Aziza Ellozy

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THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO

FALL 2017

Presentation to BOT, Schools and Students March- May 2018

Aziza Ellozy

Associate Provost

Transformative Learning and Teaching

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Task Force Mandate

• appraise the quality of education at AUC

• devise mechanisms that would enhance and improve good teaching practices across departments

• develop a comprehensive teaching evaluation process that

would include a multifaceted approach

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Task Force Members

• Aziza Ellozy (Chair) Associate Provost, Acting Director, CLT

• Aliaa Bassiouni, Chair Management Dept. & Associate Professor of Finance

• Heba Eldeghaidy, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Education

• Mariam Osman, Instructor, ELI

• Matthew Hendershot, Associate Dean, Office of Undergraduate Studies

• Omar Moataz, Undergraduate Student (Senior, MENG), Student Union

• Rob Switzer, Interim Dean School of HUSS

• Sherine el Alaily, Graduate Student

• Zeinab Amin, Associate Professor & SSE Associate Dean for UG Studies

Task Force Facilitators

• Hoda Mostafa, Associate Director, and Associate Professor of Practice, CLT

• Iman Megahed, Executive Director, Data analytics and Institutional Research

• Maha Bali, Associate Professor of Practice CLT

Part-time consultant: Adham Ramadan, Dean of Graduate Studies

Observer: John Swanson, associate Provost -Assessment, Evaluation and Special Projects

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HIGHLIGHTS OF REPORT

• EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• BACKGROUND AND TASK FORCE MEMBERS

• MANDATE OF THE TASK FORCE

• SUBCOMMITTEE DIRECTIVES

• RELEVANT DATA COLLECTED FROM PREVIOUS SOURCES

• QUALITY EDUCATION AT AUC: ATTEMPT AT A DEFINITION

• TASK FORCE’S DATA COLLECTION: FOCUS GROUPS AND SURVEY RESULTS

• FOCUS GROUPS RESULTS

• SURVEY RESULTS: QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS

• DEMOGRAPHICS

• QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS: QUALITY OF TEACHING AT AUC

• QUANTITIVE ANALYSIS: QUALITY OF EDUCATION AT AUC

• SURVEY RESULTS: QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS

• OVERALL RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION PLAN

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23%

21%

20%

12%

Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Graduating Senior

ALA GAPP HUSS BUS SSE GSE

RHET.

AND COMP.

7 JRMC 8 Arts 15 MNGMT 10 ARCHITECTURE 8

1

CORE 6 LAW 1 SEA 6 ECONOMICS 4 MECHANICAL

ENGINEER 6

ALI 5

Total 9

^PSCH ⁶ ACCOUNTING 2 SCIENT. TH. 5

Total 18

^PHIL ⁴

Total 16

ELECTRONICS &

COMMUNICATIO NS ENGINEERING

4

POL. Sc. 4

MATHEMATICS &

ACTUARIAL SCIENCE

4

ARIC 4 CONSTRUCTION

ENGINEERING 4

HISTORY 3 CHEMISTRY 3

APPLIED

LINGUISTICS 1 PHYSICS 3

ECLT 2 BIOLOGY 2

Total 47

PETROLEUM AND ENERGY ENGINEERING

1

Total 45

STUDENT REPRESENTATION- N=285 FACULTY REPRESENTATION- N=146

DEMOGRAPHICS

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22.97%

21.53%

22.49%

23.92%

9.09%

Freshman Sophomore

Junior Senior

Graduating senior

77.51%

9.57%

8.13% 4.78%

No

Yes, undergraduate studies

Yes, both undergraduate and graduate studies Yes, graduate studies

Why Choose AUC? Top Three Reasons

• Best Education in Egypt 67%

• Employability of Graduates 52%

• Reputation 54%

What is your child’s standing at AUC? Are you an Alumnus/Alumna of AUC?

PARENTS REPRESENTATION, N= 209

DEMOGRAPHICS

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Highlights of some

survey results

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Q U A L I T Y O F E D U C A T I O N

Q U A N T I T A T I V E A N A L Y S I S

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Which of the following would you rank as the top 3 factors influencing the quality of education at AUC?

