FACULTY

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FACULTY OF MEDICINE QUALITY ASSURANCE ASPECTS
- part 2 University of Ni Prof. dr Gordana Kocic
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• Faculty of Medicine in Ni is a government-owned
  institution of higher learning
• At the Faculty of Medicine, there are four study
  groups
• study group Medicine (course in Serbian or
  English language) 6 year-study
• study group Dentistry 5 year-study
• study group Pharmacy 5 year-study
• new study group profile Faculty of Nursing 3
  year-study

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The Bologna Declaration makes explicit reference
to quality assurance including the promotion of
European co-operation in quality assurance, with
a view to developing comparable criteria and
methodologies. 
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• A proposal for the internal quality assurance
  system at the Faculty of Medicine in Nis was
  prepared including the following elements
•      Students program evaluation
• Students course evaluation
•       Monitoring of teaching procedure
•       Internal quality evaluation
  (self-evaluation).

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• Departments are encouraged to develop their own
  quality assurance systems which involve
• Registry of theoretical teaching (title of the
  methodical unit, name of the teacher, number of
  lessons and number of attending students)
• Registry of practical teaching (title of the
  methodical unit, name of the teacher, number of
  practical training classes and number of
  attending students)
• Main examination registry (special registry for
  each study group) containing numbers of students
  examined, examination questions and grades
  obtained)

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Based on the Article 219 of its Statute, the
Faculty adopted the Act on the Quality of
Teaching at the Faculty of Medicine in Ni.
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• The Act on the Quality of Teaching at the Faculty
  of Medicine in Ni is based on the following
  priciples
• that the quality assurance system has a student
  focus
• that it is supportive and to assist students
  staff
• that it is open and well documented, with
  information easily available to staff, who can
  participate fully and receive extensive feedback
  
• that it satisfies the quality assurance
  requirements of the university and any external
  quality assurance agency which the university
  must satisfy
• that it is based on the principle that each
  member of staff is responsible for his work
• that the system itself is kept under review

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The Quality Control Commission comprises 15
members of full-time academic staff together with
4 students and a permanent team secretary. The
constitution is as follows

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• The Quality Control Commission of the Faculty of
  Medicine in Ni has the following tasks
• control of actual performance all types of
  teaching activities and examinations
• monitoring of students objections
• anonymous questionnaires concerning performed
  teaching activities
• monitoring of student accomplishments for each
  teaching subject
• monitoring of the proportion of students passing
  or failing exams for each teaching subject
• control of the departmental teaching exam
  documentation

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• Based on the Article 219 of the Statute of the
  Faculty of Medicine in Ni, Board for Science and
  Education, after the suggestion of the
  Undergraduate Education Board, put forward the
  Act about the
• Regulations on Preparing Performing of the
  Written Test as a mandatory part of the
  examination (containing 27 Articles).
• Basic parts are given as an annex

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The Written test could be eliminatory or
qualifying.

• If the test is an eliminatory one, its purpose is
  to check the knowledge of students and should be
  of open type.
• The results achieved at the qualifying test
  (closed type) are translated into the appropriate
  mark based on the number of points realised,
  which significantly influences the final mark.

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• The number of test questions is determined in
  accordance with the needs and characteristics of
  the course.
• The test must not have less than 30 and more than
  80 questions.

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• The questions in the test have to be contained in
  the programme
• the list of exam questions for the appropriate
  course, and answers have to be contained in the
  literature adopted for the course by the Board
  for Science and Education.

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• The confidentiality of the question bank has to
  be strictly preserved by all the teachers and
  associates, with Chief and Secretary of the
  course Department.

15

• Before the marks are assigned, the minimal
  knowledge necessary for passing the test should
  be determined (the passing threshold).
• The threshold should exceed 60 if the test is
  not divided into subunits (course areas).

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The mode of grading was determined by the point
list
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• The student passing the final exam for the course
  through the test and not satisfied with the
  results can take the oral exam.
• In that case the student can get even the lower
  grade on oral exam (not less than 6, though).

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• After the test is performed, its analysis is
  performed. The success, get-through rate and
  degree of difficulty were assessed. The test
  analysis is performed continually for the
  improvement purposes.
• Based on the analysis the question types are
  altered, the questions are eliminated or amended.
  
• The bank of questions has to be regularly amended
  supplemented.

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• If the get-through rate was too small based on
  the test results (either as the final exam test
  or as a part of the exam), the get-through
  threshold as well as the marking may be corrected
  for that exam term.
• The relevant decisions on these issues are made
  by the Dean.

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• .
• The most useful instrument is a questionnaire,
  which is filled out by students at the end of
  every semester.
• A questionnaire was made and distributed to the
  students to assess their oppinion concerning
  above mentioned parts of curriculum reform.
• At present, the questionaire contains the
  questions concerning course evaluation.

