Department of Computer Science
Quality Assurance
The quality assurance procedures at the Department of Computer Science are in line with the quality assurance system at Aalborg University. Below are descriptions of the department's procedures regarding the semester steering process, evaluation of entire programmes and study activities and the study environment.
The semester steering process consists of three elements as described below: Semester planning, semester implementation and evaluation of study activities.
At the Department of Computer Science the roles and tasks of this work is described in our Semester Steering Handbook along with templates that can be used in the different phases..
Semester Planning
The semester steering cycle starts in April and October for fall and spring semesters, respectively, and is initiated by the issuing of teaching requisitions. The department then appoints semester coordinators and later course lecturers, project supervisors etc. The semester coordinator’s first task is to prepare the semester description, following the study board’s conclusions on the evaluation of last year’s iteration of the semester, and in agreement with the other teachers of the semester.
The study board ensures that the semester descriptions are available 14 days before semesterstart (August/January). Other tasks involved in the semester planning includes preparation of information and teaching material to be published on Moodle, scheduling of teaching and meeting activities, making appointments with external guest lecturers, ensuring the availability of equipment, etc.
Semester implementation
The semester starts by the semester coordinator and the teachers of the semester presenting the prepared semester description, introducing the courses, presenting project proposals, etc. for the students, and by the students forming project groups.
The semester coordinator asks the students to appoint a representative from each project group to enter into the steering group, which will meet 2-3 times during the semester to make a status on the course teaching, the project work, etc. Minutes from these meetings are published at the semester’s room in Moodle and will also be used by the semester coordinator as input to the semester evaluation report.
Evaluation of study actitivies
The evaluation of study activities consists of the following steps:
Preparation of the evaluation report / evaluation meetings
The department sends out an individual (quantitative) and group-based (qualitative) questionnaire to each student in the middle of April for the spring semester, and in the middle of November for the fall semester.
After the students have performed individual and group-based evaluations, the semester coordinator conducts an evaluation meeting, where a representative from each project group participates and presents the main points of the group's evaluation. The semester coordinator and a student representative chosen among the project group representatives prepare a summary as input to the evaluation report.
Based on the answers to the individual and group-based questionnaires, input from the evaluation meeting, minutes of steering group meetings etc., the semester coordinator prepares a draft evaluation report. The semester coordinator sends the draft report to the members of the steering group and the study secretary for comments. The final evaluation report is sent to the study board no later than end of June for the spring semester and early February for the fall semester. For more info about the process go to the semester steering handbook.
Evaluation of the semester
The study board evaluates the past semester at a study board meeting in March for the fall semester and in September for the spring semester. This is done based on the semester coordinator’s evaluation report, answers from students to an extra (qualitative) questionnaire about exams, and grade statistics. Finally, the study board prepares conclusions that form the basis of possible adjustments of the planning, implementation and/or evaluation of the next iteration of that semester.
Information about the conclusions
The study board’s conclusions are published no later than October for the spring semester and April for the fall semester at the department’s quality assurance webpage. Information about the conclusions is sent to students via Moodle and to staff via email, and subsequently to the coming semester coordinator. The conclusions are available here.
Follow-up on the evaluations
The study management group follows up on the conclusions each semester on its meetings in May and October. Depending on the nature of the conclusions, the study board contacts relevant parties (department heads, semester coordinators, course teachers, project supervisors, study programme coordinators) and initiates the required adjustments in due time before the next semester’s iteration.
The semester steering handbook consists of a PowerPoint presentation with descriptions of the tasks of the different players in the implementation of semesters: Semester coordinator, semester secretary, course lecturer, project supervisor, UPU, study board and the department.
TEMPLATES
Below, you will find a number of templates to be used in the different phases: Information about a course (for detailing the students' workload), agenda for the steering group meeting, minutes of steering group meeting, evaluation report for study activities and conclusion on the evaluation report for study activities.
Study Environment
The Department of Computer Science handles the follow-up on feedback regarding the study environment as part of the AAU procedure for follow-up and development of the study environment (in Danish).
In short, the department collects all issues/ about the physical, psychological and digital study environment and creates an overview.
The problems/wishes listed comes partly from feedback from steering group meetings and the evaluation of study activities each semester. Minor problems with the physical study environment are reported to CAS/ITS via the building support app.
When the department has identified and followed up on the problems/wishes for the study environment they are discussed at the Department Council meeting. This is all done in September/October.
After this, the students receive feedback about the follow-up on the reported problems and wishes via cs.aau.dk and Moodle. The feedback is available below. If you have questions please forward this to info@cs.aau.dk.
