Quality Assurance and enhancements

M B A Programs- Online Teaching

POINTS OF FOCUS.

– Lessons Learnt/Exam Board Moderator Feedback.

– Feedback on Assignments/Final Projects.
– Grading System.
– Mismatch between Comments and Grading.
– Improving Analytical and Critical Thinking Skills of Students
which should reflect in all Deliverables.
– Lack of Academic Underpinnings in Reports – linking Theory
(through good citations/referencing to Academic literature) with
Deliverables.
– Improving Referencing through correct citations of Literature
and the use of Academically rigorous sources.
– Pedagogy and Faculty contribution towards Pedagogy.
 Lessons Learnt
• Class Attendance.
• Students Council Participation.
• Exam Board – External Examiners
Feedback.
• External Moderator – Feedback.
• Communication with Students.
 Class Attendance.

• Suggest ways and means of increasing

Attendance.
• Feasibility of Class Rep/Class core team.
• Involvement of Students Council.
• Faculty logging in before the Class start
time.
• Active Participation – check Mike before
class commences and advise students.
 Student’s Council Participation
• Know your students Council.
• Interact with student Council Members –
show them you appreciate their sacrifice
and encourage them to interact with the
students of your class.
• Encourage your students to stand for
elections to the Students Council when it
is held next.
 Improving Communication
• Visit your Mail Box AT LEAST once a day.
• Respond to all mails within 24 hours. This might be an
interim reply saying it will take you 2-3 days to give full
details.
• Be courteous and polite, but firm, in all communication,
even in case of extreme instigation to retaliate. Set this
example for the students to follow.
• Make yourself easily available. To enable this all Faculty
will subscribe to Skype. This enables easy free audio
communication with Faculty/Students/Staff across the
world. Put your Skype address in the Syllabus.
 Feedback on Assignments/Final Projects

 Feedback MUST be given with the objective of the student gaining

and improving from it.

 The feedback should be clear, precise and recommendatory.

 Specific comments in the body, must be given to pinpoint the
location where the recommendation issue exists.

 General Comments, in addition to the specific comments against

each grading criteria must be given. This gives a bird’s eye view, or a
higher level perspective that the student must address in the future.

 Your feedback MUST be in sync with the grade given e.g. if there is
ANY improvement needed, one cannot give a 70%!!.
 Mismatch between Comments and Grading.

- Ensure that the gist of the comments match with the criteria
given in the earlier slide. A mismatch gives the External
Examiner reason to reduce the grades.
– Do not however, put single word/phrase comments.
– The comments should be designed to let the Student gain
from it so he/she can improve in future submissions.
– Your comments should include both Brickbats and Bouquets
– never miss the opportunity to tell the student that he/she has
done something the right way.
Improving Analytical and Critical Thinking Skills of
Students which should reflect in all Deliverables
- Your Assignment/Final Project/Exam Paper MUST
draw out the Analytical and Critical Thinking skills of
Students.
- Wherever possible, avoid questions where there is
only one answer or only one perspective the student
can take.
- Encourage Analytical and Critical Thinking skills in
the iClass and iMeetings, to get students to see a
topic from a 360 degree perspective, and at different
levels of decision making.
- Encourage the students to bring out contradictory
citations/references and then analyze and arrive at
the right concept.
Lack of Academic Underpinnings in
Reports
 Get the students to always show the academic
learning, while making a point. (academic
underpinnings)
 Encourage students to refer to specific passages in
the Text while making a point, but setting an example
in your own iClass or iMeeting.
 Encourage and publicly praise students who have
referred to additional Journals and Texts.
 Give some references to Journals where the topic of
your I Class is discussed, to get students to
understand how Academic underpinnings are
embedded in any work. (Use the electronic library
extensively in your I Classes).
 Pedagogy and Faculty contribution
towards QA and QE through
Pedagogy.
• Use your innovative and creative capabilities to improve the learning
experience of students.
• Do not take previous Syllabi without critically evaluating the same and
adjusting it to improve the learning experience. Check that the Syllabus is
governed by the requirements of the Module Descriptor.
• Your Syllabus should reflect your personality and your strengths in
imparting knowledge to the students.
• Ensure you abide by moderation (on setting and marking) processes as
these are documented or in regulations = quality assurance
• Your strategies for teaching (Case Studies, tutorials/workshops, research,
readings, encouraging participation, linking current happenings to the topic,
system of approaching the transfer of knowledge of the topic etc) should be
constantly improving and innovative = quality enhancement
• Share your successes in Faculty meetings so that the best practices can be
constantly evolved and assimilated by the Faculty Community.
 National Board of Professional
Training Services - USA
The Five Propositions for obtaining a National Board
Teaching Certificate.
• Proposition 1: Teachers are Committed to Students and
Their Learning
• Proposition 2: Teachers Know the Subjects They Teach
and How to Teach Those Subjects to Students.
• Proposition 3: Teachers are Responsible for Managing
and Monitoring Student Learning.
• Proposition 4: Teachers Think Systematically about
Their Practice and Learn from Experience.
• Proposition 5: Teachers are Members of Learning
Communities.
How do you rate yourself against these propositions?
Proactive Support to Students

– Instructors are expected to give emotional and moral

support to students .
– Developing a Mentor relationship with Students, is
crucial.
– Teaching beyond Academic Syllabi – encourage
development of soft skills like communication,
courtesy, punctuality and honesty.
 Proposed Focus

Adhere to Highest standards in everything we do

And

Support our students through better

communication and closer Mentorship.
 Objectives
• Actively contribute to Pedagogy to improve the students
learning experience.
• .
• Continue Supporting Students’ empowerment through
the Students Council.
• Focus on Punctuality in Attending Classes, responding
to students and delivering grades.
• Improve communication across the institute – Faculty,
Students and Administration (Use Skype).
 First Steps Forward.
• Use your imagination, experience and personality to develop meaningful pedagogy
for your course which reflects your capability, by making out an excellent Syllabus.
Please put your Skype contact in the syllabus.
• Have your Course Planned out in advance, by putting up all the PPTs and other
Materials you plan to use, before the Course commences.
• Make up your Assignment and Final Exam/Project and send it to the Faculty
Coordinator .
• Set up your Discussion Boards (5 Discussions ) . Remember this will be an ungraded
component this Semester, but will contribute to the learning experience of the
students.
• Set up your Turnitin Class and put up the note giving the class ID and PW on BB .
• Put up your Introduction details on BB before – remember that you wish to give the
students a clear idea of your personal background and personality, so that it forms a
foundation for a close rapport during the course, and enables achieving your
Mentoring objective.
• Finally, resolve to lead by example in developing a thirst for excellence among the
students of your class. Let courtesy and politeness be the foundation of all
communication with the students.

• (Courtesy: Prof. Angelo D’Souza, , MBA (IIM, Calcutta)- Edited by Prof.. Subba Rao