, while the achievement of others requires coordinated contribution from different courses and modules. The discussions highlighted that the expert role in accreditation is not limited to the verification of formally established processes in institutional documents. Experts need to determine, on the basis of evidence and results, whether the planned activities are implemented in practice and whether the teaching, learning and assessment processes genuinely result in the achievement of the intended learning outcomes. In this context, importance was attached to the regular monitoring of educational processes, documentation of the results, and their use for further enhancement.
The role of the AP manager was also highlighted. The AP manager should have a clear vision of the profile of the specialist the programme is designed to prepare in line with labour market needs and should consistently evaluate whether the different programme components ensure the achievement of the intended professional learning outcomes.
With regard to modern approaches to QA, it was noted that quality assurance does not require all institutions to follow the same processes or mechanisms. Institutions may apply different approaches, as long as these contribute to the achievement of the intended learning outcomes. Therefore, the expert role is not to impose a particular process on an institution, but to evaluate the results achieved through the approaches adopted by the institution.
The participants also worked on how to distinguish the description of a process from its results, what evidence and data are required to evaluate the achievement of learning outcomes, and how to use this evidence to form a well-founded professional judgement.