There was a marked improvement in Unicamp's performance in the National Student Performance Exam (Enade 2017), according to the Higher Education Quality Indicators - from which the Enade Concept and the Difference Between Expected and Observed Performance Indicator (IDD) derive. ). The results were presented by the Ministry of Education and the National Institute of Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (Inep) on October 9; Now in November, Inep will release two other indicators: the Preliminary Course Concept (CPC) and the Institution's General Index of Evaluated Courses (IGC), also derived from Enade results and other inputs.
Professor Eliana Amaral, pro-rector of Undergraduate Studies at Unicamp, analyzes the results and attributes the improvement in the University's performance to clarification actions with all courses that took Enade 2017, in visits attended by coordinators and students registered, seeking to ensure conscious participation and minimizing boycott – “which manifests itself by attending, but not responding adequately to questions”. In the midst of a long work trip, Eliana Amaral gave the following interview via email.
Unicamp Portal – There was a marked improvement in Unicamp's performance in courses such as architecture and urbanism, computer science, biological sciences and even social sciences. What do you attribute this improvement to?
Eliana Amaral – Awareness of the importance of Enade in the assessment of higher education allows the test to be carried out in a committed manner. PRG reinforced clarification actions with all courses that took Enade 2017, seeking to ensure conscious participation, which represented the knowledge acquired in Unicamp's undergraduate courses, minimizing the boycott that manifests itself by attending, but not responding adequately to questions. Visits were made to all units by the PRG advisor, professor Mara Patrícia Mikahil, with the presence of coordinators and students registered according to criteria sent by Enade (2017 graduates). In these meetings, the focus was to clarify to everyone about the Higher Education Assessment System (Sinaes) and its components, including Enade, and about the importance of conscious and qualified participation.
It was clarified that participation is a mandatory curricular component with registration in the diploma, required for all higher education students selected in the corresponding year, in three-year cycles. We also inform that its results are used in the process of recognition and renewal of recognition of undergraduate courses by the State Education Council (CEE) and also as selection criteria in Federal Government notices. The relevance of filling out some complementary electronic instruments that make up the complete Sinaes assessment was also explained, which are the student's socioeconomic registration and questionnaire.
In the 2017 edition, we had 39 out of 52 courses with Enade 4 and 5 and only one course with a concept below 3. In addition to this specific situation, we know that there may have been some “boycott”. Many courses had a marked improvement in their concept, which we understand to be a reflection of greater understanding and adherence to the exam, generating a result that better reflects the true performance of our student, and consequently, of the course and the institution. Even if the quality of Unicamp's courses is recognized, having these results allows us to offer society a more faithful portrait of our quality training process. We understand that the improvement in these concepts reflects the committed participation of our students, with support from the coordinators.
Unicamp Portal – But there was also a worsening, such as in systems analysis and development, technological chemistry and physical education. What would be the reasons?
Eliana Amaral – We have to remember that grade 3 means an adequate course, on average compared to the others. These three cases, which were exceptions among the 52 Unicamp courses whose students took the 2017 test, need to be analyzed, together with the unit's management, coordination and Structuring Teaching Center. We cannot know whether it was a consequence of an increase in the percentage of students who chose to “boycott the test”. There is no reason to believe that other reasons would explain this small variation. The results of the 2017 version of Enade will be discussed with interested parties as soon as the distribution of answers per question for the group of students on each of our courses is released by Inep.
For the Physical Education Degree course, we have a particular situation. The majority of students take two qualifications, which are a bachelor's degree and a degree, and took Enade 2016 when they completed their Bachelor's degree in 2016. But some of these students who took the test were asked to take Enade 2017, the year in which they completed their degree. 2nd qualification (degree). They may have appeared, which is the requirement, but not answered the test questions. Of the 37 enrolled in the evening course, 23 took the test in 2016; in the full course, 50 completed it, of which 24 completed it in 2016 and 2017.
Unicamp Portal – Has there been an increase in student attendance? Do you think they are more aware of the importance of Enade? Why do you consider this participation important?
Eliana Amaral – I believe it is the result of the awareness work that has been done over the years, with important involvement and dedication from the coordinators. The Preliminary Course Concept (CPC), a quality indicator that evaluates undergraduate courses. Its calculation and dissemination take place in the year following the Enade, based on the evaluation of student performance, the value added by the training process and inputs relating to the conditions of supply – teaching staff, infrastructure and didactic-pedagogical resources –, as per technical guidance approved by National Higher Education Assessment Commission (Conaes). Having a sufficient evaluation in the CPC and Enade facilitates the Course Recognition process with the CEE. This fact contributes to the Unicamp community’s commitment to these results.
Unicamp Portal – Is the boycott, as in pedagogy, still an issue to be overcome? What is the argument for the boycott?
Eliana Amaral – As for other courses, a meeting was held at the Faculty of Education with the presence of a large number of students, who questioned the exam and presented their arguments. The aspects highlighted in the discussion refer to criticisms of the higher education evaluation process and its poor permeability to the characteristics of different institutions, as well as dissatisfaction with official policies that affect teacher training, for example. Afterwards, they met to discuss, deliberate and vote on their participation in Enade 2017.
Unicamp Portal – What actions has PRG been putting into practice in relation to Enade?
Eliana Amaral – In addition to the awareness process in the units, we have disseminated the results and explained the components that make up Sinaes in visits by the Pro-Rector to the congregations of teaching and research units and meetings of academic bodies, such as the Central Undergraduate Chamber (CCG), Chamber of Teaching, Research and Extension (CEPE) and University Council (Consu). We have also followed the visits to renew the recognition of courses carried out by teams of evaluators appointed by the CEE and highlighted the performance of our students and our participation in Sinaes. During these visits, the results of the previous Enade are always discussed and how to guide the academic community on the importance of having a performance evaluation that does justice to the course and the institution. We also remember that good performance simplifies the recognition renewal process. In addition to these actions, there are annual visits to the courses selected in the year to carry out Enade, with the presence of coordinators and students. This year, there will be courses in Economic Sciences, Administration, Public Administration and the old FCA Management courses that have some graduating in 2018.
