QAA research projects
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has funded two research grants for research into student engagement across the sector
Student Perceptions of Quality and Standards
The first project is with King's College London and is focusing on student perceptions of quality and standards. This project is being led by Camille Kandiko. The project aims to look at at least 16 institutional sites covering a range of interests. Using focus groups, structured interviews and statistical information, these will offer a concise way of "taking the pulse" of the institution, triangulating findings through a range of sources of data. The method and outcomes will then be available to others through publications and workshops. The report is due in July 2013.
Student Engagement in Quality Assurance and Enhancement: Institutional and Student Body Practices
The second project is with University of Bath, under the management of Gwen Van der Velden. This project is aiming to get a stock take of student engagement practice across the sector. This research project will look at higher education institutions' (HEIs') student engagement activities in the four countries of the UK using the QAA’s guidance on student engagement and its indicators of sound practice. Using the recently published SE chapter indicators, this project will hopefully inform best practice as well as the review of the SE chapter next year. Three publications will be produced: one to inform a future QAA Chapter panel of the research findings in detail, one for a sector wide audience so that good practice is disseminated across the four countries, and a guidance document of good practice for student bodies to inform student-led practice
Quality Matters 2012
On 9 October 2012 we held our annual Quality Matters conference in Birmingham. This event is aimed at student representatives and sabbatical officers. Find out more.
Current projects
Quality Code resources
As part of the development of the Quality Code - which sets out the standards and quality that all UK higher education providers are expected to meet - a range of resources, including The Road to Quality, has been produced to explain quality assurance processes and the role of the Quality Code.
Collaborative projects with NUS
QAA launched a major student engagement project last year, carried out in partnership with the National Union of Students (NUS), through an investment of £218,000 by QAA.
The project covered three distinct but complementary strands over a one-year period:
This research has helped build up the body of evidence we have on students, informing our future work and helping us understand the views of students across the UK.
Student Advisory Board
Our Student Advisory Board is a group of 20 students which holds discussions with QAA staff and feeds back directly to the QAA Board of Directors, to make sure that the student voice is heard and to help shape QAA's work.
Minutes from previous meetings of the Student Advisory Board, together with a list of Board members, are available from our Student Advisory Board page.
Events
The QAA Student Engagement Team runs events throughout the year for students and students' unions. Take a look at our calendar of events to see what's coming up and where you can see us next. You can also find information about past events in the previous events section.