You can also read more at students.aau.dk and the annual report from 2020 Campus Service here.
Need someone to talk to?
Most often, personal or study related issues can be sorted out by talking to your friends, family or perhaps your group supervisor or other employee at your place of study that you feel comfortable with.
However, there are times when you might need the help and support of a trained student counsellor, who has no other role in your everyday life.
In those cases, AAU Student Guidance are ready to help – in full confidentiality:
AAU Student Guidance
Phone: 99 40 94 40 (Monday to Friday 12-15)
Email: studievejledning@aau.dk
Web: Student Guidance at AAU
Local Student Guidance
You are also always welcome to contact your local student counsellors, Christian, Kira and Charlotte.
Latest Study Environment Status
2023 - SPRING
Aalborg
Copenhagen
Archive
2022 - FALL
Aalborg
Copenhagen
2022 - SPRING
Aalborg
Copenhagen
2021 - Fall / Spring
2020 - Fall / Spring
2019 - Fall / Spring
2018 - Fall / Spring
2017 - Spring
Evaluation plan - who does what when
Evaluation of Study Activities
The evaluation of study activities consists of the following steps:
1) Preparation of the evaluation report / evaluation meetings
The department sends out an individual (quantitative) and group-based (qualitative) questionnaire to each student in the middle of April for the spring semester, and in the middle of November for the fall semester.
After the students have performed individual and group-based evaluations, the semester coordinator conducts an evaluation meeting, where a representative from each project group participates and presents the main points of the group's evaluation. The semester coordinator and a student representative chosen among the project group representatives prepare a summary as input to the evaluation report.
Based on the answers to the individual and group-based questionnaires, input from the evaluation meeting, minutes of steering group meetings etc., the semester coordinator prepares a draft evaluation report. The semester coordinator sends the draft report to the members of the steering group and the study secretary for comments. The final evaluation report is sent to the study board no later than end of June for the spring semester and early February for the fall semester. For more info about the process go to the semester steering handbook.
2) Evaluation of the semester
The study board evaluates the past semester at a study board meeting in March for the fall semester and in September for the spring semester. This is done based on the semester coordinator’s evaluation report, answers from students to an extra (qualitative) questionnaire about exams, and grade statistics. Finally, the study board prepares conclusions that form the basis of possible adjustments of the planning, implementation and/or evaluation of the next iteration of that semester.
3) Information about the conclusions
The study board’s conclusions are published no later than October for the spring semester and April for the fall semester at the department’s quality assurance webpage. Information about the conclusions is sent to students via Moodle and to staff via email, and subsequently to the coming semester coordinator. The conclusions are available below.
4) Follow-up on the evaluations
The study management group follows up on the conclusions each semester on its meetings in May and October. Depending on the nature of the conclusions, the study board contacts relevant parties (department heads, semester coordinators, course teachers, project supervisors, study programme coordinators) and initiates the required adjustments in due time before the next semester’s iteration.
Latest evaluation conclusions and archive
Evaluation of Entire Programmes
The evaluation of entire programmes is carried out each year in spring, based on answers from graduating bachelor's and master's students on a (quantitative and qualitative) questionnaire about their experiences within the following areas: Fulfilment of expectations, professional content and level, coherence, learning objectives and study load.
Based on the answers to the questionnaire, the study programme coordinator prepares an evaluation report, which is sent to the study board no later than the middle of September. The study board evaluates the entire programmes on a study study board meeting in October and prepares conclusions based on the evaluation report and other relevant input.
The conclusions are published no later than November at the department’s quality assurance webpage. The graduates who participated in the evaluations are informed beforehand where the conclusions will be available and information about the conclusions is sent to staff via email. The conclusions are available below. The study management group follows up on the conclusions on its meeting in December.
Evaluation of Continuing Education
Evaluation of part-time programmes is carried out after the examination of each course/module and is partly based on the responses on a questionnaire about the participant’s experience of the courses/module as well as the conclusions made by the responsible teacher of the module.
The department sends out a questionnaire after the examination of each course - three questionnaires in all, where the last questionnaire contains questions about the entire module.
On basis of the answers of the questionnaire, the responsible teacher of the module prepares an evaluation report which is sent to the study board who will evaluate the module and prepare their conclusions that are basis for possible adjustments to future courses/modules.
Programme evaluations with participation of external experts are carried out every six years by all departments at AAU. The programme evaluation (in year 1) initiates the six-year cycle with annual quality follow-up for all study programmes as shown in the figure above.
The annual quality follow-ups (quality status and quality reporting) together with the action plan are the central elements of the quality work. The Department of Computer Science is to carry out the programme evaluation in 2024.