Quality Assurance Mechanism (QAM)

NICON’s Quality Assurance Mechanism (QAM) is an independent body that audits the key activities of teaching, training, learning, research and management in all NICON campuses (NICON own campuses and approved study centers of NICON Group of Colleges). QAM checks how campuses maintain their own academic standards and quality and as a whole group. QAM reports on how they meet their responsibilities identify good practice and make recommendation for improvement. NICON’s QAM publish guidelines to help institutions develop effective systems to ensure students have the best learning experience. One of the key functions of the NICON QAM is to work with academic and administrative staff involved across the NICON Group of Colleges to:

  • Maintain the academic standards of the Programmes granted to Internal and External students, including ‘The Edexcel-UK Award, Certificate and Diploma’.
  • Assure and enhance the quality of the educational and learning experience of Internal (studying at NICON campuses through traditional classroom teaching) and External (studying through open / virtual / distance learning with / without the assistance of approved study centers) students.

NICON’s Education system particularly IT, Technical and Vocational training provides pathways for new entrants to the labor market. In addition to this, students seeking higher education, self-employment or career change are also facilitated by a wide range of most modern syllabus and courses offered at NICON. NICON equips individuals with the right skills required in a modern economy and delivers training that is practical and career-oriented. NICON’s education and training system powered by robust quality assurance mechanism (QAM) is highly advanced, following two decades of continuous reform. Any Programmes under the NICON QAM can provide the foundation for progressing into higher level studies including Diploma and university Bachelor degree courses. NICON offers a wide range of education and training options including courses in the popular fields of information technology, technical & vocational, web based solutions including ecommerce, business studies, design, marketing, hospitality and tourism. In addition to this, NICON’s languages and linguistic depart is also a backbone to NICON product range. NICON is the leading and No. 1 chain of institutions in the twin cities to offer widest range of IT, Technical & Vocational courses coupled with language training Particularly English language not only to individuals but also corporate training to many multinational, local, NGOs, Banks, Financial Institutions, govt. and semi govt. Organizations. NICON’s Programmes are designed to provide students with the competencies that employers have identified as critical to their needs. Students graduate from NICON when they achieve the set competency standards. The NICON’s QAM underpins the NICON’s Education and training system to enable consistent, high quality training and assessment to be delivered and recognized across Pakistan and abroad as well. NICON QAM is committed to a critical examination of quality and related issues in education and training particularly focused towards distance learning programs. NICON devotes itself to the dissemination of best practice for consistent improvement in education and training through effective and efficient management of change. NICON frequently invites insights into the perceptions and opinions of quality in education of a number of stakeholders to gain a balanced view. NICON QAM seeks to contribute to developing effective strategies to deal with the complex and uncertain environment in which education now operates. The aim is to compare and evaluate perceptions of quality of education by a number of stakeholders. NICON’s Quality assurance mechanism is effective and efficient because it analyses from both ways i.e. internal and external quality assurance of education and training; and finally tries to match NICON’s internal resources with the demands of external environment before its competitors. NICON’s QAM equally applies to all modes of delivering instruction: Traditional Classroom Teaching, Open Learning, Virtual / Distance Learning OR a combination of the above. NICON’s QAM performs this task through a variety of mechanisms:

  • Ensuring control and consistency in standardization of quality education and training.
  • Frequent Faculty development and training programs.
  • Intercampus Exchange of Students and Teachers programs.
  • Feedback through Open and Closed ended questionnaires and group discussions.
  • Revision / up gradation of Courses through constant Research and Development Program.
  • Evaluation of internal quality assurance in all campuses
  • Evaluation of specific types of educational provision system Evaluating students’ skills and competencies through combination of written examinations, Online Test Trough LITS individual / group assignments, presentations, viva and projects.
  • The centralized students’ evaluation system is developed and constantly monitored by a group of subject / industry specialist team comprising of highly qualified, experienced and professional faculty members.

Each campus is responsible for the quality of its own educational and training provision under the guidelines of the head office. The campuses are required to demonstrate their own quality assurance standards closely matching the same academic standards and criteria set by the main campus.