Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance Policies at AlZaytona University of Science and Technology

University Strategic Plan

Quality Assurance Policies at AlZaytona University of Science and Technology

University Strategic Plan

First Policy: Adoption and Implementation of Effective Standards to Maintain Education Quality

The student-to-faculty member ratios in the colleges are as follows: College of Engineering: 1:20 .College of Health and Natural Sciences: 1:20 .College of Management and Business: 1:22 .Intermediate College: 1:24
The average class size does not exceed 26 students.
The ratio of academic staff to administrative staff is 65% academic to 35% administrative.
The ratio of doctoral degree holders to master's degree holders among academic staff in undergraduate colleges is 80% to 20%.

Second Policy: Admission of New Students

Compliance with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research annual standards concerning secondary school averages and types of general secondary certificates.
Determining the required number of admissions per college based on available capacities.
Defining university conditions for each college according to the capacity or number of applicants.
Selecting the best candidates and giving priority to early applicants until the required number is met.

Third Policy: Evaluation of Teaching Staff Performance

Conduct formative evaluations during the first two weeks of each teaching semester to verify the distribution of the course syllabus, exam dates, types, and formats, including the course textbook name, content headings, learning objectives, and expected course outcomes. This process is conducted through appropriate approval before the start of the semester and is carried out by a quality and accreditation officer.
Conduct summative evaluations at the end of the semester, before final exams, to ensure coverage of all topics and adherence of students to teaching methods, exams, time management, and instructional activities. Evaluation is conducted by students using specific evaluation forms.
Request exam templates from each faculty member to confirm the alignment of exam questions with the main content and learning objectives of the course.

Fourth Policy: Outputs of AlZaytona University for Science and Technology and Areas for Improvement

Graduates and their acquired knowledge, skills, competencies, and demonstrated behaviors.
Scientific publications by faculty members and their associated reputation.
Funded scientific research projects contributing to global knowledge production.
The university's positive impact on the society in which it operates.
Development in the economic sector and its effect on improving individuals’ lives.

Focus here is on the primary output: graduates and what they learn and acquire during their study period at AlZaytona University for Science and Technology.

To develop and improve graduate capabilities,

the university will implement and introduce a competency-based learning approach in the preparation of Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) for each academic qualification and course.

This will better guarantee and improve quality, distinctiveness, and success. Faculty members will be guided to select teaching content (course material) consistent with the intended learning outcomes. Teaching methods and evaluation approaches will be revised and replaced with methods that ensure learners (students) acquire targeted skills in their various types and forms. The following are definitions and clarifications of these concepts:

First: Intended Learning Outcomes – Their Importance, Categories, Levels, and Formulations

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) are defined as clear descriptive statements that specify what a student is expected to possess in terms of theoretical knowledge, understanding, mental, professional, practical, and general competencies, as well as the skills they can perform or demonstrate through behaviors and attitudes upon successful completion of the learning process. ILOs—along with their anticipated outcomes—hold great significance as they provide a strong and solid foundation for the design and/or development of academic programs. This includes the selection and design of course content and curricula, followed by teaching methods and assessment approaches. Consequently, they enable effective collaboration among teaching staff involved in the program and create a working environment that supports joint planning, monitoring, evaluation, and appropriate corrective measures to ensure quality. In addition to the above, ILOs provide a unique identity to academic programs within their societal context. Students and their families will be aware of the future characteristics the program intends to develop in its graduates. Moreover, employers will be equipped with information about the expected competencies that graduates should acquire, enabling informed judgment regarding the degree to which the program meets labor market needs. If all programs are developed following this approach, the university’s reputation will be enhanced both locally and internationally, strengthening its ranking within national and global classifications. ILOs have different levels that begin with broad general statements, such as the university-wide competency framework, and conclude with specific, detailed levels at the course or curriculum level, aligned with academic study programs. These levels include: 1. General Level: Broad competencies related to university-wide courses classified as “university-required courses.” These include outcomes related to general cultural education, civic principles, and community values that all university students should achieve regardless of their specializations—for example, acquiring citizenship values, proficiency in using information technology, and effective communication skills.