Faculty by School (N=146)

43.75%

9.38%

81.25%

78.13%

21.88%

12.50%

46.88%

0.00%

6.25%

25.00%

62.50%

81.25%

25.00%

12.50% 12.50%

56.25%

6.25%

18.75%

44.44%

66.67%

77.78%

44.44%

11.11%

22.22%

11.11%

0.00%

11.11%

64.44%

40.00%

77.78%

42.22%

8.89%

15.56% 15.56%

0.00%

31.11%

40.00%

66.67%

60.00%

35.56%

13.33%

31.11%

8.89% 11.11%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Liberal arts education &

core curriculum course content

Content of major courses Quality of teaching Learning transferable skills (e.g. research, writing, critical thinking)

AUC academic support (e.g. libraries, classrooms,

labs)

Exposure to diversity (e.g.

of faculty, of student body)

Exposure to real-life experiences (including career preparation and extracurricular activities)

Advising and registration Quality of faculty research

ALA BUS GAPP HUSS SSE

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Which of the following would you rank as the top 3 factors influencing the quality of education at AUC?

Students by School (N=285)

46%

59% 56%

27%

39%

17%

44%

10%

2%

47%

60%

65%

38%

15%

10%

57%

2% 5%

55% 55%

45% 45%

35%

15%

30%

0%

20%

56%

63% 63%

28% 26%

9%

35%

5% 5%

43%

65%

60%

32%

26%

10%

44%

10%

5%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Content of major courses Quality of teaching Learning transferable skills (e.g. research, writing, critical thinking)

AUC academic support (e.g. libraries, classrooms, labs)

Exposure to diversity (e.g. of faculty, of

student body)

UNDECLARED BUS GAPP HUSS SSE

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Which of the following would you rank as the top 3 factors influencing the quality of education at AUC?

Parents by School (N=209)

44% 44%

68%

47%

29%

9%

35%

15%

6%

26%

52%

67%

43%

22% 20%

50%

11%

7%

56%

22%

67%

56%

33% 33% 33%

0% 0%

42%

38%

69%

50%

35%

15%

42%

8%

0%

36%

47%

64%

41%

35%

12%

40%

14% 11%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Content of major courses Quality of teaching Learning transferable skills (e.g. research, writing,

critical thinking)

AUC academic support (e.g. libraries, classrooms,

labs)

Exposure to diversity (e.g.

of faculty, of student body)

Undeclared BUS GAPP HUSS SSE

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Q U A L I T Y O F E D U C A T I O N

Q U A L I T A T I V E A N A L Y S I S

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Q u a l i t a t i v e A n a l y s i s

Three open ended questions common to all surveys

1. In your opinion, how can AUC improve the quality of education it offers?

2. In your opinion, how can AUC improve the quality of teaching it offers?

3. How would you define a good quality education?

Almost 1550 entries

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Q u a l i t a t i v e A n a l y s i s

Methodology

A grounded-theory approach was used: categories were not pre-determined, but rather evolved from the data

• One coder per open-ended question, across stakeholders (students, faculty, parents and chairs)

• Started with granular categories, later grouped into larger categories (e.g.

“real-life application” grouped with “career preparation” in defining quality of education)

• Discussion between coders regarding categories that applied across

questions.

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In your opinion, how can AUC improve the quality of education it offers? Total N=540

11.9%

17.6%

22.5%

47.6%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Curriculum development/update Application/Career Preparation &

Relevance/CBL Teaching assessment &

evaluation/Teacher PD & mentorship Teacher quality/skills/hiring criteria

Top Themes – Students (N=227)

13.7%

16.3%

12.6%

27.4%

17.4%

62.6%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Course registration,declaration,course…

Include international element(s) Curriculum development/update Application/Career Preparation &…

Teaching assessment &…

Teacher quality/skills/hiring criteria

Top Themes – Parents (N=190)

13.5%

9.6%

11.5%

24.5%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Research Administration-faculty relationship,

communication & transparency Faculty Motivation/Load/Focus Application/Career Preparation &

Relevance/CBL

Top Themes – Faculty (N=104)

10.5%

15.8%

10.5%

26.3%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Include international element(s) Student exchange programs/

international exposure & collaboration Administration-faculty relationship,

communication & transparency Faculty Motivation/Load/Focus

Top Themes – Chairs (N=19)

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Q U A L I T Y O F T E A C H I N G

Q U A N T I T A T I V E A N A L Y S I S

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QUALITY OF TEACHING

Factors related to the quality of teaching in terms of importance and exposure Students (N=285)

For each of the following factors, how

important do you consider them as part of quality of teaching, and how often

are you exposed to them at AUC?

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QUALITY OF TEACHING

Factors related to the quality of teaching in terms of importance and exposure Students (N=285)

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

English language proficiency Addressing student diversity within assessments (e.g. to pursue topics of…

Caring about students and their circumstances/needs outside the classroom Challenging students beyond their comfort zone Choice of good quality course materials Effective ways of presenting course material (e.g. videos, text, images) Faculty member’s accessibility (via email, office hours) and responsiveness Fairness of grading Group projects In-class group activities Opportunities for students to apply their learning in real-life contexts (e.g.…

Opportunities to interact with people across the globe (e.g. via video…

Promoting critical thinking Quality of feedback on submitted work Teaching for understanding beyond memorization Timeliness of feedback on submitted work Use of in-class discussions, debates, etc.

