Quality of Teaching (QoT)

The University has as its core business teaching and learning. In order to be sure that we are delivering a world class education, Senate 2 of 2015 approved the Quality of Teaching (QoT) Policy. The purpose of the QoT is to allow teaching staff to be evaluated in a comprehensive and robust fashion, based on a number of metrics. Traditionally teaching quality is based mostly or solely on student feedback via surveys, but Senate approved a more holistic series of criteria; viz.:

1. Alignment of Learning Outcomes & Assessment Activities
2. Course Pass Rates
3. Evaluation of Teaching
4. Observation of Lessons
5. Effective Use of ICT-supported Pedagogies
6. Staff Professional Development, and
7. Supplementary Evidence.

Each of these criteria is described in turn in the Guidelines, accompanied by an explanation of the process. Detailed is what staff need to do, what data will be provided centrally, and what the HOS needs to do. Peer Observation of Teaching must be performed by trained staff, and the list of trained staff can be found here.

From 2017, the QoT are used in Staff Review process, and alongside the Quality of Research (QoR) measures, allows the University to also evaluate how the University as a whole is performing in its two core functions of teaching and research. Both the QoR and QoT are monitored regular by the University, with institutional reports about the QoT provided to the Teaching Quality Committee (TQC).