Ahead of the HEIs’ programme accreditation, at ANQA’s initiative, on October 31, the third online workshop "APs’ Enhancement: presenting best practice" took place. During the event, the representatives of Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory (YKSC) and Shirak State University (ShSU) shared their experience in enhancing academic programmes.
The YKSC’s presentation "Peculiarities of the AP ‘Performing Arts’" focused on the following aspects:
- the face-to-face teaching method, which involves the teacher and the student working together on a musical instrument;
- the freedom of students to choose teachers of their minors;
- the impact of teachers' creative achievements on students' professional motivation;
- the students' participation in the APs’ enhancement and the development of assessment rubrics;
- the highlight of research component in the student assignments;
- the importance of academic programmes’ benchmarking in relation to the preparation of alumni ready for the labour market.
With the presentation "Enhancing APs at Shirak State University: from outcomes to course assignments on the example of the AP ‘Biology’ " the ShSU’s representatives referred to the recommendations for the academic programmes resulting from institutional accreditation and the reforms implemented in response to the labour market’s needs.
Following the discussions and analyses of the reports of internships, final attestation commissions, the HEI:
- developed tools for the assurance of the APs’ achievements;
- formed a set of assignments for formative and summative assessment;
- developed assessment rubrics to ensure the fairness and impartiality of the assessment process;
- changed the proportion of practical and theoretical components to strengthen professional capacities;
- revised the curriculum, introduced subjects, which are meant for the formation and development of professional thinking.
Touching upon the alignment of the outcomes of the APs and courses, the ShSU’s representatives underscored the importance of preparing the teachers to tackle future labour market’s issues. They also emphasized the need of cultivating critical thinking for the practical application of textbooks.
Attaching importance to the Aps’ enhancement, Ruben Topchyan, ANQA’s director, noted, "An attempt is made to measure the students’ real work and enhance the credibility of the credit. Here the assignments become more measurable, providing a clear indication of the amount of work the student will undertake at home". At the end of the event, the participants highlighted regular occurrences of such events, stressing that ANQA is an effective platform for cooperation and exchange of practice among HEIs.
Ruben Topchyan emphasized that ANQA’s goal is to uncover and disseminate innovation, "In our country, the role of institutions’ leaders in promoting innovation is important. Innovation should be an ongoing aspect in the HEIs. To attain the set goals, it's essential to persistently try new ways. Substantial freedom and rigorous evaluation are crucial. Quality assurance centres have a lot to do in this regard".