e-Bulletin #2

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Highlights in this issue
Issue 2
February/March 2016
Message from the
President
Benchmarking
visit series to
Quality Centres/
Departments
of Malaysian
Universities −
Visit to University
of Malaya
MyQAN Strategic
Planning
Workshop
W
elcome to the Malaysian Higher
Education Institutions Quality
Assurance Network.
It has been almost two years since the inception of MyQAN
in 2014 and we are here to provide an avenue/a platform for
quality assurance community within the country to interact with
each other, to share their thoughts and practices, to interact
with regulators and stakeholders, and also to contribute to the
betterment of our quality assurance systems.
These aspirations are embedded in the four terms of reference for
MyQAN, namely: (1) to strengthen the higher education institution’s
internal quality assurance system; (2) to share good practices;
(3) to provide interfaces with regulators and stakeholders; and
(4) to represent Malaysian higher education institutions at the
international level.
MyQAN
membership
Good practices
of Quality
Assurance
MyQAN's membership is institutional and represented by the
institution’s heads of quality assurance, and the membership is
growing, now with more than 50 members from across Malaysia.
MyQAN aspires to represent HEIs in engaging with local and
international stakeholders as a strategic dialogue partner and
discussing the best practices of quality assurance in higher
education for the benefit of its members and the community.
Please visit us again for more information or stay updated on our
latest activities via our MyQAN Facebook.
Professor Shahrir Abdullah
President
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MyQAN activities
Study visit series to Quality Centres/
Departments of Malaysian Universities
Visit to University of Malaya on
Thursday, 15th December 2015,
9.00am to 12.30pm
Establishment of internal quality assurance (IQA) centres or departments in Malaysian higher education
institutions (HEIs) is highly encouraged by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency. Nevertheless, IQA is new to
many HEIs. In addition, the existing IQA units in HEIs are of diverse structures and serve different functions.
MyQAN, with sharing good practices among HEIs in Malaysia as one of its core purposes, aims to close the
gap between HEIs through such visits to share good practices
in internal quality assurance. The visit helped participants to:
1. Understand the internal quality structure and functions
of the host university in ensuring the high quality of its
academic programs, and
2. Adopt relevant good practices for their own institution.
Malaysian Higher Education Institutions Quality Assurance Network (MyQAN) at High Impact
Research − University Malaya.
On 6th October 2015, MyQAN conducted its meeting no. 5/2015
that was attended by thirteen of its committee members. The
meeting deliberated on:
• MyQAN Code of Ethics
• MyQAN Membership Registration Form
• Guidelines for Collaborating with MyQAN
• Training Module for MyQAN Registered Members
• Benchmarking Visit to Malaysia Self-Accrediting Universities
• Report on Seminar for Internal-External Quality Assurance (SieQA) 2015
• MyQAN Strategic Planning Workshop
The meeting unanimously agreed to pronounce MyQAN as (My- Can).
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For details, please visit the official website: http://www.myqan.org
News on MyQAN members
MyQAN Strategic Planning Workshop (8th to 10th December 2015)
This workshop was organised at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS with the following objectives:
1. to develop the MyQAN Roadmap for
2016 – 2025
2. to develop Strategies to support the
MyQAN Roadmap, and
3. to develop Strategies, Action Plan and Key
Performance Indicators for 2016
The workshop commenced with presentation by three prominent speakers. The first speaker was Professor Zita
Mohd Fahmi J.M.N, Special Advisor, Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) with her lecture on “The
Implications of ASEAN Quality Assurance Framework (AQAF) and ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework
(AQRF)”. The next lecture on the Malaysian Education Blueprint (Higher Education) 2015 – 2025 was by Prof. Dato’
Ir. Dr. Mohd. Saleh Jaafar, Consultant, Higher Education Blueprint, MoHE. The last speaker was En. Mohamad
Dzafir Mustafa, Director, Institutional Audit Division, MQA with his presentation on “Future Trends on Quality
Assurance of Higher Education in Malaysia and MQA’s Road Map”. The presentations provided valuable
input to the MyQAN Committee in designing and developing the MyQAN roadmap and strategies
2016 – 2025. As a result, the MyQAN Committee had also developed the action plan and KPIs for 2016.