2. Faculty-Level: Competencies related to faculty-specific courses classified as “faculty-required courses,” where each faculty, as a specialized educational institution, defines shared learning outcomes for students registered in its various disciplines. For instance, different faculties of administrative sciences and applied engineering sciences have distinct faculty-level learning outcomes.

3. Specialization-Level: More specific competencies related to specialization-specific courses classified as “specialization-required courses.” Students in these programs gain mental and practical competencies that distinguish them from other specializations.

4. Course-Level: Precise, well-defined learning outcomes tied directly to course syllabi content. These outcomes derive from and build upon the previous levels and are embedded within the academic curriculum. A typical undergraduate program generally consists of eight semesters, usually divided into four groups of courses or modules: o University-required courses (usually up to 5% of credit hours), o Faculty-required courses (up to 20%), o Specialization-required courses (no less than 65%), o Elective courses (approximately 5-10%).

ILOs at the program level represent a collective, cooperative process rather than an individual one. All teaching staff within the department or academic unit who teach specialization courses participate in formulating and shaping these outcomes. Additionally, external stakeholders such as employers from the local community who aspire to employ graduates, representatives of alumni, and other evaluators and consultants also contribute. The formulation process considers several important points regarding phrasing and content.

Context Review (This includes the university’s vision and mission, the university-wide learning outcomes, the required professional competencies, the standards of professional syndicates and organizations related to professional licensing in the specialized fields, and accreditation criteria from authorized official bodies, in addition to the learning outcomes of selected programs from comparable colleges and universities.)
Brainstorming Questions: • What knowledge and concepts should graduates from this program possess? • Do these knowledge and skills qualify graduates for pursuing advanced studies? • What local job opportunities are available for graduates? • What competencies should graduates have from the perspective of employers? • How can graduates acquire these competencies? • What are the related values and ethics? • Does the university environment facilitate the implementation of teaching and learning processes? • Are the required teaching methods and tools available? • Are practical training opportunities available inside or outside the university? • Are all faculty members capable of applying the required teaching methods?
Starting with Learning Outcomes Expressions: It is recommended to consider the following:
o Learning levels according to Bloom’s taxonomy (1956), which begins with remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.
o Selecting active verbs linked to each learning level, for example: • Remembering: recall, identify, name • Understanding: explain, clarify, summarize • Applying: use, apply • Analyzing: differentiate, examine, distinguish
o Defining the abilities, competencies, skills, and tasks students are expected to acquire, in a broad manner that aligns with the general goals of the program while leaving detailed specifications to the learning outcomes of each course in the program curriculum.
o Initial formulation of outcome statements, preferably phrased as: "The graduate will be able to..." or "The graduate will have sufficient knowledge of..." with clarity and measurable criteria. Examples include: "The graduate will be able to apply concepts, standards, and skills acquired in various practical contexts," or "The graduate will be capable of participating in bidding for commercial contracts and technical projects," or "The graduate will be able to engage in self-learning and work independently."
Verification and Validation of Formulations: This process should include the following:
• Asking questions such as: Are the expressions for each learning outcome clear and understandable? • Are they measurable? • Are they feasible for implementation and verification? • Do they align with the general context of the university’s vision, mission, and strategic directions? • Do they consider the program’s defined timeframe? • Do they correspond with the academic degree awarded by the program? • Are they comprehensive of all learning levels including cognitive, practical, professional, cultural, and other skills that achieve the intended goals?
Examining the Consistency and Coverage of the Stated Outcomes: • Check if each stated outcome aligns with the program’s main objectives and verify the contribution of each outcome to those objectives. • It is recommended to carry out this review in cooperation with university administration or program management personnel.
Reaching a Final List of Learning Outcomes for the Program:
o Ensure the number of stated outcomes is not excessive, preferably not exceeding 20-25 concise learning outcomes.
o Confirm that each outcome can have several sub-outcomes to specify the courses and study units in each program track.
o These are expressed as statements predicting what the graduate will know theoretically and be able to perform practically in various skills, competencies, and professional abilities gained upon successful graduation from the program and the college.