Use of real-life applications as examples in class Variety of methods of assessment (e.g. not all exams/written papers) Teachers providing career mentoring Clarity of teacher explanation

Importance

Very important Important Moderately important Slightly important Not at all important N/A

*

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Exposure

Almost all courses Many courses Some courses Few courses No courses

*

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QUALITY OF TEACHING

Factors related to the quality of teaching in terms of importance and exposure Faculty (N=146)

How important do you think each of the following is to quality of teaching and

how often do you do each when you

teach?

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QUALITY OF TEACHING

Factors related to the quality of teaching in terms of importance and how often they do it Faculty (N=148)

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Addressing student diversity within assessments (e.g. to pursue topics of…

Caring about students and their circumstances/needs outside the…

Challenging students beyond their comfort zone Choice of good quality course materials (used inside and outside of class) Effective ways of presenting course material (e.g. videos, text, images) Faculty member’s accessibility & responsiveness Fairness of grading Group projects In-class group activities Opportunities for students to apply their learning in real-life contexts…

Use of real-life applications as examples in class Variety of methods of assessment (e.g. not all exams/written papers) Providing career mentoring Ensuring students find teacher explanation clear

Importance

Very important Important Moderately important Slightly important Not at all important N/A

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Frequency

Almost always Frequently Sometimes Rarely Never N/A

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0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Almost always Frequently Sometimes Rarely Never N/A

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Addressing student diversity within assessments (e.g. to pursue topics…

Caring about students and their circumstances/needs outside the…

Challenging students beyond their comfort zone Choice of good quality course materials Effective ways of presenting course material (e.g. videos, text, images) Faculty member’s accessibility (via email, office hours) and …

Fairness of grading Group projects In-class group activities Opportunities for students to apply their learning in real-life contexts…

Use of real-life applications as examples in class Variety of methods of assessment (e.g. not all exams/written papers) Teachers providing career mentoring Clarity of teacher explanation

Almost all courses Many courses Some courses Few courses No courses

Students: N=285

How often are you exposed to the following at AUC?

Faculty: N= 148

How often do you do each of the following when you teach?

QUALITY OF TEACHING

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QUALITY OF TEACHING

High quality/challenging/rigorous courses?

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QUALITY OF TEACHING

To what extent have your courses so far challenged you to do your best work?

Students by Standing (N=285)

10%

15%

10%

4%

18%

53%

36%

38%

26%

36%

29%

41%

39%

49%

36%

7%

8%

11%

19%

9%

0%

2%

0%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Freshman

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

Graduating Senior

All the time Most of the time Some of the time Rarely Never

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QUALITY OF TEACHING

On average , how many courses per semester would you consider high quality courses?

Students by Standing (N=285)

9%

8%

5%

2%

6%

19%

18%

11%

21%

32%

27%

31%

19%

21%

28%

36%

33%

46%

33%

10%

11%

18%

1%

0%

2%

5%

0%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Freshman

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

Graduating Senior

Five or more Four Three Two One None

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QUALITY OF TEACHING

Ability to teach a course with the level of rigor you would like.

Faculty by School (N=146)

22%

19%

13%

17%

27%

47%

50%

75%

34%

44%

28%

25%

13%

36%

24%

3%

6%

0%

11%

4%

0%

2%

0%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

ALA

BUS

GAPP

HUSS

SSE

All the time Most of the time some of the time rarely Never

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QUALITY OF TEACHING

Top three factors?

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QUALITY OF TEACHING

What are the top 3 factors that influence the quality of teaching at AUC?

Students By School (N=285)

70.7%

34.1%

39.0%

36.6%

29.3%

34.1%

56.1%

81.7%

28.3%

56.7%

26.7%

16.7%

38.3%

50.0%

85.0%

20.0%

60.0%

20.0%

30.0%

15.0%

60.0%

80.7%

29.8%

36.8%

24.6%

31.6% 35.1%

57.9%

72.0%

40.2%

46.7%

23.4% 25.2%

31.8%

54.2%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Teacher preparation, explanation and

presentation

Teacher accessibility and care for students beyond the classroom

Real-life application Interaction between students via discussions

and/or group work

Variety of assessment methods and topic

choices

Quality and timeliness of feedback and fairness

of grading

Challenging students and encouraging critical

thinking

UNDECLARED BUS GAPP HUSS SSE

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QUALITY OF TEACHING

What are the top 3 factors that influence the quality of teaching at AUC?

