The English Language Centre of the University of New England (UNE) provides pathways into university courses across all levels of study. Focusing on the learning needs of international students, the Centre’s English language courses are taught by highly qualified and experienced instructors. In October 2021, NEAS and UNE worked together to conduct a quality assessment of the Centre’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program (Levels 1 to 5). As a result of the initiative, a dedicated NEAS Report was produced, noting areas of best practice alongside specific recommendations for ongoing improvement.
One year later, a special Management Meeting was held, which served as a review mechanism to assess the updates and revisions that were applied, in alignment with the recommendations made in the earlier report. As with the Quality Assurance exercise in 2021, the recent review of 2022 measured the course enhancements against the Quality Principles in Area H: Online Delivery. These Quality Principles focus on: ensuring the design of the online environment supports a positive and engaging user experience; the appropriateness of learning and assessment strategies for virtual delivery; provision of learning resources and technology to facilitate learning; and the presence of an integrated reporting system to support the online courses. Please refer to this section of the NEAS Quality Assurance Framework for further information: https://neas.org.au/resources/neas-quality-framework/#area-h.
NEAS acknowledges and commends the Centre on the demonstrable improvements that have been implemented to its Learning Management System (LMS) and interactive resources. The English Language Centre has integrated the recommendations from the NEAS Online Delivery Endorsement Report of 2021 into its 2022 Professional Development Plan. The Centre has consulted and cooperated with the University’s Library staff and Learning Design teams to ensure that online materials are accessible. One-to-one engagement and interactivity with learners have been further enhanced. The Centre has implemented a systematic approach to building on the previous review, showing a full cycle of continuous improvement.
September 2022
