Awareness Session on “Peer Observation”

An awareness session on “Peer Observation” was organized by IQAC, IBMBB and successfully held on 10^th May 2023. Professor Gominda Ponnamperuma, Director, Centre for Quality Assurance, University of Colombo was the resource person of the awareness session. The main objective of this session was to make the relevant staff aware of the process of peer observation with its importance and necessity, how it can improve the quality of teaching and learning in higher education and how to proportionate the contribution of peer observation when multiple criteria are used for teaching excellence awards. A total of eighteen were participated representing both Academic and Academic supportive staff of the IBMBB. Feedback received from the participants evidenced that the session improved their understanding on peer observation immensely.

Human Resources

• Dr Narmada Fernando served as the IQAC Coordinator of IBMBB.
• Dr Dilani Rukshala continued her service as the Scientific Assistant, IQAC of IBMBB.

Preparations for Institutional Review

• Coordinators were reappointed and staff responsible for every standard under each criteria were identified in view of upcoming Institutional Review (IR).
• Three meetings were organized for coordinators and other relevant staff to discuss the work plan for preparations for IR.
• Seven meetings were held to review the evidence identified by the coordinators. Process of evidence collection was facilitated by assigning management assistants to each criteria with the concurrence of SAR.
• A mechanism was developed and relevant resources were made available on collection of e-versions of evidence in MS TEAMS platform.
• An awareness programme was conducted in September for academic support staff and non-academic staff on Institutional Review and related QA frameworks.
• Preliminaries were taken for the establishment of Institutional Staff Development Unit of IBMBB.

Preparations for Programme Review – SLQF level 11 and 12

• Coordinators were appointed for each criteria in view of upcoming Postgraduate Programme Review.
• Initiatives were taken for the establishment of Programme Development Committee for SLQF level 11 & 12 and contributed for QA aspect.

Compliance with relevant policies, regulatory QA frameworks adopted

• An awareness session was conducted in March 2022 to make the programme coordinators aware on how to demonstrate the SLQF compliance in level descriptors of SLQF level 9 and 10 Masters degree programmes.
• Self-evaluation of SLQF compliance in level descriptors of all six Masters degree programmes at SLQF level 9 and 10 was completed.
• Self-evaluation of SLQF compliance in qualification descriptors of above degree programmes are in progress.

Student feedback and reflection

• Reports of the student feedback on
  • Teacher performance for year 2021
  • Postgraduate Programmes for year 2021 were generated and submitted for relevant authorities.
• Student feedback was collected for
  • Learning environment
  • Teacher performance
  • Postgraduate programme for the year 2022. Reports are being generated.

• Dr Narmada Fernando continued to be the IBMBB Coordinator for QA activities.
• Ms Dilani Rukshala was continued to be the Scientific Assistant, QA Cell for the year 2021.
• Applications for all thee restructured degree programmes were submitted for UGC approval in November 2021.
• The Domain Coordinators were reappointed in May 2021. Two status assessments were carried out in May and September to assess the actions taken in response to the recommendations given at the Institutional Review held in 2016.
• Actions were taken to improve the student engagement in quality assurance. Student feedback were obtained on all three degree programmes and on the learning environment. Students were given the opportunity to self-assess the plagiarism using Turnitin software and encouraged to improve the quality of their written submissions.
• Profiles of academic and academic supportive staff were updated.
• Teaching/learning and Research conducted in all three degree programmes during the year 2020 were mapped with the sustainable development goals. Based on the maps developed, a total of 5 submissions were made to University of Colombo to be developed as material for global impact ranking assessments.
• Self-evaluation on extent of compliance in Qualification-Descriptors of SLQF level 8, 9 and 10 with of SLQF guidelines covering all postgraduate diploma and Masters degree programmes offered by IBMBB was initiated.

