Course Plan Proficiency Rating and Formative Feedback for Continual Improvement

The Course Plan Proficiency Rating and Formative Feedback for Continual Improvement is a structured quality assurance and capacity-building mechanism used at the University of Santo Tomas to ensure that course plans adhere to the principles of constructive alignment. The framework uses 25 anchor products to guide evaluation, ensuring that course plans integrate pedagogical concepts emphasized in Institutional Faculty Training Programs and comply with expectations outlined in each department’s Curriculum Map.

Pedagogical Leads within each academic unit provide formative feedback on course plans using this shared framework. The approach reinforces institutional teaching standards while supporting continuous improvement through structured review, feedback, and mentoring.

At the start of each academic term, the Pedagogical Lead of each academic unit receives the course plans of all academic staff within the unit. Each course plan is evaluated using the Course Plan Proficiency Rating document, with specific attention to constructive alignment and the integration of pedagogical priorities such as rehumanizing education, sustainability, and the responsible integration of artificial intelligence. These concepts are reinforced through ongoing Institutional Faculty Training Programs.

After receiving feedback, academic staff revise their course plans accordingly. Ongoing consultation and mentoring sessions are available to support staff who require further guidance from the Pedagogical Lead. This feedback loop ensures that learning from faculty development programs is translated into actual teaching practice and sustained over time.

Google Sheets were used to automate the computation of one of the Center's Key Performance Indicators in its Operational Plan. The Center takes note of the percentage of course plans prepared by academic staff with Advanced Proficiency Rating. Each Pedagogical Lead directly rates each course plan in the provided collaborative document, with restrictions to avoid unnecessary deletion of staple elements and editing of spreadsheets that are not directly assigned to a Pedagogical Lead. The mean ratings and percentages for each criterion, as well as for the entire academic unit and the entire university, are presented. Qualitative remarks are likewise allotted in the collaborative document. 

This provides an ongoing comparison of data among criteria and academic units that would inform the direction and priorities of succeeding training programs. A high percentage means that collectively, course plans in the University adhere to the principles of constructive alignment, incorporate concepts gained from Institutional Faculty Training Programs, and comply with expectations set by each department’s Curriculum Map.

• Defined Pedagogical Lead role within each academic unit
• 25 anchor products guiding course plan evaluation
• Institutional Faculty Training Programs reinforcing pedagogical priorities
• Structured formative feedback and revision cycle
• Ongoing consultation and mentoring support
• Collaborative Google Sheets with automated KPI tracking and safeguards
• Alignment with departmental Curriculum Maps and institutional teaching standards