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This step involves making use of the available data to generate new insights and inform the development of evidence-based recommendations and decisions for future deliveries of the course.

For all course reviews, reviewers are expected to reflect on the baseline evidence in relation to the Core elements of a course review.ÌýThis allows for monitoring of trends and issues over time, and to identify any opportunities to sustain, enhance or improve the educational quality of the course.

For a Core Plus review, the intended scope and purpose of the review will shape the specific approach taken. For example, more detailed reviews may involve collaboration with colleagues (eg to benchmark the curriculum of similar courses) and involve more than one cycle of information gathering and analysis.

Reviewers are encouraged to document some or all of the process for their own future reference and to share with the course teaching team via the online Course Review Reporting Tool.

Before getting started, you might like to acknowledge that receiving feedback can sometimes be a challenging and emotive process, especially when encountering critical, negative, or even hurtful responses. Make sure you have set aside sufficient time from other tasks to read and digest the full range of evidence in the context of the course and your own experience and reflections. Consider reading feedback comments together with a colleague or friend or ask a trusted person to review first (see Berenson & Jeffs, 2021).

Course context

An important first step is to reflect on the course and its learners in the context of the program, institution and stakeholders. This will involve considering the stated aims and objectives of the course, What are the characteristic elements of the curriculum and delivery (pedagogical approach, learning and teaching environment, sequencing of supports, resources)? What’s changed since the last review (students, staff, content, assessment, mode of delivery, teaching spaces)?

Strengths and opportunities

Collate and summarise key information from each of your data sources to consider course strengths and weaknesses. Look for patterns within a course and across deliveries. Where possible, use multiple data sources from different perspectives.

Bringing it together – the core elements

Informed by your analysis of the evidence, reflect on how, and how well, your course addresses the core elements. What might benefit from future monitoring? What is working well and might need support to be maintained? Can you identify any opportunities to enhance or improve the educational quality and student experience of the course?

See these resources for ideas:

• Core elements of a course review
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The next step is to consider the implications of the review findings to develop recommendations and action plans for future deliveries of the course.

Formulate some initial recommendations based on your analysis and reflection.

Consider your vision for your course along with the University's vision for its students, for student learning, for teaching, and for the discipline. What does the ‘future state’ look like? What do you want to do more or less of? What should be changed, maintained, improved or tested? Are there specific barriers to overcome?

Write down your recommendations and then consider actions to address each recommendation using .

Refine your initial recommendations by reviewing whether there are overlaps or clusters of recommendations. What actions would help you address each recommendation? Prioritise your actions according to their importance and feasibility. What can you do now? Which require longer term planning and resourcing? Which are more urgent than others?

Developing a detailed action plan will likely involve consulting with program and course teaching teams and other stakeholders to agree on roles, responsibilities and available resources.

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As a reviewer, documenting the review process is an opportunity to engage in scholarly reflection that contributes to professional learning and can supplement a personal teaching and learning portfolio.

Sharing some or all the documentation with course stakeholders (such as the teaching team or new Course Coordinators who may be teaching into the course for the first time) can provide important insights into the evolution of courses and contexts to assist future teaching and curriculum redesign.

The onlineÌýCourse Review Reporting ToolÌýenables reviewer notes and other data to be uploaded for viewing later by both the reviewer and other staff with permission to access reviews of the course.ÌýÌý

The online Course Review Reporting ToolÌýadditionally facilitates Faculty and School reporting by providing summary information on reviews and selected access to review documentation.

Course reviews should be formally reported to the relevant Head of School by submittingÌýthe review report on the online platform. See a preview of the Course Review Report 'coming soon'.

Submitting a Course Review Report notifies the Head of School (or delegate) that the report is available for their acknowledgement. Other persons identified when the course review was first setup in the tool (relevant Program Director(s) and/or any nominators of Core Plus review) are also notified.

The Course Review Reporting Tool provides additional functionality at the School and Faculty level for institutional reporting of the number, type and focus areas of reviews.

Feedback to students

The actions taken in response to course review and evaluation processes should be made available to current and future students. For example, information about the key actions identified in a review and the implementation plan for these can be incorporated into course outlines or other general course information.

Share your findings

Review findings should also be made available to those responsible for the next course delivery and subsequent course review. Consider local filing procedures or Records Services guidelines to ensure your work is stored appropriately. Review documentation and reports created via the Course Review Reporting Tool can be downloaded and shared as pdfs.

Implement and evaluate

Before the course is next taught, schedule some time to revisit the review’s recommendations and intended actions. Will incomplete actions be addressed in the next delivery of the course or for a future one? Are there specific barriers preventing an action being completed? Are mechanisms in place to evaluate the impact of any changes made, for consideration in the next course review?