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I

• At the Institute of Biochemistry the
  questionnaire on the teaching reform was applied.
  The questions referred to
• opinions on the introduction of seminaries as a
  part of teaching
• opinions on partial-colloquial exams
• opinions on cummulative, continual grading
  through the whole school year

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Out of 120 students attending their second study
year 36.23 were very satisfied with seminars,
94.02 very satisfied with partial coloquial
exam and 62.31 satisfied with continual
assesment.
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II

• After the Quality Assurance Commission request,
  the questionnaire was conducted on the student
  satisfaction with the teachers and associates.
  The students gave marks 1-5 and answered the
  questions on the regularity and quality of
  teaching.
• physics 3.8 /- 0.57
• chemistry 3.42 /- 0.5
• biology 4.17 /- 0.44
• biochemistry 4.2 /- 0.5

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III

• The Commission for Teaching Quality Control
  conducted the questionnaire among the students
  about teaching organisation improvements.
• The questionnaire was completely anonymous and
  enrolled medical and dentistry students. The
  marks were 1-5 where 1 denoted complete
  disagreement and 5 complete agreement.

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• Student attendance and opinion about time and
  acquired knowledge
• 3.02 (2.59-3.44) regular attendance to
  lectures
• 3.41 (2.8-4.03) I had enough time to prepare
  for lectures and examinations
• 3.23 (3.00-3.46) knowledge acquired agree well
  with my expectations on admission

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• Curricula concept
• 3.40 (2.55-3.25) faculty offers full
  preparation for professional work
• 3.82 (3.05-4.60) faculty offers adequate
  theoretical knowledge
• 2.99 (2.66-3.32) - faculty offers adequate
  practical knowledge
• 3.21 (2.91-3.51) well organised faculty
  administration

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• Teaching staff
• 3.87 (3.25-4.50) Professors well prepared for
  lectures
• 3.68 (3.17-4.20) Professors adequately respond
  to additional questions
• 3.57 (3.15-4.00) Professors encourage active
  student participation
• 3.85 (3.50-4.20) Professors are always present
  for consultations with students
• 4.25 (3.75-4.75) Professors are not late for
  lectures and practical classes

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• Students could state the elements of their
  education they are not satisfied with
• Teaching organisation
• Literature
• Faculty administration

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IV
Before a new course can be developed, it must
first gain initial approval from the relevant
School Board and from the Pro-Vice-Chancellor
(Academic). The purpose of this process is to
ensure that -the proposed course is in line with
the School's development plan and the its overall
mission - the Faculty is likely to be able to
provide adequate physical and human resources to
support the course - the proposed course is
likely to be financially viable.
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• After the Reform Commission request, the
  questionnaire was conducted on the satisfaction
  of students with the new course
• Introduction into clinical practice (15T
  15P)
• Out of 100 examinees, all 100 were very
  satisfied with early contacts with clinical work
  patients and
• all of them requested more classes.

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Report of the Control Quality Commission

• Last year the Team held 6 meetings. At its 2nd
  meeting the Team was divided into 3 subgroups,
  each with special tasks from the Regulations on
  Teaching Quality Control.
• The subgroups had their own separate meetings 2-3
  times a month and meetings with the Commission
  President (coordination).
• The President had meetings with the subgroup
  presidents for the report submission.

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• Practical teaching control at the study groups of
  medicine and dentistry was performed
  commissionally (2 professors)
• Selected courses and time were randomly chosen.

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• Examination control was performed by way of
  objections monitoring during the summer term in
  accordance with Article 11 of the Regulations on
  Quality Control at the Faculty of Medicine in
  Nis the following issues were noted

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• Examiners are not randomly selected (drawn)
  before the exam for all courses
• Exam questions are not randomly selected (drawn)
  before the exam for all courses
• Minimal knowledge for each exam question was not
  determined
• During exams, not all examiners run their records
  on the exam course (students present do not fill
  in the appropriate records).

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• Variability of the reports demonstrated that most
  of the responsible teachers and dept. chiefs had
  not had a clear vision on the way the report
  should have been devised (the questions that
  should be answered).
• The Commission concluded that a clear written
  manual (form) should be devised (for the purpose
  of analysis too). Two suggested forms were the
  result individual report for the teachers and
  associates, and cummulative report for dept.
  chiefs.
• The forms enabled two-way communication of the
  Commission and faculty management with the
  faculty departments.

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• It was noted that the teaching organisation
  (practical theoretical) is well done for the
  institute-based courses and at the dentistry
  study group, which cannot be said for all
  clinical courses at the study group of medicine.

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All given suggestions can take into account the
realistic potential of the department. The
requestor is also responsible for the
implementation. The results shoud be checked at
the next evaluation.
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The QA system is tightly linked to Faculty
management as integral part of the institutions
strategic work.