Month: December 2019

The National Student Quality Assurance Reviewers Pool was established by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) and the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) in 2017. Since then NStEP has worked to support the pool through our bespoke training programme for reviewers and by allocating students to QQI review panels across higher education.

The latest call for applications to the pool has now opened. Pool members will receive training from NStEP, QQI and USI on quality assurance in Irish Higher Education and quality review procedures.

The Student QA Reviewer’s Pool is made up of students trained by QQI and USI to sit on review panels and ensure the student perspective is evident throughout quality assurance in Ireland. As full members of the panel teams, student reviewers are valuable and valued as part of the process, gaining important experience and insights in to issues of higher education governance.

Student Reviewers are paid for their time on panels and are reimbursed for expenses.

2020 Applications now open!

To apply please complete the form found here:  Student QA Reviewers Pool Application Form

More information about the role of reviewers can be found below. Please read the guidance below before applying.

Applications will close on 6th January 2020. Applicants will be informed whether or not they were successful by the 11th January 2020.

If you have any queries, please contact Oisín at nstep@usi.ie

Student Reviewer Training

The Pool training will be hosted by NStEP, QQI, and USI in Dublin on 21^st January 2020. Applicants are expected to be available for this training.

NStEP has developed the training to support student reviewers to understand the importance of their role in ensuring a high quality system of higher education in Ireland, ultimately benefiting thousands of students. The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) outlines the importance of the student voice and providing effective feedback. Quality & Qualifications Ireland (QQI) takes the reviewers through their roles on review panels, how quality assurance processes operate in Irish higher education, and the impact that it can have. For more information about the work of QQI, watch their introductory video here: https://youtu.be/oteJZhW1E9Q

More About Quality & Qualifications Ireland (QQI)

Quality and Qualifications Ireland is a state agency established by the Quality Assurance and Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 2012 with a board appointed by the Minister for Education and Skills.

Their functions include those previously carried out by the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC); the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC); the Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB) and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI).

In the area of qualifications, they are responsible for maintaining the ten-level NFQ (National Framework of Qualifications) are an awarding body, setting standards for awards made in the NFQ. They validate education and training programmes and make extensive awards in the Further Education and Training sector including in the Education and Training Boards as well as in the Higher Education private sector. They also provide advice on recognition of foreign qualifications in Ireland and on the recognition of Irish qualifications abroad.

In the area of quality assurance, QQI is responsible for reviewing the effectiveness of quality assurance in further and higher education providers in Ireland. This includes the universities, institutes of technology, Education and Training Boards and providers in the private further and higher education and training sectors (availing of QQI awards). The outcomes of these external reviews are published on the website qqi.ie.

NStEP is now accepting student training session bookings from institutions and students’ unions for the new year. To schedule a session and find out what it involves, read more below.

NStEP has trained over 2,700 student representatives since our foundation in 2016. Each year we launch the training programme for booking in the Summer, with over 40 sessions delivered from September to November. Another round of training is then scheduled for January through to March, depending on demand. NStEP Student Trainers, all full-time students from Irish higher education, criss-cross the country delivering training sessions, which include introductory class rep training, postgraduate taught, and online training.

Find out more information about the training from our call for bookings that went live in Summer 2019: NStEP launches Student Training Programme for Autumn 2019

What does NStEP training involve?

NStEP student training sessions are designed for class representatives (undergraduate and postgraduate taught), with training delivered to prepare and support them to carry out their roles effectively on behalf of their peers, working positively with staff members in their college to achieve change and enhance the educational experience of all.

The training has received overwhelmingly positive feedback since the first sessions were delivered in 2016. Find out more about the training and the feedback we have received here.

Book an NStEP training session!

To book a training, please complete the form at this link. Please ensure to request a booking as soon as possible. NStEP cannot guarantee that we will be able to deliver training on your preferred dates, so the sooner that a request is received the better. If there are no Student Trainers available to deliver the training on your preferred date, we will get in touch to arrange an alternative that suits your institution/SU.

Please ensure to thoroughly read the Booking Guide for 2019 before requesting a training session. It contains all the need-to-know info about hosting the training, including the materials that the trainers will require and the kind of venue that is needed to ensure the training is engaging and interesting.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch by emailing nstep@usi.ie