MyQAN Road Map
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For details, please visit the official website: http://www.myqan.org
Pursuant to the MyQAN Strategic Planning Workshop on 8th – 10th December 2015, MyQAN in its
Meeting no. 1/2016 on 19th February 2016 concluded with a road map, commencing from 2016 until
2025. This road map has two phases which are Building Reputation (2016 – 2020) and Gaining
Recognition (2021 – 2025). In the first phase, MyQAN will move forward to gain reputation in the nation.
The focus will encompass the development of QA expertise profile of MyQAN registered member,
followed by capacity building programmes for the members. Enhancement of competencies amongst
the members will allow MyQAN to explore the opportunities to augment its presence in the nation via
engagement and collaboration with disciplined-based fraternity and non-awarding degree universities.
In the second phase; Gaining Reputation (2021 – 2025), MyQAN will follow through its aspiration to become
a “Point of Reference” by 2025. This aspiration will materialise through several initiatives that make
MyQAN presence eminently prevalent in the region and in the world through Regional Collaboration,
Regional Capability Building Programmes and International Collaboration. Periodic engagements and
interactions with its regional and international partners will facilitate MyQAN to develop QA Competency
Framework by 2024, which ultimately mark MyQAN as the Point of Reference by 2025.
MyQAN membership
The current member institutions of MyQAN are listed below:
Full Members:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
Akademi Seni Budaya Dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA)
Asia E University (AeU)
Asia Metropolitan University (AMU)
Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU)
Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (CUSM)
Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences (CUCMS)
IKIP International College
Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia (IPG)
International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)
International Medical University Malaysia (IMU)
KDU University College Penang
Kolej Islam Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah (KIPSAS)
Kolej Universiti Insaniah (KUIN)
Kolej Universiti Islam Melaka (KUIM)
KPJ Healthcare University College (KPJHUC)
MAHSA University (MAHSA)
Malaysia Institute for Supply Chain Innovation (MISI)
Manipal International University (MIU)
Monash University (Monash Malaysia)
Multimedia University (MMU)
Perdana University
Raffles University Iskandar
Sunway University
Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
Taylor's University
The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TARC)
UNITAR International University (UNITAR)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL)
Universiti Malaya (UM)
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK)
Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP)
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS)
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI)
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM)
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA)
Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM)
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP)
Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UniTEN)
Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UNIRAZAK)
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)
Wawasan Open University (WOU)
Associate Members: (1) FAME International College; (2) Kolej Teknologi & Inovasi KRIM
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For details, please visit the official website: http://www.myqan.org
Good Practices by
MyQAN member Institutions
International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education
(INQAAHE): Quality Assurance Graduate Programme
The massive increase in external and internal quality assurance (QA) activity over recent decades,
together with the associated thinking about it, have created a new profession that requires a
structured academic discipline and
programmes to educate quality
assurance professionals, stimulate
research, and produce new
initiatives.
H o w e v e r, t h e r e i s v e r y l i t t l e
education and training for
the QA profession and
its
professionals. INQAAHE has now
begun to fill this gap through
the creation of a comprehensive
programme for the training and
professional development of QA
professionals. INQAAHE, through the considerable expertise of its members, has created materials
that are available free on this website. The materials are intended as public advice and assistance in
capacity-building in quality assurance and were developed by experts from around the world.
INQAAHE developed these materials with a grant from the World Bank and with support from
UNESCO, which were provided to underscore the importance of developing new quality assurance
systems through international cooperation among new and established quality assurance agencies.
The programme consists of 4 different modules:
1. Higher Education in a global world: The context of Quality Assurance.
2. External Quality Assurance: What is quality and how has it been implemented in different
countries.
3. Operating an External Quality Agency: Practical training in the structure and management of
quality assurance agencies around the world.
4. Maintaining quality within the institution: Assessing learning, conducting a self-study, and using
data.
The text of the program is available on the INQAAHE website and any organisations and institutions
are invited to use any or all of it.
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For details, please visit the official website: http://www.myqan.org
Good Practices of Assessment Adopted in APU
Prof Dr Andy Seddon [Dean: Quality Assurance & Partnerships, Asia Pacific University of
Technology & Innovation (APU)]
Since its inception, the APIIT Education Group has placed the highest level of importance on the quality
of its programmes. APU has held on to this vision and today, the university continues to push the
boundaries of quality assurance. In its quality journey, APU has found external review to be one of the
key factors that have contributed to developing the quality of its programmes to achieve internationally
benchmarked standards.
