Quality of Teaching and Learning

The system for the quality of teaching and learning assurance and enhancement at the University of Warsaw is built with respect for the autonomy and specificity of the University’s units, based on their good experiences in assuring quality of teaching and learning, and in the conviction that high quality is strengthened by self-assessment, dialogue, collaboration, support and dissemination of best practice.

The quality of teaching and learning assurance and enhancement at the University of Warsaw covers the teaching and learning process at:

• first-cycle and second-cycle studies, as well as long-cycle studies,
• postgraduate studies,
• doctoral studies and at doctoral schools.

The structure of the system consists of:

• The University Council for Teaching and Learning
• teaching and learning councils,
• the teams for teaching and learning quality assurance set up by the Rector,
• The Rector’s Deputy for Quality of Teaching and Learning

and

The Office for Innovation in Teaching and Learning and the Teaching and Learning Quality Evaluation Lab responsible for the surveys.

The Rector’s Deputy for Quality of Teaching and Learning:

1. ensures that the University-wide teaching and learning quality assurance system functions properly;
2. coordinates University-wide activities to evaluate and enhance the quality of teaching and learning at the University;
3. supports the heads of the teaching units in their tasks related to monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in the fields of study;
4. coordinates University-wide activities with the aim to improve the competences and qualifications of the teaching staff;
5. disseminates information and promotes good practice in the area of academic teaching.

University Council for Teaching and Learning

The University Council for Teaching and Learning develops and submits to the Rector a draft strategy for quality assurance of teaching and learning, develops university-wide procedures for quality assurance of education, formulates guidelines addressed to teaching and learning councils and heads of the teaching units.

In addition, the Council formulates guidelines and recommendations concerning in particular:

• the design and monitoring of study programmes, postgraduate programmes, doctoral training programmes,
• the assessment of students, postgraduate students and doctoral students,
• the quality assurance of teaching staff delivering courses to students, postgraduate students and doctoral students,
• the improvement of competences and qualifications by teaching staff,
• monitoring and improving the quality of learning resources, in particular libraries, laboratories and teaching rooms and their equipment.

Teaching and learning council

• The teaching and learning council take measures to ensure the quality of teaching and learning in the field or fields of study, and in particular develops, in accordance with the University Council for Teaching and Learning guidelines, an internal quality assurance system for education in the field or fields of study.

 Office for Innovation in Teaching and Learning

Its main operational objectives include:

• planning the organisation of the teaching and learning process at the University,
• coordinating the university-wide teaching offer, including the teaching of foreign languages,
• managing matters related to the quality of teaching and learning and evaluation of the teaching process;
• designing and executing innovative teaching projects.

Teaching and Learning Quality Evaluation Lab

The Teaching and Learning Quality Evaluation Lab is a research unit that conducts systematic evaluation studies on various aspects of education at the University of Warsaw. It develops and publishes research reports based on the data collected.

Surveys on the quality of teaching and learning are conducted regularly among the University applicants, students, postgraduate students, doctoral students, academic staff and graduates.

Research is conducted using quantitative and qualitative methods:

• a university-wide questionnaire;
• questionnaires of the teaching units;
• qualitative research methods;
• analysis of data from administrative sources of the University and other public institutions.

The Teaching and Learning Quality Evaluation Lab manages the tasks of the teaching evaluation survey system.