• Ms. Janitha Iddagoda was appointed as Scientific Assistant, QAC in February 2020.
• After the completion of Ms Iddagoda’s assignment, Ms Dilani Rukshala was appointed as Scientific Assistant, IQAC in November 2020.
• Dr Narmada Fernando continued to be the IBMBB Coordinator for QA activities.
• Digitizing of the information gathered for the Institutional Review 2015 was completed by June 2020.
• The agreement between BOC and IBMBB was signed in June 2020. New system was being developed to complete the new payment gateway.
• The Domain Coordinators were reappointed and plans are being made to properly record the documents and procedures. Adding the new information & processes were initiated.
• Obtaining Student feedbacks are being implemented.
• Additional webpages including a secondary site for IQAC were being developed.
• A Guest Lecture/ Seminar on “Intellectual Property Rights and Prior Art Search” was conducted by Dr. Sampath Punchihewa and Mr. Thilina Weerakoon, University Business Linkage on 29^th of July 2020 to focus on submission of a patent application. Dr Punchihewa delivered the Guest Lecture and Mr Weerakoon conducted a hands on session prior art search for staff and students of IBMBB.

• Jayani Kariyawasam continued as Scientific Assistant, IQAC from January to July 2019.
• All the academic staff and some of the academic support staff of the IBMBB received the accounts for URKUND plagiarism checking system. As the URKUND accounts are only made available for the academic staff, it was decided to make a request to obtain this facility for IBMBB library (library@ibmbb.cmb.ac.lk).
• Digitization the information gathered for Institutional Review was continued.
• Peer Review Feedback From, Student Feedback Forms on Facilities and Lecturers were finalized and BOM approved them for implementation.
• New process was initiated to improve the payment gateway. The necessary approvals were obtained to open a new account with Bank of Ceylon. New software was being developed by the newly appointed Scientific Assistant-IT. In addition, online application process with a new system was also established.
• IBMBB web pages (Initial Phase 1) were completed.

• Jayani Kariyawasam was appointed as the Scientific Assistant, IQAC from April 2018.
• Ten Domains and Domain Coordinators were finalized.
• Digitization the information gathered for Institutional Review was initiated.
• All the Masters Degree Programmes were aligned with the SLQF and final amendments were made according to the guidelines obtained from Prof. RD Gunaratne.
• The 2^nd Workshop on Mindfulness was organized and successfully completed on 4^th October 2018. This was conducted by Dr. Sanath Mahawithanage from “Sati Pasala” foundation (a Senior Lecturer at Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura). The resource person suggested having a “Mindfulness club” to continue these activities for the benefits of the students.
  

  Workshop on Mindfulness

• A Scientific Assistant for the IQAC was appointed [Ms. Shashika Dayarathna (2017.04.17- 2018.02.24)] and the list of tasks for the IQAC was identified.
• Office space, computer and furniture for IQAC were allocated.
• Student Handbooks for Master of Science in Molecular Life Sciences and Master of Science in Cellular and Molecular Immunology were completed.
• Initiated to create profiles of Academic Staff on University Web site.
• Blended Learning for Quality Higher Education: Selected Case Studies on Implementation from Asia-Pacific –UNESCO, was implemented.
• News items were provided from the IBMBB to the UoC Newsletter.
• Workshops/ Guest Lectures were conducted:
  • Workshop on Present Moment Awareness for staff was conducted in July 2017. Prof. Piyanjali Soyza, Professor in Clinical Psychology Dept. of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo was the resource person of the workshop.
  •  Introductory workshop on Quality Assurance was conducted in August 2017. Prof. Wipula Yapa, Director, Internal Quality Assurance Unit, University of Colombo was the resource person of the workshop.
  • Workshop on Present Moment Awareness for students was conducted in September 2017. Prof. Piyanjali Soyza, Professor in Clinical Psychology Dept. of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo was the resource person of the workshop.
  • Guest Lecture on Laboratory Accreditation was conducted in September 2017 for staff and students. Mr. LHD Bandusoma, Deputy Director, Sri Lanka Accreditation Board was the Guest Lecturer.
  • Workshop on Live mindfully (Introductory meditation programme) was conducted in October 2017 for staff and students. Mr. Deepal Sooriyarachchi from Sati Pasala Foundation, Koswatte, Nawala was the resource person of the workshop.
  • Guest Lecture on Intellectual Property Rights was conducted in November 2017 for staff and students. Mrs GR Ranawaka, Director General, National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka was the Guest Lecturer
  • Introductory session on Guidelines on Programme Review (PR) and Institutional Review (IR) Laboratory Accreditation was conducted in December 2017 for QAC members and Domain Coordinators. Prof. Wipula Yapa, Director, Internal Quality Assurance Unit, University of Colombo was the resource person of the session.