At this stage, the learning outcomes serve as anticipated or expected outputs that may not yet have been realized. They are documented statements characterized by their ambitious nature and comprehensiveness, reflecting all the skills and competencies that the program stakeholders expect the program to impart. These outcomes provide the program with a distinct identity in the eyes of employers, current stakeholders, and community institutions, effectively representing a professional portfolio that is accepted and highly regarded by employers. However, this reputation and positive perception become firmly established when the targeted learning outcomes are effectively achieved and genuinely acquired by students who graduate successfully from the program.

To ensure the transformation of expected learning outcomes at the program level into actual outcomes, it is essential to implement a process of articulation and alignment within courses or study units. This involves clearly linking program-level outcomes to course-level outcomes through multi-dimensional matrices that demonstrate the correlation between teaching and learning activities and the progressively tiered learning levels, targeted outcomes, and their corresponding sub-outcomes. Following this, appropriate teaching methods and assessment strategies for each sub-outcome should be determined. To facilitate this process, the following steps are undertaken:

Identifying and defining the comprehensive educational content of the program through its objectives and targeted learning outcomes, phrased in broad and inclusive terms.
Deriving multiple sub-learning outcomes from each broad program-level learning outcome.
For each common sub-outcome, defining the broad goals of the corresponding course and subsequently the targeted learning outcomes of that course, thereby determining the detailed content of the course.
Specifying the content of each chapter or study unit within every course according to the course’s targeted learning outcomes.
This systematic approach simplifies the identification of appropriate teaching strategies and student learning methods aligned with each learning outcome, along with relevant learning resources and activities.
suitable assessment tools and methods for each learning outcome are selected. Consequently, assessments may include written exams, oral presentations, project work, report writing, and more.

Thus, each learning outcome is linked to at least one course through which it is achieved, and every study unit within a course is connected to a specific course-level learning outcome. This ensures that all program-level learning outcomes are supported by the curriculum courses. If a learning outcome is found not to be associated with any course, it may indicate the need to create a new course or to incorporate it into an existing course by expanding its content. If neither is feasible, the learning outcome may be removed. Similarly, the method of writing course learning outcomes parallels that of program learning outcomes but with greater focus on the specific skills students are expected to develop. Course outcomes are typically more detailed and precisely defined.

Writing course learning outcomes generally begins with the phrase: “Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to…” followed by measurable action verbs such as analyze, compare, relate, and evaluate. For example: “Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to assess the effectiveness of marketing methods using network analysis, apply R programming to laboratory data analysis, design an interactive communication website for a community group, or collaborate effectively in a team to complete a project.”

Using Targeted Learning Outcomes as an Effective Tool for Development:

Based on the provisions outlined in the first section, it is possible to initiate a qualitative development process through "re-engineering" of the university’s graduate outputs. This involves employing targeted learning outcome expressions at both the program and course levels. Each weakness identified in the graduate outputs of Palestinian universities—whether in cognitive skills, practical professional skills, or general attributes relevant to expected work—can be reflected in program objectives and subsequently formulated as targeted intended learning outcomes. These intended outcomes are then articulated within courses that define unit content, ensuring their achievement through diverse teaching and learning strategies compatible with each outcome. This includes utilizing various learning resources, even if practical training occurs outside the university, and applying comprehensive evaluation methods that cover all curriculum content.

Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance Policies at AlZaytona University of Science and Technology

University Strategic Plan

Quality Assurance Policies at AlZaytona University of Science and Technology

University Strategic Plan

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First Policy: Adoption and Implementation of Effective Standards to Maintain Education Quality

Second Policy: Admission of New Students

Third Policy: Evaluation of Teaching Staff Performance

Fourth Policy: Outputs of AlZaytona University for Science and Technology and Areas for Improvement

First: Intended Learning Outcomes – Their Importance, Categories, Levels, and Formulations

Using Targeted Learning Outcomes as an Effective Tool for Development:

Dr. Fahoum Shalabi