Training seminar for external experts Mostar, 04-05.10.2010

On 4h and 5th October project management team of ESABIH project organized practical training of selected external experts from BH public universities. Participants were selected by the Agency for development of High Education and QA in BH. Seminar was lead by two experts from EU, Prof Sonntag from University of Heidelberg and Mr Grifoll from AQA; by Mr Curkovic from Agency for Development of High Education and Quality Assurance in BH and by Prof Bokonjic from University of East Sarajevo. Seminar was organized at University of Mostar Dzemal Bijedic and total of 40 participants took part on this seminar. BH experts were selected from the public list of external experts according to scientific orientation of the chosen study programs, which are going to be involved in the pilot project.
Seminar started with welcome speech of prof Pasic who hosted this seminar. Prof Bokonjic welcomed participants on behalf of the Consortium of the project and project management team. He presented agenda of the meeting and also main project outcomes and activities.
After introductory remarks, Mr Grifoll gave presentation about Higher Education in Europe; Bologna Process: History, Principles, Quality Requirements, Grades, European diversity on external QA for HE. Presentation clearly described situation in High Education in Europe. Also he described QA assurance system and made really good introduction for practical exercises in the afternoon. After his presentation, prof Sonntag presented main principles of ECTS points and usage of ECTS system as good tool for reform of the curriculum. Calculation of contact hours and ECTS points can be really good tool for changing of the curriculum and getting information of the
engagement of different courses in total curriculum.
Mr Boris Curkovic welcome participants on the behalf of the agency. He informed participants about basic elements of QA systems in EU and BH and talked about evaluation and accreditation procedures for institutions and study programs in BH. He also spoke about development of QA system in HEA by describing position of QA in different declarations and communiqués. He gave different examples of good practice and described different internal and external evaluation procedures. After his presentation we had short discussion about evaluation and accreditation of higher education institutions and programs.
After this Mr Mujkic presented standards and criteria for evaluation and accreditation of study programs/final version, which will be tested during our pilot project. Development of standards and criteria for evaluation and accreditation of study programs are in final stage and is under full support of our Agency. He presented all seven criteria and briefly passed through different indicators. After presentation we had discussions about standards and criteria, role of external experts in the evaluation process, composition of the teams, responsibilities of members of the team, development of procedures and instructions and etc. We decided to send standards for evaluation of study programs to all selected external experts in BH. Also we informed participants that our Agency will put this proposal for criteria and standards into public discussion.
In the end of the morning plenary session Prof Sonntag described structure and role of the self assessment team, way of collecting information and the whole process of self assessment. Prof Bokonjic said some basic things about templates, tables and questionnaires which are going to be used during evaluation and accreditation of study programs in BH. These two presentations were good introduction for practical work organized in the afternoon.
In the afternoon all participants were divided in four small groups. Two groups got bad written and prepared SER and two received good self assessment report. Groups got an assignment to divide parts of SER among participants and after carefully reading to give their comments about report and study program. EU experts gave them some questions which should help them in analysis of SER. Representative of each group had a task to present conclusions of the group in the morning session day after. Groups worked for two hours on SER report and made some conclusions. All groups prepared presentations for next day and pick up their representatives.
First working day finished with explanation of technical and financial issues related to this seminar. This session was lead by prof Bokonjic.
Next day representatives of groups presented group conclusions during plenary session. Groups really did a great job. All experts very surprised how many good conclusions and suggestions experts made. Groups who analysed bad SER agreed that report did not give enough information, so that particular study program can not be accredited and clearly emphasized what additionally should be done for improvement of SER and study program itself. Other groups who worked on good report also had some suggestion and defined what should be check additionally during site
visit.
Second day started with short plenary session lead by prof Sonntag and Mr Grifoll. External Assessment Process was presented by Sonntag and Transparency of the external QA (publication of the reports), measuring impacts of QA, follow up implementation, European diversity on external QA for HE and external review process was presented by Mr Grifoll. These two presentations made very good introduction to the second practical workshop. Groups got another assignment. Group got results from site visit, so their task was to decide about quality and possible accreditation of institution after getting conclusion of the panel. We divided participants into two groups and all got site visit comments of better institution.
In the end again representatives of both groups presented their opinion and suggestions like they were giving final public report. After comments from group EU experts presented them real conclusions of the external panel and organized final discussion.