High quality academic programmes are underpinned by robust student assessment methods. The
university exercises great care to ensure that students are assessed using the appropriate type of
assessment that is valid, reliable, current and fair.
The APIIT Education Group has put in place as assessment verification process that evaluates the
summative assessment tools to ensure that they are fit for purpose. The verification process not only
ensures that the achievement of learning outcomes are assessed but that they are also clear, correct and
fair to students.
To achieve the above, a four-stage process has been adopted to cover pre-approval of assessments
and agreement of results.
A systematic system for document control is vitally important as this will ensure comments and
suggestions for improvement are recorded at every stage of the assessment development process.
This will contribute to ensuring the maintenance of appropriate standards.
Stage 1: Internal review and verification of assessment
• Checklist for Exam Paper/Coursework Preparation: to be completed by the Module Tutor who
prepares the exam questions and the Module Leader.
• Exam and coursework cover sheets: these utilise drop down menus to ensure correct information
and rubrics for the relevant module assessment.
• Assessment Verification Form: this is used to track the progress of verification of assessments from
Module Lecturer to Module Team and final sign-off prior to submission to the External Examiners.
Stage 2: External approval of assessment
• External Examiner Feedback Forms: reviews the appropriateness of the summative assessment
and identify potential areas for improvement.
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For details, please visit the official website: http://www.myqan.org
• Response section: allows the Module Team
to document responses to the External
Examiner’s comments/suggestions.
Stage 3: Internal review and moderation of marks
• Internal Moderation Form: an Internal Moderator confirms the consistency, fairness and
appropriateness of marks.
• End of Module Report: the Module Tutor recommends improvements to module content/delivery
and assessment, based on experience and results.
• Internal Results Review Committee (IRRC) Minutes: the appropriateness of results are recorded and
recommendation for plan of action is provided to support students with challenges in their exam
outcomes.
Stage 4: Moderation of Marks by External
Examiners
• E x t e r n a l E x a m i n e r R e p o r t s : t h e
consistency of marking between different students, cohorts and across institutions
is recorded. Examiners (both local and
international) are appointed from peer
institutions for benchmarking purposes.
• Senate Endorsement Minutes: records the
approval of module and award results.
The assessment process used by the APIIT Education Group is an example of just how glocalised
Education Malaysia is. The university will continue to look out for new ways to improve its processes as
part of its continuous quality improvement culture.
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For details, please visit the official website: http://www.myqan.org
News/Announcements from MQA
MQA NOTIFICATION LETTER NO. 2/2016: A maximum of 45 academic weeks a
year
This MQA Notification Letter No. 2/2016 is to inform the Higher Education Providers (HEPs) that they are
allowed to have a maximum of 45 academic weeks in a year. This will involve an additional 1 – 2 credits
which will contribute to a maximum of 52 credits of student academic load. However, this decision is only
applicable for examination and industrial training.
(Link FYI: http://www.mqa.gov.my/portalMQA/suratmakluman/2016/Surat%20Makluman%20MQA%20
Bil.%202%202016.PDF)
MQA NOTIFICATION LETTER NO. 1/2016: Requirement To State The Name Of The
Branch In The Scroll Or Transcript
This MQA Notification Letter No.1/2016 is to inform the Higher Education Providers (HEPs) on the requirement
to state the name of the branch in the scroll or transcript. This is in line with the requirement of the MQA
Act (Act 679) section 58 (1).
(Link FYI: http://www.mqa.gov.my/portalMQA/suratmakluman/2016/surat%20makluman%20bil1%202016.
PDF)
Supplementary Information
ISO 9001:2015 − Just published!
The latest edition of ISO 9001, ISO's flagship quality management
systems standard, has just been published. This concludes over
three years of revision work by exper ts from nearly 95
participating and observing countries to bring the standard up
to date with modern needs.
(Link FYI: http://www.iso.org/iso/home/news_index/news_archive/
news.htm?refid=Ref2002)
Editorial Board
Chief Editor
Reviewers
Executive/Assoc. Editor
Proof Reader
Designers
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For details, please visit the official website: http://www.myqan.org