Quality objectives and criteria

Quality objectives: Teaching and learning

In addition to the mission and vision of the UoC, which is currently in the process of developing the University Strategy Plan (HEP), the mission statement teaching and learning forms the basis for the current quality objectives of teaching and learning. These are presented in the following table and relate to the stakeholders themselves, their knowledge, skills, attitudes and competencies as well as the teaching-learning formats.

1. Excellent technical and scientific education as well as professionalization

The students of the UoC should have an excellent education and be professional in scientific and technical fields. The students of the UoC should be empowered to shape a sustainable, peaceful and democratic future in their different professional careers and activities within and outside science as well as responsible local and global citizens.

2. Research- and future-oriented teaching and learning

On the basis of its self-image as a research-oriented full university, teaching and learning should be designed in a research-oriented manner looking to the future and implemented in an innovative way. This includes teaching good scientific practice. The UoC should be a place of lifelong, flexible learning. It creates incentives, formats and spaces for all stakeholders, as well as excellent and forward-looking conditions.

3. Problem- and project-based learning

Problem-based and project-based learning should be used to develop skills for dealing with complex problems.

4. Development of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary competencies

Learners should develop interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary competencies and apply them in their activities.

5. Training of personal and social skills

In addition to excellent technical skills, the teaching and learning opportunities are intended to train personal and social skills.

6. Diversity as a starting point

Diversity, e.g. in terms of education, background, care obligations or disability, should be welcomed in all areas, and students should be promoted based on their individual needs. The targeted selection of diverse, excellent scientists and talents as well as the promotion of framework conditions that support inclusion, equal opportunities and equality are essential for this, as is the facilitation of lifelong learning.

7. Digital education

In order to ensure the digital education of all stakeholders, competencies in this area will be developed in a professional and interdisciplinary manner. In this way, learners should become facilitators and practitioners of a digital transformation, which prioritizes people.

8. Sustainability competencies

During the course of their studies, learners should train sustainability skills and thus become advocates of social, ecological and economic justice and sustainability. For example, they will be able to advocate their own well-being and that of their environment. In addition, the UoC promotes the use and development of OERs and the practice of open science.

9. Global responsibility

Offers for the assumption of global responsibility, the practice of interculturality and multilingualism should lead to comprehensive competencies of the learners and enable them to apply them as local and global players.

10. Strategic, data-driven, and people-focussed controlling

Decisions in the context of teaching and learning and for the realization of graduate quotas should be made on the basis of strategic, forward-looking, data-driven and people-focussed controlling and monitoring.

Quality criteria teaching and learning at the UoC

In order to implement and evaluate the understanding of quality in teaching and learning, a catalogue of quality criteria (Q criteria) for teaching and learning was developed on the basis of the mission statement and the study accreditation regulation. The principles of the mission statement and the resulting quality objectives of teaching and learning as well as the relevant legal requirements have been operationalized through the quality criteria of teaching and learning. They are assigned to six thematic headings:

Human dignity, democracy, freedom

Subcriteria	Operationalization of technical-related content	Definition
Dialogue, Cooperation Participation Responsibility	Co-creative development of all processes for teaching and learning, including all stakeholders Involvement of learners in development processes of teaching and learning offers and degree programmes	In teaching-learning courses, dialogue orientation, cooperation, participation and responsibility are realized and roles are clarified. Teaching and learning offers are (further) developed responsibly by the full-time and professionally responsible teaching staff. This is in conjunction with the teachers and learners and taking into account the recommendations of the scientific critical friends and from professional practice. Within the framework of teaching, the relationship between dialogue and participation is appropriate.
Individualization, Personality development	Options for profiling, choice between modules or in the module, or offering specialization options Flexibility of the teaching and learning offer	Through selectable content, teaching and learning offers enable learners to individually design the course of their studies. This promotes the unfolding and development of the personality of the learners.
Diversity and Inclusion	Consideration of diversity dimensions, intersectionality and inclusion among learners and teachers Curricular embedding of diversity dimensions The teaching offers consider inclusion issues.	The diversity of learners and teachers is regarded by all involved stakeholders as a benefit for the realization of teaching-learning offers. All stakesholders are sensitive to this. In addition, diversity dimensions are taught and identified in the curricula. The ability to study is guaranteed, regardless of, for example, social background, gender, culture and disabilities.
Well-being and sustainability	Healthy and sustainable work load and a healthy relationship towards work Advice and support services for individual study planning and mental health Social inclusion High satisfaction Implementation of UN sustainability goals	Teaching and learning offers create the conditions for a high degree of study satisfaction by addressing the central challenges of each individual, allowing the social involvement of their learners, leaving room for other aspects of life, and providing advice to learners. Learners become well-being‑ and sustainability experts

