Course reviews
If in doubt about where to start, please email science.curriculum@anu.edu.au
Related policies and procedures
- Academic Accreditation Handbook : https://www.anu.edu.au/anu-policy-handbooks/academic-accreditation-handbook
- *Academic Programs and Courses Accreditation policy: https://policies.anu.edu.au/ppl/document/ANUP_000360
- *Academic Programs and Courses Accreditation procedure: https://policies.anu.edu.au/ppl/document/ANUP_000691
How to guides and supporting documents
| Relevance | Document name | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Holistic | Course review template (not linked) | Course review pro-forma. This is typically prefilled by the Education Governance Office and circulated with the course review data pack. |
| Holistic and streamlined | Guidance on best practice to undertake a thorough holistic or streamlined review | |
| Holistic and streamlined | Contains essential information about the relationship between learning outcomes and assessment tasks | |
| Holistic and streamlined | Contains the principles for creation and approval of HPO and HPC, how these are to be articulated in the course entry and class summaries in P&C. | |
| Streamlined | Detailed information on how to complet each section of the form, including formatting restrictions and links to associated policy and procedure. | |
| Streamlined | Course template wireframe with examples | Guidance on best practice for curriculum design and highlights specific aspects of learning outcomes and assessments that are important to consider. |
General information
Course reviews are an essential component of Quality Assurance monitoring of ANU offerings. We are required by our central and external regulators, including the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), to undertake a formal review of every curriculum object every five years.
The review process should comprise a comprehensive review of a course to provide an evidence-based evaluation of the viability, quality, structure, focus and outcomes of the course. The College of Science undertakes two types of reviews: Holistic reviews undertaken on a course review pro-forma and includes a peer review of the course (peer reviewer can be internal or external to the school/discipline), and streamlined reviews undertaken in the CMS and are compliance focused. Where a streamlined review is undertaken for a course, the following review must be holistic.
Courses are identified for review as follows:
- SELT trigger
- 5yr cycle (from course creation or previous review)
- Courses identified as compulsory in programs under review as per the coursework program review schedule
- Nominated by the College Associate Dean (Education), Associate Director Education of the school or other relevant authority
Schools will be sent a list of courses identified for review twice a year with instructions and data packs depending on the type of review identified.
Typically courses identified by a SELT trigger will automatically be considered for a holistic review.
Deadline to submit to College for review and approval
Holistic course reviews:
- Deadline Sem 1 courses: end August
- Deadline Sem 2 round: end April
These deadlines enable the Education Sub Committee time to review and return feedback to the school prior to next delivery.
Streamlined course reviews: end August. Any amendments will be published effective 1 January the following academic year.
Internal school deadlines might vary if reviews need to be considered by school committees.
Important considerations
- Completed holistic review forms (word doc), to be returned to science.curriculum@anu.edu.au. Where the review recommends a course amendment, this should submitted through the CMS at the same time.
- Streamlined reviews are to be submitted through the Curriculum Management System (CMS) workflow to “CEC Endorse Pending”.