Faculty By School (N=146)

78.13%

46.88%

21.88%

28.13%

18.75% 21.88%

78.13%

87.50%

43.75%

75.00%

25.00% 25.00%

0.00%

43.75%

100.00%

50.00%

37.50%

0.00%

25.00%

12.50%

75.00%

84.78%

28.26%

23.91% 26.09%

19.57%

30.43%

84.78%

66.67%

42.22%

37.78%

28.89%

33.33%

20.00%

68.89%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Teacher preparation, explanation and

presentation

Teacher accessibility and care for students beyond the classroom

Real-life application Interaction between students via discussions and/or

group work

Variety of assessment methods and topic

choices

Quality and timeliness of feedback and fairness of grading

Challenging students and encouraging

critical thinking

ALA BUS GAPP HUSS SSE

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Q U A L I T Y O F T E A C H I N G

Q U A L I T A T I V E A N A L Y S I S

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In your opinion, how can AUC improve the quality of teaching it offers? Total N=372

26.1%

32.4%

29.7%

11.7%

-10% 10% 30% 50% 70%

TeacherQuality/ Skills/

Hiring Criteria Teaching Assessment &

Evaluation/ Teacher PD &

Mentorship

Faculty Motivation/ Load/

Focus

Institutional Support/

Funds/ Grant Policies Student Selection/

Admission Criteria

Top Themes – Faculty (N=111)

59.9%

26.0%

13.6%

9.1%

-10% 10% 30% 50% 70%

TeacherQuality/ Skills/

HiringCriteria Teaching Assessment &

Evaluation/ Teacher PD &

Mentorship Application/ Career Preparation & Relevance/

CBL Curriculum Development/Update

Assessments/ Grading/

Feedback

Top Themes – Students (N=242)

47.4%

15.8%

21.1%

10.5%

-10% 10% 30% 50% 70%

Teacher Quality/ Skills/

Hiring Criteria Teaching Assessment &

Evaluation/ Teacher PD &

Mentorship

Faculty Motivation/ Load/

Focus

Resources (Incease F:S ratio; Retreats , Lab Facilities ; Pay Scale of…

Promoting Inter/Multi- Disciplinarity

Top Themes – Chairs (N=19)

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION: OTHER FACTORS

• Quality and Readiness of Students Admitted

• Admission and Registration Process

• Content of Courses in the Major

• Real-life Experience and Career Preparation

• Facilities/Learning Spaces

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R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S A N D

F O L L O W - U P

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• Learners who are ready to participate and learn;

• Processes through which trained faculty use student-centered teaching approaches in well-managed classrooms and skillful assessment to facilitate learning and reduce disparities;

• Environments that provide adequate resources and facilities;

• Content that is reflected in relevant curricula and materials for the acquisition of the needed skills,

• Outcomes that encompass knowledge, skills and attitudes, and are linked to job markets and positive participation in society.

1. Adapted from UNICEF’s Document No. UNICEF/PD/ED/00/02

Quality of Education ¹

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RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Develop an Updated Comprehensive Teaching Evaluation Process

2. Develop and adopt different models (and criteria) for promotion, tenure and renewal of contract

3. Establish a set of departmental expectations for high- quality teaching that are clearly conveyed to all

instructors.

4. Revise the ‘First year’ review to make it more effective

5. Address the barriers that hinder good teaching

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RECOMMENDATIONS

6) Establish a year-long robust Faculty Development program for new faculty

7) Address the lack of faculty and TA English proficiency 8) Embed critical and creative thinking as well as

innovation and entrepreneurship throughout the curriculum

9) Create a channel for communication between Deans/Chairs and students

10) Establish a working group on learning spaces

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Spring 2018: QoE WORK GROUP-

Follow up ACTION PLAN

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

PROGRESS REPORT -

PROPOSED ACTION PLAN

SPRING 2018

Board of Trustees meeting May 10-11, 2018

THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO

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OTHER DATA IF NEEDED

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NSSE 2017 Challenging Students Student responses*

Challenging Students to Do Their Best Work Academic Emphasis

First-year

Senior

First-year Senior

How much did students say their institution emphasizes spending significant time studying and on academic

work? Response options included "Very much," "Quite a bit," "Some," and "Very little."

To what extent did students' courses challenge them to do their best work? Response options ranged from 1 = "Not at all"

to 7 = "Very much."

55%

49%

70%

44%

40% 49%

26%

54%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

AUC NSSE 2016

& 2017

AUC NSSE 2016

& 2017

81% 88% 82% 79%

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

NSSE 2016 & 2017 AUC NSSE 2016 & 2017 AUC

Percentage Responding

"Very much" or "Quite a bit"

*Student Engagement Survey | Office of Data Analytics and Institutional Research

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