On 4h and 5th October project management team of ESABIH project organized practical training of selected external experts from BH public universities. Participants were selected by the Agency for development of High Education and QA in BH. Seminar was lead by two experts from EU, Prof Sonntag from University of Heidelberg and Mr Grifoll from AQA; by Mr Curkovic from Agency for Development of High Education and Quality Assurance in BH and by Prof Bokonjic from University of East Sarajevo. Seminar was organized at University of Mostar Dzemal Bijedic and total of 40 participants took part on this seminar. BH experts were selected from the public list of external experts according to scientific orientation of the chosen study programs, which are going to be involved in the pilot project.

Seminar started with welcome speech of prof Pasic who hosted this seminar. Prof Bokonjic welcomed participants on behalf of the Consortium of the project and project management team. He presented agenda of the meeting and also main project outcomes and activities.

After introductory remarks, Mr Grifoll gave presentation about Higher Education in Europe; Bologna Process: History, Principles, Quality Requirements, Grades, European diversity on external QA for HE. Presentation clearly described situation in High Education in Europe. Also he described QA assurance system and made really good introduction for practical exercises in the afternoon. After his presentation, prof Sonntag presented main principles of ECTS points and usage of ECTS system as good tool for reform of the curriculum. Calculation of contact hours and ECTS points can be really good tool for changing of the curriculum and getting information of the

engagement of different courses in total curriculum.

Mr Boris Curkovic welcome participants on the behalf of the agency. He informed participants about basic elements of QA systems in EU and BH and talked about evaluation and accreditation procedures for institutions and study programs in BH. He also spoke about development of QA system in HEA by describing position of QA in different declarations and communiqués. He gave different examples of good practice and described different internal and external evaluation procedures. After his presentation we had short discussion about evaluation and accreditation of higher education institutions and programs.

After this Mr Mujkic presented standards and criteria for evaluation and accreditation of study programs/final version, which will be tested during our pilot project. Development of standards and criteria for evaluation and accreditation of study programs are in final stage and is under full support of our Agency. He presented all seven criteria and briefly passed through different indicators. After presentation we had discussions about standards and criteria, role of external experts in the evaluation process, composition of the teams, responsibilities of members of the team, development of procedures and instructions and etc. We decided to send standards for evaluation of study programs to all selected external experts in BH. Also we informed participants that our Agency will put this proposal for criteria and standards into public discussion.

In the end of the morning plenary session Prof Sonntag described structure and role of the self assessment team, way of collecting information and the whole process of self assessment. Prof Bokonjic said some basic things about templates, tables and questionnaires which are going to be used during evaluation and accreditation of study programs in BH. These two presentations were good introduction for practical work organized in the afternoon.

In the afternoon all participants were divided in four small groups. Two groups got bad written and prepared SER and two received good self assessment report. Groups got an assignment to divide parts of SER among participants and after carefully reading to give their comments about report and study program. EU experts gave them some questions which should help them in analysis of SER. Representative of each group had a task to present conclusions of the group in the morning session day after. Groups worked for two hours on SER report and made some conclusions. All groups prepared presentations for next day and pick up their representatives.

First working day finished with explanation of technical and financial issues related to this seminar. This session was lead by prof Bokonjic.

Next day representatives of groups presented group conclusions during plenary session. Groups really did a great job. All experts very surprised how many good conclusions and suggestions experts made. Groups who analysed bad SER agreed that report did not give enough information, so that particular study program can not be accredited and clearly emphasized what additionally should be done for improvement of SER and study program itself. Other groups who worked on good report also had some suggestion and defined what should be check additionally during site

visit.

Second day started with short plenary session lead by prof Sonntag and Mr Grifoll. External Assessment Process was presented by Sonntag and Transparency of the external QA (publication of the reports), measuring impacts of QA, follow up implementation, European diversity on external QA for HE and external review process was presented by Mr Grifoll. These two presentations made very good introduction to the second practical workshop. Groups got another assignment. Group got results from site visit, so their task was to decide about quality and possible accreditation of institution after getting conclusion of the panel. We divided participants into two groups and all got site visit comments of better institution.

In the end again representatives of both groups presented their opinion and suggestions like they were giving final public report. After comments from group EU experts presented them real conclusions of the external panel and organized final discussion.

 

Full minutes of the meeting and agenda can be found in attachment.

All presentations and files can be found in downloads section.


Attached files:
Agenda Seminar in Mostar Oct 2010.pdf
Minutes of training seminar.pdf