Unit name | Educational Quality, Improvement and Evaluation |
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Unit code | EDUCM0006 |
Credit points | 10 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
Unit director | Professor. Thomas |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods in the Social Sciences |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | School of Education |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit is designed for students who are interested in research designs and evaluation techniques related to the evaluation of educational quality and improvement in different organisational settings. It will review research and research designs relating to educational effectiveness, improvement and quality assurance and consider the implications for policy and practice. It will focus on research into the organisational factors that correlate with effective outcomes, both in UK and worldwide, as well as the outcomes of the research such as strategies for promoting quality and improvement at local, national and organisational levels. The different methods of data collection and analysis that have been used in selected research studies will be examined as well as a range of qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating quality (eg programme evaluation, case studies, inspection frameworks, league tables, value added approaches). Students will be invited to present case studies based on their own research and/or experience and critically reflect on the usefulness of the theoretical and methodological ideas discussed. The broad aim of this unit is to review selected research, theory and research designs relating to educational quality and Improvement, strategies for improving educational effectiveness, and approaches to quality assurance. Evidence from different countries/cultures and different organisational settings will be used to consider the implications of such theories and paradigms for policy and practice. A range of evaluation approaches and methods, applicable to different organisational settings, will be considered. The influence of values, culture and context on quality frameworks, together with the changing role of various stakeholders in contributing to quality, will also be considered.
The intended learning outcomes of this unit are fourfold. At the end of the unit participants should be able to:
The course will be delivered through a combination of teaching strategies, which may include whole group lectures, visiting speakers, case studies, critical analysis of key readings, group discussions and student presentations.
Summative Assessment - A 2000 word essay which will assess students’ critical understanding of the literature on quality, improvement and evaluation, and their ability to discuss the implications of the theories, concepts and evaluation methods in relation to their own research interests.
Formative Assessment - 1000 word case study of quality evaluation using an example/s from the participant’s own experience or interests to be prepared prior to the unit and presented, discussed and developed as the unit progresses. Optionally the formative case study may be developed/ extended to meet the requirements of the summative assessment outlined above.