Quality Areas

Our Quality Areas

Framework Quality

One of the cornerstones of AHO’s quality assurance model is the school’s educational model. Ensuring that AHO has staff with a high level of pedagogical expertise, facilities that can be adapted to the educational model, and support functions that can underpin this teaching model is central to what AHO defines as framework quality. AHO defines framework quality according to three main parameters:

• AHO’s studio- and project-based educational model
• Academic environment and academic organisation
• Campus and support functions

AHO’s studio- and project-based educational model

With the exception of the PhD programme and some courses with lecture-based teaching at undergraduate and master’s level, teaching at AHO primarily takes place in the studio – that is, in a drawing studio or seminar room where the student’s own project provides the starting point for learning. Knowledge and skills are acquired primarily through project work (drawing, model-making, exercises, etc.), based on the principle of ‘learning by doing’, through close interaction and dialogue between teachers, students and external partners.

Central to this teaching model are one-to-one conversations between teachers and students and reviews, a format for discussion and evaluation that provides students with frequent and systematic feedback throughout the semester. This is supplemented by group work, workshops and lectures.

Examinations often take the form of a final review assessed by external examiners, where students present their projects in a plenary session. Following the final review, student projects are presented in a joint exhibition, giving both the school and the public an opportunity to assess the quality of the work. Students’ project work is accumulated in an individual portfolio, which provides a visual representation of the student’s knowledge and skills and documents their progression throughout their studies.

The study model provides students with frequent, varied and thorough feedback on their work, actively involves them in their own learning, and prepares them for independent and creative practice after graduation. This form of teaching forms the foundation of AHO’s quality assurance work.

Academic environment and academic organisation

AHO works continuously to ensure that the right and relevant expertise is in place across all our study programmes. Requirements for academic environments must be met. In addition, AHO shall ensure that positions at associate professor and professor level are represented within its academic priorities, providing scope for academic development and research activity that continuously builds on and strengthens our educational programmes. This also applies to the competence required to supervise PhD candidates. Career development, recognition of academic achievements and promotion are important elements in strengthening and ensuring academic expertise.

AHO shall conduct and develop research-based teaching and teaching-based research. To make this possible, it is important to ensure the right composition of the school’s academic environments, both at department and programme level. The organisation of programmes directly within departments contributes to ensuring this.

Campus and Support Functions

AHO’s educational model is based on studio- and project-based teaching, which requires a campus and support functions adapted to and supporting this approach. The campus shall be adapted to the activities carried out as part of the study programmes, with important administrative and academic functions such as the workshops, library and IT services playing a central role. These constitute important pillars of AHO’s project- and studio-based pedagogy and are essential to ensuring good framework quality across all the school’s programmes. In addition, the school’s other administrative sections must contribute through effective administrative support and expertise to supporting students and maintaining the quality of education.

Admissions Quality

Admissions quality plays a central role in the quality of both the student cohort and the overall environment at AHO. Activities related to admissions and the development of the student cohort are therefore a priority. AHO defines admissions quality according to three criteria:

• Recruitment
• Admissions
• Diversity

Recruitment

AHO aims to attract the best-suited students within our disciplines. AHO shall ensure that prospective students can find information about our programmes and provide opportunities for them to learn more about all the school’s programmes. It is important to be present where prospective students are, both digitally and physically, and AHO shall adapt its recruitment plans accordingly. An open day shall be held every year for prospective students, along with more targeted events for students interested in continuing education or PhD programmes.

Admissions

AHO offers professional degree programmes in which applicants, in addition to formal academic qualifications, are assessed on the basis of entrance examinations. The purpose of these examinations is to identify the students who are best suited to studying the school’s disciplines, where skills in design and the ability to think innovatively are central. For AHO, the entrance examinations are the most important tool for ensuring admissions quality, and the school invests significant resources in ensuring the quality of the selection of the best candidates. This is achieved through clear communication of admission requirements, high-quality entrance examinations, and annual admissions reports and evaluations.

