The University of Trento promotes the constant enhancement of the quality of its Departments and Centres, study programmes, research, and third mission, using the tools indicated by the AVA framework (internal QA, external QA and accreditation of the Italian university system) and as part of the Quality assurance policy of the University.
Quality Assurance System of Teaching and Learning
The Department of Psychology And Cognitive Science implements its own quality assurance policy in line with the Quality Assurance Framework of the University and ANVUR’s guidelines.
Departmental Organisation of Quality Assurance
The actors in the Quality Assurance Framework in the Department are listed in the Organisation of Quality Assurance section
Sources and instruments
The bodies responsible for the quality assurance of teaching and learning periodically monitor the learning objectives achieved in the degree programmes and the general quality of courses based on:
- data provided by the Monitoring, Statistics and Policy Development Unit on student progress
- statistical data on career perspectives and employability from various sources (the Almalaurea database, studies, studies conducted by the Department or by the University's research groups
- student feedback and requests submitted through the Joint Student-Teacher Committee
- feedback from the graduates of the programme of study
- surveys of student opinions on the quality of teaching and learning at UniTrento. Below, you can find a short video that expains how importa it is to fill in the surveys and how to do it on the esse3 page.
The Department has also activated a Working Group for the Innovation of Teaching, that acts in a transversal way on all the Programmes.
Student Feedback on Teaching and Learning
The students of the Department can help identify and address any quality issues concerning academic or support services provided by the Department, and report any inappropriate behaviour, through:
- the student representatives in the Department Council and in other bodies Organization of the Department
- directors of their degree programme
- or by email to segnalazioni.studenti.dipsco [at] unitn.it (segnalazioni.studenti.dipsco@)segnalazioni.studenti.dipsco [at] unitn.it (unitn.it), by completing this form. All reports will be forwarded to the relevant person and treated in a confidential manner. The students who have given their feedback will be contacted by Sandra Iob, who is responsible for addressing these issues.
Other university bodies that students can contact are:
- The Student Ombudsperson, who is available to all students and can help with relations with teaching and technical-administrative staff
- The Committee for Equal Opportunities, Well-Being at Work and Against Discrimination, which works to promote and protect equal opportunities and well-being in the working environment among the University’s staff
- The Confidential Counsellor, who is in charge of preventing, managing and helping to resolve any cases of bullying and sexual harassment occurring in the workplace or study environment brought to his/her attention.
For information and suggestions concerning student and support services you can contact:
- Academic and Student Support Services, for admissions and enrolment, tuition fees, study plans, registration for exams, degree award, interruption of studies, withdrawal, transfer to other universities or other programmes
- International relations division for Erasmus+ and double degree programmes, bilateral agreements, internships and thesis research abroad
- Tutoring service for tutoring and student support in the different disciplinary areas, and access to services
- Job Guidance Office for curricular and postgraduate internships:
- University Language Centre – CLA, for language courses and tests
- Test Center for ECDL, GMAT, TOEFL certificate
- Opera universitaria for scholarships, university restaurants, accommodation
- Inclusion Service for support services for students with disabilities and special needs
- University Library for library services, loans, e-books and digital resources, dissertation writing.
Research and Third Mission Quality Assurance
The Department implements its quality assurance policy in line with the quality assurance framework of the University for research and teaching and learning, in compliance with regulations in force and ANVUR’s suggestions.
The achievement of research results will be measured based on a number of parameters, among which are:
The Department uses different instruments to monitor and promote the quality of research outputs produced by its researchers and research groups:
- defines the objectives of research in the Strategic Plan of the Department, discussed and approved by the Council of the Department
- evaluates the results obtained in the different research areas based on the following indicators:
- the number and relevance of research projects that have been presented and funded;
- the publication of articles in high-impact international journals included in major databases (ISI, Scopus) and in indexed or class-A national magazines;
- the number and relevance of seminars and congresses organized;
- the participation in national and international conferences and other research dissemination events;
- the participation in local, national and international calls;
- international faculty exchange programmes for visiting professors.
