the student takes these materials and through self or supported study consolidates his or her learning. The assessment process assigns work to students that they must complete and submit for grading; work may take place in a formal terminal examination setting or continuously during the course in the form of reports, essays, or other formats. The grading process then determines the extent to which the student has engaged with and assimilated the materials; typically the output of the grading process is a grade for each piece of work. These are the bread-and-butter processes of teaching and learning: the processes on which academics spend most of their teaching and learning time. It is clear that they are closely interlinked in a value chain (Sasse et al., 2008) with in many cases the output of one process becoming the input of another. However, although interlinked, the processes tend to be carried out in a very separate fashion within universities. The processes are summarized in table 1 and examined in detail in the following sections. -------------- insert table 1 around here -------------- 3.1 Program development The program development process transforms a societal requirement for the transmission of specific knowledge into a defined program of study to be made available to students. It normally comprises a number of specific courses or themes each of which has its own content, topics, teaching methodology and assessment approach. Program development is a long and complex process and continues throughout the life of a program (Buckley & Monks, 2008). The output is comprised of specifications for the entire program and detailed descriptors for each course within the program; second order outputs are course brochures, websites, advertisements, posters etc. The outputs are directed in the first instance at various committees and panels, for example accreditation and validation panels at school and university level that must assess and approve the new program. Outputs of a newly accredited program are directed at potential students who may wish to undertake the program and at
the student takes these materials and through self or supported study consolidates his or her learning. The assessment process assigns work to students that they must complete and submit for grading; work may take place in a formal terminal examination setting or continuously during the course in the form of reports, essays, or other formats. The grading process then determines the extent to which the student has engaged with and assimilated the materials; typically the output of the grading process is a grade for each piece of work. These are the bread-and-butter processes of teaching and learning: the processes on which academics spend most of their teaching and learning time. It is clear that they are closely interlinked in a value chain (Sasse et al., 2008) with in many cases the output of one process becoming the input of another. However, although interlinked, the processes tend to be carried out in a very separate fashion within universities. The processes are summarized in table 1 and examined in detail in the following sections. -------------- insert table 1 around here -------------- 3.1 Program development The program development process transforms a societal requirement for the transmission of specific knowledge into a defined program of study to be made available to students. It normally comprises a number of specific courses or themes each of which has its own content, topics, teaching methodology and assessment approach. Program development is a long and complex process and continues throughout the life of a program (Buckley & Monks, 2008). The output is comprised of specifications for the entire program and detailed descriptors for each course within the program; second order outputs are course brochures, websites, advertisements, posters etc. The outputs are directed in the first instance at various committees and panels, for example accreditation and validation panels at school and university level that must assess and approve the new program. Outputs of a newly accredited program are directed at potential students who may wish to undertake the program and at