Reporting talks #2.
Benchmarking in UGRU: A short talk (NB. This has been published)
by
K. Khalil and Paul Jaquith
Al Multaqa Auditorium Nov 22
Outlining the process of benchmarking, a well known analytical tool in the world of business, but only more recently so in the world of education, K. Khalil for the Math Dept, and Paul Jaquith for the English Programme and in his role as UGRU Assessment Coordinator, first defined benchmarking, going on to talk through the history of using benchmarks at UGRU in the English, Maths, IT and Arabic programmes.
Benchmarking is, we were told, “the process of determining who is the very best, who sets the standard, and what that standard is,” in any particular field of endeavour. Paul Jaquith added that it is “a focused examination of best practices”, and at UGRU has now come to refer to external examining of students exiting UGRU before entering faculties in the university.
K. Khalil, speaking primarily about benchmarking in Maths, also went into more detail, examining the cycle that must be undertaken by those responsible for meaningful and accurate practices in benchmarking.
The cycle begins with self-assessment, and returns to it, after the stages of analysis and adaptation, implementation and feedback. Khalil added that close monitoring occurs, particularly at the implementation stage, with any findings being communicated to relevant members of staff involved in the process.
Benchmarking, Khalil stated, is systematic, and based on evidence, and is participatory, making well managed benchmarking both accurate and reliable, and perhaps as important for UAEU, recognizable and acceptable to other educational institutions.
In Maths, this benchmark was achieved by using ‘Accuplacer’ Examinations and ‘Calculus-readiness’, both having a significant impact upon students and hence on teaching practices within the department.
Results were looked at and compared from before the 2003 benchmarking examinations previously mentioned. The performances of students tested had improved. The self-assessment component of the process still merited the questions:-
“Are we satisfied with the test?”
“Can we benefit from the benchmarking process?”
And “Are we satisfied with our benchmarking partners?”
Paul Jaquith outlined the recent history of the practice of benchmarking at UGRU, beginning with the pressure to look outside the ‘four walls’ of the university, as it were, and to find our place in more internationally acceptable standards of achievement than had previously been used.
With evidence from benchmarking providing more palatable recommendations, that ultimately had the weight of evidence behind them, those findings informed decision making in UGRU, reinforced powerful practices and weakened less effective ones, again feeding back into further decisions that have since been implemented and monitored in exactly the way Khalil described the cyclical nature of properly conducted benchmarking.
Following the appointment of Dr. Abdullah as former Dean of UGRU, benchmarks were examined for appropriateness, feasibility and cost. Several were tried, but found to be deficient in some aspects or other and finally, IELTS was approved and remains our own international standard towards which teachers and students work.
Since the implementation of IELTS, students have been moving nearer to internationally acceptable standards regarding exit levels of students from English programmes, as well as similar initiatives for all UGRU programmes.
Benchmarking here is setting standards and is identifying best practices, and higher and higher scores in IELTS are testimony to this.
Robert L. Fielding
by
K. Khalil and Paul Jaquith
Al Multaqa Auditorium Nov 22
Outlining the process of benchmarking, a well known analytical tool in the world of business, but only more recently so in the world of education, K. Khalil for the Math Dept, and Paul Jaquith for the English Programme and in his role as UGRU Assessment Coordinator, first defined benchmarking, going on to talk through the history of using benchmarks at UGRU in the English, Maths, IT and Arabic programmes.
Benchmarking is, we were told, “the process of determining who is the very best, who sets the standard, and what that standard is,” in any particular field of endeavour. Paul Jaquith added that it is “a focused examination of best practices”, and at UGRU has now come to refer to external examining of students exiting UGRU before entering faculties in the university.
K. Khalil, speaking primarily about benchmarking in Maths, also went into more detail, examining the cycle that must be undertaken by those responsible for meaningful and accurate practices in benchmarking.
The cycle begins with self-assessment, and returns to it, after the stages of analysis and adaptation, implementation and feedback. Khalil added that close monitoring occurs, particularly at the implementation stage, with any findings being communicated to relevant members of staff involved in the process.
Benchmarking, Khalil stated, is systematic, and based on evidence, and is participatory, making well managed benchmarking both accurate and reliable, and perhaps as important for UAEU, recognizable and acceptable to other educational institutions.
In Maths, this benchmark was achieved by using ‘Accuplacer’ Examinations and ‘Calculus-readiness’, both having a significant impact upon students and hence on teaching practices within the department.
Results were looked at and compared from before the 2003 benchmarking examinations previously mentioned. The performances of students tested had improved. The self-assessment component of the process still merited the questions:-
“Are we satisfied with the test?”
“Can we benefit from the benchmarking process?”
And “Are we satisfied with our benchmarking partners?”
Paul Jaquith outlined the recent history of the practice of benchmarking at UGRU, beginning with the pressure to look outside the ‘four walls’ of the university, as it were, and to find our place in more internationally acceptable standards of achievement than had previously been used.
With evidence from benchmarking providing more palatable recommendations, that ultimately had the weight of evidence behind them, those findings informed decision making in UGRU, reinforced powerful practices and weakened less effective ones, again feeding back into further decisions that have since been implemented and monitored in exactly the way Khalil described the cyclical nature of properly conducted benchmarking.
Following the appointment of Dr. Abdullah as former Dean of UGRU, benchmarks were examined for appropriateness, feasibility and cost. Several were tried, but found to be deficient in some aspects or other and finally, IELTS was approved and remains our own international standard towards which teachers and students work.
Since the implementation of IELTS, students have been moving nearer to internationally acceptable standards regarding exit levels of students from English programmes, as well as similar initiatives for all UGRU programmes.
Benchmarking here is setting standards and is identifying best practices, and higher and higher scores in IELTS are testimony to this.
Robert L. Fielding
posted by Justice at 2:15 AM
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