On April 25, ANQA conducted an online monitoring of the internal quality assurance system at the Ararat Regional State College. In 2023, the education institution was granted institutional accreditation for a period of four years.
The monitoring aimed to identify the impact of the accreditation on the quality assurance system and educational processes, track the implementation of the follow-up plan, as well as evaluate the current achievements and potential challenges.
As part of the monitoring, meetings were held with the education institution’s management staff, teachers, students and the quality assurance manager.
The key topics of discussion were:
- Employers’ participation in the educational process and the development of students' practical skills: The emphasis was placed on the expansion of cooperation with employers, the attraction of employer teachers, examples of joint use of employer resources, activities to boost the internship effectiveness and mechanisms for transforming theoretical knowledge into practical skills.
- Research and interdisciplinary activities: The research component in the educational process was considered, focusing on the education institution's policy for research promotion, students' involvement in research activities, measures to ensure academic integrity and examples of interdisciplinary research collaboration.
- Teaching, assessment and innovative approaches: A reference was made to the use of formative assessment, feedback mechanisms, activities to develop students' analytical and critical thinking, approaches and practical examples of AI integration into the educational process and student assessment criteria applied at the institution.
- Quality assurance and data-driven management: The focus was on the annual quality assurance plan and key areas for the coming years, with data collected to support data-driven decision-making and implement enhancement processes. Mechanisms for identifying and responding to the stakeholder needs were also considered.
At the end of the monitoring, ANQA’s specialists discussed the education institution's strengths and areas for enhancement with the institution’s management staff. In particular:
- An importance was attached to the stakeholder involvement in the institution’s processes and the joint use of employer resources. It was suggested to further develop cooperation with employers and strengthen students' practical skills.
- The inclusion of research in the curriculum was encouraged, with a focus on balanced distribution of the workload.
- The culture of student feedback was considered positive.
- The systematic dissemination of the institution’s best practices was highlighted.
- The potential use of a foreign language in professional contexts and the need for a clearer approach to AI were emphasised.