Research and science orientation

Subcriteria	Operationalization of technical-related content	Definition
Disciplinary as well as interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research	Skills for scientific work Research-based learning and research topicality of the discipline Facilitation/discussion of research priorities Integration of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary aspects and questions	Learners will be empowered to work scientifically using current research methods, as well as to think critically, rationally and reflectively. Teaching and learning offers take into account the state of research in terms of content, include own research projects in teaching and enable scientific findings on research-based learning to be gained and reviewed. In addition, they highlight interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research questions and fields.
Theory orientation	Currency and adequacy of technical and scientific requirements Use and development (including diverse) theories	Teaching and learning offers enable us to get to know many theories, apply them to different questions, develop our own theories, question the field of application and scope of knowledge of theories also through a change of perspective, and assess the need for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary cooperation.
Scientific habitus	Promoting interest in scientific knowledge Stimulating and empowering critical reflection Good Scientific Practice	Teaching and learning offers convey and demonstrate scientific and ethical integrity, as well as good scientific practice. Learners can assess the relevance, but also the limitations, of scientific findings. They understand the multiple perspectives of science and the relevance of critical review of its results.

Social responsibility, dialogue, transfer

Subcriteria	Operationalization of technical-related content	Definition
Societal relevance	Taking up and tackling societal challenges Setting innovative impulses Offers for the development of issues in innovation, transfer and entrepreneurship	Teaching and learning opportunities are dedicated to societal topics and challenges. Learners have the opportunity to develop and test different concepts for transfer and entrepreneurship.
Competency orientation	Clear formulation of qualification objectives and targeted learning outcomes Acquisition of specialist and interdisciplinary competencies Constructive Alignment	In addition to the activation of educational processes, teaching and learning offers enable the acquisition of specialist and interdisciplinary competencies and skills at an appropriate level.
Professionalization	Professional realization of the educational goals and processes formulated in the mission statement Preparation for ambiguity and complexity in research, teaching and practical fields Creation of practical and professional relevance (within and outside science) Develop understanding of complex roles, ability to self-reflect, and metacognitive skills	Learners have the skills to act appropriately and responsibly in ambiguous and complex research and teaching contexts as well as in practice fields and in ambiguous and contradictory situations. The learners reflect on their roles, their self-image and are able to reflect on their own learning metacognitively.
Problem and project orientation	Critical reflection on the responsible participation in shaping democratic social processes	In teaching and learning offers, competencies are developed through the critical handling of challenging problems and projects with an individual, scientific or social relevance.
Internationalization and internationality	Ensuring international mobility Ability to exchange and collaborate in local-global spaces Multilingualism and interculturality	Teaching and learning offers take into account the multilingual exchange of different cultures abroad and at home, the acquisition of intercultural competencies, the confrontation with international challenges and global scientific findings.
Digital Transformation	Use of adequate digital formats in teaching and study Acquisition of digitization-related skills and digital education	Teaching and learning opportunities rely on adequate digital means, promote digital education and build up digitization-related competencies. They demonstrate the complexity of digital transformation and its effects in both professional and interdisciplinary terms. Learners reflect critically on these and, for example, epistemic effects.
Specificity and attractiveness	Need orientation and demand Comparison with other teaching-learning opportunities; benchmarking and differentiators Positioning within the portfolio of the UoC	Teaching and learning offers are highly attractive for prospective students in the urban area of Cologne, nationally and internationally, also in comparison to other locations, and are integrated into the university's portfolio and strategy.

Inspiring teaching and learning culture

Subcriteria	Operationalization of technical-related content	Definition
Space for innovation and creativity	Freedom for self-designed studies Knowledge transfer through polyvalence Inspiring and creative learning worlds	There are diverse and flexible teaching and learning opportunities. These are also characterized by places that promote learning, innovation and creativity. In them, different interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives are taken and worked on by complementary and diverse groups of learners.
Fit and diversity of the assessment	Varied, up-to-date and competency-oriented assessment formats Development and use of self-assessment formats (e.g. OSA) Constructive Alignment	Constructive Alignment is established in teaching and learning courses and the acquisition of competencies is accompanied by a variety of formative and summative assessment formats.
Appropriate organization of the assessment	Adequate, load-appropriate assessment density and organization Adequate assessment burden, plausible and appropriate work effort Transparency, user-oriented implementation, learning-promoting feedback Continuous assessment and reduction of singular summative assessment	The organization of assessments is transparent, well structured and user-oriented. The assessments are transparent, the burden is spread over the course of the semester and is appropriate. Learners receive learning-enhancing feedback on their performance.
The adequacy of the workload	The credit points to be earned correspond to the actual workload Appropriate didactic design of the teaching-learning offer, for example the ratio of synchronous and asynchronous phases, with regard to the workload	The actual workload is appropriate to the learning and competency objectives of the lecture and the credit points to be earned. The didactic design of the teaching-learning offer, for example the ratio of synchronous and asynchronous phases, corresponds to the learning and competency objectives and the desired scope.
Feedback culture on examination and study achievements	Low-threshold, constructive and learning-enhancing feedback Regulated inspection, transmission of expert opinions Established and transparent procedures in the event of complaints or conflicts	Lecturers offer low-threshold, constructive and learning-enhancing feedback on study and examination achievements, orally or in writing. There are regulated and transparent procedures for inspection and the transmission of expert opinions. In addition, there are transparent contact persons and processes in the event of complaints or conflicts.