Moreover, the department is committed to consolidate its relationships at local level, among other things through applied research projects on teachers’ training and bilingualism, school programmes for students with learning difficulties or ASD, actions in healthcare in collaboration with the Provincial Healthcare Services (APSS) and actions aimed at improving the working environment in private companies.
As regards third mission, the department is very active on different levels:
- continuing education
- orientation
- participation in innovative projects
- technology transfer and science dissemination
- organization of international, national, local events
In general, the actions implemented by the department include a) the publication of materials to disseminate knowledge and information, b) the participation in tv and radio shows, conferences and public meetings, c) the organization, including in collaboration with other organizations and associations, of non-academic events open to the public, d) the organization of orientation seminars in schools and of training programmes for professionals and citizens.
The actors participating in the Research and Third Mission Quality Assurance framework are required to fill in or updatethe “SUA-RD”, i.e. the Annual Summary Report of research at the department
Organisation for Quality Assurance
Actors in the Quality Assurance Framework
The Director
The Director coordinates the Department's teaching and scientific policies and works to implement them, represents the Department, presides over the Council and the Board and attends to the execution of their resolutions.
The Delegate for Quality
The Delegate for Quality promotes the constant improvement in the Quality of Teaching, Research and Third Mission at the Department, as well as ensuring a constant comparison between the University and the Department regarding quality assurance initiatives.
The delegate for quality at the Department is Elena Maria Rusconi
The Department Council
The Department Council is the collective body of the Department and is responsible for quality assurance:
- ensures the quality of study programmes
- examines, if necessary completes/modifies, and approves the reports submitted by quality assurance groups
Actors in the Quality Assurance Framework
Joint Student-Teacher Committee (JSTC)
The Joint Student-Teacher Committee is formed at the level of University Structure with the greatest possible representation of students from the programmes offered by the department. It is responsible for monitoring the educational offer and the quality of teaching, identifying indicators for the evaluation of results and formulating opinions on the activation and abolition of study programmes. The Comittee
- monitors the quality of study programmes and of teaching and learning
- identifies indicators for the evaluation of programme performance
- expresses its opinion on the activation of new and/or discontinuation of existing study programmes
- reports the opinions and views of students to their representatives for each study programme.
Programme Coordinators
Programme Coordinators:
- are responsible for planning and revising the programmes of study
- are responsible for drafting the Annual Programme Report (SUA-CdS), the Annual Programme Reviews and the Periodic Programme Review
- carry out effective monitoring regarding programme performance, ensuring that actions proposed during previous reviews are implemented; that learning objectives are periodically reviewed and that programme-learning objectives are monitored.
- act in a timely manner to address any issues.
The Programme Coordinators can be found on the contact page of each study programme.
Programme review panels
The groups hold the primary role in the self-assessment process for the study programmes as they are the people directly involved in the implementation of the review process. They compile the annual programme monitoring chart and the periodic review report, ensuring that the programmes are monitored and intervening if criticism is received with appropriate measures for improvement.
- Review Panel of Interfaces and Communication Technologies: Nicola De Pisapia, Radoslaw Niewiadomski, Irene Baggetto
- Review Panel of Science and Methods of Cognitive Psychology:Alessandro Grecucci, Luisa Canal, Beatrice Albertini
- Review Panel of Human-Computer Interaction: Massimo Zancanaro, Luigi Lombardi, Giulia Paludo
- Review Panel of Psychology: Lorenzo Avanzi, Simona De Falco, Luca Surian, Carolina Biasiotti
Student representatives
The main role of student representatives is to report on any problematic issues and suggestions from students relating to improving the teaching and learning experience.
They also ensure full transparency and disclosure of information.
They participate in all review panels and in the Joint Student-Teacher Committee.
Actors in Research and Third mission Quality Assurance:
- The Delegate for Research is Sara Dellantonio.
- The Delegate for the Third Mission is Nicola de Pisapia.