The Admissions Committee plays a central role in strategically and practically ensuring admissions quality for the school’s master’s programmes. The committee’s mandate is to develop, administer and assess the entrance examination for admission to AHO, as well as to evaluate the submitted material.

The school’s PhD candidates are recruited through calls for applications, followed by comprehensive recruitment and appointment procedures to ensure that requirements relating to competence, suitability and quality are met.

Diversity

AHO works to ensure that our student body reflects, as far as possible, the society we work with and for. At the same time, we work to strengthen awareness of our disciplines and what they can contribute to society. AHO therefore has clear objectives to ensure that the student body has geographical representation from across Norway, that the school recruits more students from immigrant backgrounds, and that the gender balance among students is as even as possible.

Learning Quality

This quality area concerns the learning environment at all levels of AHO’s educational programmes. To ensure good learning quality, AHO defines and measures learning quality according to four parameters:

• Course evaluations
• Learning environment
• Student democracy
• Internationalisation

Course Evaluations

Course evaluations are carried out using both qualitative and quantitative methods for all courses. AHO has its own procedures for course evaluations, which all course coordinators are expected to follow. Course coordinators shall work together with the study administration to ensure that evaluations are carried out effectively and at the appropriate time, and shall supplement the evaluations with a course report. The aim is to establish a clear feedback loop from student evaluations to the course coordinator’s report, via the programme board and back to the course coordinators and students. The results of any changes made to the course are assessed the next time the course is offered.

Learning Environment

AHO works continuously to further develop the learning environment to ensure student wellbeing and good learning. The learning environment shall be supported through dedicated resources in the study administration, systematic follow-up of meetings with student representatives on each programme, and particularly close follow-up of diploma work and diploma students. In addition, AHO shall build a close collaboration with SiO and connect its services with AHO’s students. AHO shall use the Learning Environment Committee to discuss the learning environment at an overall level, based on the work carried out at course and programme level.

Student Democracy

A good learning environment depends on student participation, student influence and student engagement. AHO shall hold regular meetings with the student organisation, ensure student participation in all committees that deal with educational quality, and ensure appropriate follow-up and training for students. AHO shall also provide financial support for student activities and enable the student organisation to facilitate activities for AHO students.

Internationalisation

AHO shall ensure a high international standard in education, research and artistic development through effective mobility opportunities for students and staff, active recruitment of internationally recognised academics and practitioners, participation in international research projects, international rankings, the development of strong academic networks, and collaboration with highly ranked international educational institutions. AHO shall ensure that students who go abroad or come to AHO feel supported and included as part of the school’s learning environment. Quality assurance covers the entire exchange process – from establishing and managing agreements, through information and admissions, to follow-up and evaluation of completed exchange periods.

Quality of Results

AHO invests significant resources in ensuring that students graduating from our study programmes have received a high-quality education. AHO’s programmes define and measure quality of results according to two main parameters:

• Degree completion and graduation rates
• Relevance to society and professional/working life

Degree Completion and Graduation Rates

AHO aims for the highest possible completion rate for courses and study programmes. The school therefore works continuously to ensure the completion of courses and programmes, enabling graduates to take their knowledge and skills into working life.

Relevance

An important quality indicator is the relevance of the education to society in general and to the various professions for which the programmes prepare students in particular. Close collaboration with working life and other educational institutions is an important factor in ensuring this. At AHO, this takes place through, among other things, the recruitment of teaching staff from professional practice in part-time positions, guest lecturers, practice-based research and artistic development, extensive use of external examiners, formal agreements with other institutions, and research and educational projects addressing current issues.

Relevance and the quality of relevance are measured through a range of evaluation methods and formats: students’ accumulated portfolios, examination and assessment by external examiners, extensive exhibition activity, semester-based awards, and both digital and physical publications of results from teaching.

All master’s students complete their studies with a diploma project (30 ECTS credits), which is assessed through a presentation to external examiners and exhibited to the public on the school’s premises. PhD candidates’ work is subject to continuous follow-up through annual reviews, progress monitoring and meetings, culminating in a public defence and publication of the thesis.

AHO shall collect data through graduate surveys to supplement its ongoing quality assurance work.