Agenda and Papers - University of Edinburgh

system for final year students on the BMV&S programme. It was suggested
that the College monitor the impact of the system, including any impact on
National Student Survey results, and consider rolling it out to other parts of
the College and to other years. The use of Turnitin as a way of avoiding
rather than detecting plagiarism was commended, and it was suggested that
this could be considered for wider adoption according to available resource.
Among other commendations were the inclusion of CPD activity in quality
assurance processes, positive outcomes to the TPR and PPR, and the
proposal to introduce a mentoring and appraisal system for all undergraduate
medical students.
A number of items discussed with interest by the Committee were noted for
follow-up and inclusion in the College’s report for 2010/11:
• it was noted that the report placed greater emphasis on quality
assurance, and that more could be included on how quality
enhancement resides within and across the structures in the College;
• the Committee noted that the following year’s annual report would
report on the outcomes of work in progress to address low
postgraduate conversion rates;
• the outcome of feedback gathered from students at the end of their
programme would be included in the report;
• the code of practice on academic feedback would be reported on, with
SQAC identifying good practice for wider dissemination.
•
Action: College Director of Quality Assurance
With regard to capturing feedback from informal interactions between staff
and postgraduate students, it was noted that the College was considering
ways to do this. Practice in the MBA programme in CHSS was to use focus
groups as being more suited to mature students than questionnaires.
It was agreed that the scope of Peer Observation of Teaching across the
University should be broadened to include peer review of other elements of
teaching practice and provision of feedback.
Action: Senate Learning and Teaching Committee
SQAC’s role would be to monitor the expanded scheme with an emphasis on
assuring the quality of practice.
It was noted that in some Schools in CHSS part of research leave could be
used to develop new teaching initiatives, and that the CSE Learning and
Teaching Strategy included a target of ongoing development of recognition
for learning and teaching.
The commendations and recommendations set out in Paper O were remitted
to the College for action. Action: College Director of Quality Assurance
5.4 College of Science and Engineering Annual Report QAC 10/11 5 G
The College was commended for its detailed and insightful report which had
made good use of the revised annual reporting guidance. The revised
format was already making explicit trends and themes across the Colleges.
The CSE report confirmed that quality assurance was being undertaken
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