Quality of the course design

Subcriteria	Operationalization of technical-related content	Definition
Consistency of the course design and adequate structure of the curriculum	Coherent structure High content relevance of teaching and learning offers to the module The curricula pursue a systematic development of competencies The mission statement is reflected in the curriculum	The degree programme has an appropriate structure and a relevant relationship between modules and qualification goals with coordinated teaching and learning opportunities within modules.
Predictability and freedom of overlap	Currency and feasibility of course plans Freedom from duplication of teaching-learning opportunities, sufficient teaching-learning opportunities, adequate numbers of participants Flexible teaching and learning opportunities	The study organization enables reliable planning and participation in courses with appropriate numbers of participants.
Feasibility of completing the programme in the standard period of study	Identification and removal of study barriers High degree of flexibility within the study programme	Potential study hurdles and barriers are evaluated and reduced. The flexibility of the study programme is increased and guaranteed.

Equipment: Human resources and infrastructure

Subcriteria	Operationalization of technical-related content	Definition
The quantity and qualification of the personnel	High technical and didactic quality of teaching-learning offers Proven technical and university didactic skills of the lecturers Appropriate care conditions Availability of experts for the initialization, development and implementation of teaching-learning offers	The teaching needs and teaching resources are continuously reviewed and brought into line. The lecturers have pronounced proven technical and university didactic skills. The technical and didactic quality of teaching-learning offers is high and is continuously evaluated. There are experts available for the initialization, development and implementation of teaching-learning offers, which support lecturers.
The quantity and quality of the infrastructure	Sufficient number of inspiring and learning-enhancing teaching and learning rooms Availability of network and media technology that enables innovative didactic scenarios Low-threshold and open access to teaching materials and consumables for the design and use of innovative and creative teaching and learning offers Infrastructure to support diverse educational biographies	Sufficient number of inspiring and learning-enhancing teaching and learning rooms. Present network and media technology that enables innovative didactic scenarios Teachers and learners have low-threshold and open access to teaching-learning materials and consumables to design innovative and creativity-enhancing teaching-learning offers and use them profitably.
Professionalization of lecturers	Ongoing continuous professional development and training of lecturers Collegial exchange and support structures Incentives and opportunities for continuous professional development and training Proactive recommendation of offers for lecturers Proof of ongoing continuous professional development and training as a criterion for personnel processes	The ongoing continuous professional development and training of lecturers as learners is incentivized and made possible. The collegial exchange as well as the establishment of support structures is supported. Lecturers receive proactive recommendations for continuing education and training and teaching-learning skills are taken into account in personnel processes.
Advice and support at all levels through counselling centres and lecturers	Low-threshold central and decentralized advice and support services Appropriate care conditions Accessibility of advisors and supporting stakeholders and units Transparent and trustworthy consulting and support processes	Advising and supporting actors and units offer learners low-threshold technical and interdisciplinary offers during the student life cycle. These include, for example, the entry into study, study organization, mobility abroad and final theses, as well as study and examination achievements.

Derivation of quality objectives and criteria

Legally specified quality criteria (according to StudakVO NRW)

The quality criteria for teaching and studying at the UoC were developed on the basis of the mission statement and the study accreditation regulation. The legally specified quality criteria can be found below:

Formal quality criteria

Study structure and duration
Course profiles
Admission requirements and transitions between courses
Degrees and graduation title
Modularization
Performance point system
Special criteria for cooperation with non-university institutions (optional)
Special rules for joint degree programmes (optional)

Technical and content quality criteria

Qualification objectives and completion level
A coherent course of study concept and adequate implementation
Subject-related design of the degree programmes
Study success
Gender equality and equal opportunity measures
Special rules for joint degree programmes (optional)
Cooperation with non-academic institutions (optional)
Higher education cooperation (optional)