The organisation of educational planning is transparent
Educational planning is well and transparently organised at the University of Vaasa (UVA). In particular, the close link between UVA’s strategy and the involvement of external stakeholders is noteworthy. According to the self-assessment report and audit visit, education planning incorporates UVA’s strategic priorities with a focus on business studies, technology, administrative sciences and communication studies. As mentioned in the self-assessment report, UVA has defined three targets for educational planning: revised programme portfolio for the best learning experience, digitalisation of education and international education with impact. According to the UVA’s vision, the education offers a transformative learner experience for future employment built on teaching excellence, high-quality learning environments, equality and inclusion.
Educational planning follows a participatory approach and uses rich feedback information. Programme managers, academic faculty, students, alumni, local authorities, industry and the City of Vaasa are closely involved in defining competences of the UVA educational provision. During the audit visit, some external stakeholders wished to have even more influence on the content of the curricula. The active involvement of students and of staff members in educational planning was explicitly mentioned and acknowledged in the student and staff workshops. As UVA’s strategy includes an increase in the number of international students, the audit team recommends the university defines processes for the systematic involvement of international students in educational planning and decision-making activities.
UVA follows a student-centred and research-based approach. Education combines research activities with student learning and considerable practice-based activities organised with students, staff and external stakeholders. Based on the audit visit, all students are offered research methods courses. Some students work on research projects and write their theses for the projects and are involved in and co-organise international research seminars and workshops. In general, educational planning is conducted in a systematic and transparent process that corresponds to the Finnish National Qualifications Framework.
UVA’s curricula are planned and approved following the processes described in the Annual Curriculum Management cycle. The Education Council, chaired by the Vice-rector for Education, confirms the curricula. As identified in the self-assessment report, intended learning outcomes (ILO) are an integral part of the educational planning process through curriculum mapping and curated principles of programme management.
UVA should align intended learning outcomes and assessment of learning
According to UVA, the student’s workload is standardised and measured against the ECTS. Based on curriculum and syllabus samples and audit interviews, there are differences between different UVA courses that earn the same number of credits regarding the estimated workload, the appropriate number and formulation of intended learning outcomes and the assessment methods. Thus, it is not sufficiently clear to students how the intended learning outcomes can be obtained and the complexity level of the intended learning outcomes across different courses varies from over-simplified to over-demanding. According to the student workshop, there is variation between the workloads of students in the different courses, even if the number of credits is the same. Differences are not explained by the stage at which the courses are offered. The audit team recommends that the UVA study programme documents, like curricula and syllabus, are continuously monitored and updated to refine intended learning outcomes and align them with assessment methods. The audit team also recommends that UVA monitor workload regularly and systematically. UVA should also pay more attention to the competence-based approach of courses and curricula.
Based on curriculum and syllabus samples, the audit team identified some cases of inadequate connections between the intended learning outcomes and the learning assessment methods for these. Sometimes the choice of learning assessments poorly corresponds to the complexity of the courses’ intended learning outcomes. The audit team recommends that UVA update more regularly the content and literature of curricula and courses, methods for assessing the intended learning outcomes and other aspects of teaching and learning. In this way, the university can ensure that there is a sound basis for delivering modern and relevant study programmes, materials and teaching and assessment approaches. The audit team encourages UVA to continue the practice of programme managers, academic faculty and students working together on study programmes’ curricula and syllabus. Curriculum planning should be better supported by the university. The teachers could benefit from further pedagogical training in curriculum development.
The university has common Principles of Programme Management, which based on the audit visit are also used. The audit team suggests that these principles and other guidelines for standardising good practice could be further developed to improve programme management, including programme delivery by using process descriptions. Detailed process descriptions would contribute to harmonising educational planning practices across the university.
Internationalisation and continuous learning support UVA’s strategy
UVA’s curriculum management process includes also joint programmes with international partners. Aligned with its strategic objective of internationalisation, UVA cooperates with a wide range of external stakeholders on curriculum development, including joint and dual degree programmes. Multicultural development and internationalisation at home activities are aligned with the student and staff diversification goal. Members of the UVA community can apply for international exchange programmes and attend international conferences.
UVA has also considered the need for continuous learning. The university has adopted a strategic approach as regards diversifying its study offer for continuous learners. According to the self-assessment report, the continuous learning provision includes the Open University, the Executive MBA programmes, the alumni right to study and the Ostrobothnia LUMA Centre. They enable flexible learning pathways and a tailored academic provision. Particularly noteworthy are the offers made available for UVA alumni, who benefit from special discounts. The data provided on the Open University demonstrates an increase in the number of enrolled continuous education students, but a decrease in their completed credits. The dropout and non-completion rates should be further monitored and worked on. The audit team considers that UVA’s continuing learning provision is promising as it is also planning micro-credentials for a wider audience.