scholarly journals Quality assurance systems of higher education - The case of european institutions: origin, evolution and trends

2014 ◽  
pp. 61-76
Author(s):  
Ángela Corengia ◽  
Juan Carlos Del Bello ◽  
María Pita Carranza ◽  
Cecilia Adrogué
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Internal Quality ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Public ◽  
Strong Trend ◽  
Higher Education Quality ◽  
Internal Quality Assurance

The purpose of this research is to analyze the origin, evolution, performance and trends of higher education quality assurance systems in the following European countries: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom and France. It also studies the performance and impact of the organizations that join the European Quality Assurance Agencies together. The main sources of data collection were in situ semi-structured interviews to members of these agencies. It was found that in higher education institutions there is a strong trend towards the development of ‘internal quality assurance systems' in response to the public policies known as 'quality audits'. This overview about what is taking place in Europe may provide innovative instruments that could be considered for higher education quality evaluation and accreditation in Latin-American countries: quality audits, disciplinary agencies, evaluation of the quality assurance agencies, among others.

scholarly journals Conceptualising External and Internal Quality Assurance in Higher Education: A Pragmatist Perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Ansah
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Current Understanding ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Internal Quality ◽  
Practical Relevance ◽  
Higher Education Quality ◽  
Internal Quality Assurance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Education Quality Assurance

The traditional tension between external and internal quality assurance implementation in higher education appears to be declining, based on a rethinking of the relationship between the two concepts. Although there are quality assurance agencies that still consider external and internal quality assurance as separate entities, most quality assurance agencies now regard the two concepts as complementary. In this paper, a case is put that the present rethinking of external and internal quality assurance in most higher education settings is guided by pragmatism, but not explicitly acknowledged in the literature. For a better appreciation of pragmatists’ influence on the current understanding of the relationship between external and internal quality assurance in higher education, this paper provides a further pragmatist conceptualisation of the two concepts to enhance stakeholders’ appreciation of employing a pragmatist approach to quality assurance practices in higher education. The conceptualisation is done through a pragmatist analysis of selected international accounts on higher education quality assurance. The paper concludes that pragmatism helps to understand external and internal quality assurance as nested concepts with reciprocities of accountability and improvement roles, and influences which call for alignment of perspectives through negotiations and settlements in order to focus on their practical relevance for implementation in higher education. La tension traditionnelle entre l’implémentation de systèmes d’assurance qualité interne et externe dans l’enseignement supérieur semble s’affaiblir grâce à la reconsidération de la relation entre ces deux concepts. Bien qu’il existe des agences d’assurance qualité qui continuent à considérer les assurances qualité interne et externe comme deux entités distinctes, la plupart des agences considèrent désormais qu’elles sont complémentaires. Cet article soutient que la nouvelle manière de penser les assurances qualité interne et externe dans l’enseignement supérieur est guidée par un souci de pragmatisme mais est encore peu reconnue dans la littérature. Pour mieux apprécier l’influence des pragmatistes sur la compréhension actuelle de la relation entre les assurances qualité interne et externe, cet article offre une conceptualisation pragmatique approfondie de ces deux concepts dans le but d’augmenter l’appréciation des parties prenantes pour l’utilisation d’une telle approche. La conceptualisation proposée provient d’une analyse pragmatique d’un choix d’expériences internationales en matière d’assurance qualité pour l’enseignement supérieur. En conclusion, cet article affirme que le pragmatisme aide à comprendre les assurances qualité interne et externe comme des concepts imbriqués qui ont des rôles réciproques en ce qui concerne la responsabilisation du système et son amélioration. Ces rôles ainsi que l’influence exercée par ces deux types d’assurance qualité requièrent des négociations et accords, pour s’accorder sur les perspectives et pouvoir ensuite se concentrer pleinement sur la pertinence pratique de leur implémentation dans les systèmes d’enseignement supérieur. 

scholarly journals Internal Quality Assurance for Higher Education Study Programme

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 173
Author(s):  
Agnese Līgotne
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Internal Quality ◽  
Main Attention ◽  
Study Programme ◽  
Higher Education Quality ◽  
Internal Quality Assurance

<p>Quality assurance for study programme is necessary precondition to realize qualitative higher education. Quality assessment is important part of quality assurance cycle. There are used different methodologies, assessment criteria and indicators to assess the higher education quality. It is clear that the assessment results which study programme will be better or worse are detected by the choice of criteria. It is difficult to find objective criteria which could be used universally for all study programme types. The aim of the research is to investigate quality assurance cycle for study programme quality and pay main attention to assessment part. The aim of assessment part is to select criteria quality assessment, what characterizes main aspects for internal quality of study programme. These criteria are important preconditions for quality assurance.</p>

scholarly journals Knowledge Transfer in Higher Education Quality Management: The Case of Germany and Slovakia

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (9) ◽  
pp. 18-34
Author(s):  
Denisa Báráňová-Čiderová ◽  
Peter Mayer
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Slovak Republic ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Internal Quality ◽  
Higher Education Quality ◽  
Internal Quality Assurance

Knowledge Transfer in Higher Education Quality Management: The Case of Germany and Slovakia The last two decades have been characterized by a fundamental change in the approaches, tools and instruments in the quality management at Higher Education Institutions. Comparison of two Higher Education Institutions in the Slovak Republic and Germany highlights similarities and trends in quality assurance. Both case studies show how multifaceted the quality management is, and the needs to be approached if a meaningful progress is to be made. Complexity has to be explicitly recognized and built into the approach chosen. Higher Education Institutions have to develop internal quality assurance processes. Quality culture is key for addressing the challenges.

scholarly journals Higher Education Quality Assurance System Based Artificial Intelligence

2020 ◽  
pp. 274-279
Author(s):  
Elviwani ◽  
Muhammad Zarlis ◽  
Ami Dilham ◽  
Relita Buaton
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Template Matching ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Internal Quality ◽  
Quality Assurance System ◽  
Assurance System ◽  
Higher Education Quality ◽  
Internal Quality Assurance

Of the 4,680 universities in Indonesia, there are still many accredited universities with a C rank of 1283, A rank is still low, namely 96 and 2421 not accredited. Higher education has difficulty and is very burdened with the accreditation process because the entire process is done manually and problems in quantitative forms are very often encountered. In line with the current problems faced by universities in Indonesia, the concept of an artificial intelligence-based internal quality assurance system is proposed. The results of digital data recordings from the internal quality assurance system and the information system center are carried out by a clustering process using the K-Means algorithm and calculating the weight of each criterion using template matching for the process of matching the weighting results to the target. With this system, all academic and non-academic elements in higher education can be improved, evaluated periodically

scholarly journals Towards Sustainable Development through Higher Education Quality Assurance

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 664
Author(s):  
Nataliia Stukalo ◽  
Maryna Lytvyn
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Internal Quality ◽  
Higher Education Quality ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Education Quality Assurance

This study aims to identify the role of higher education quality assurance in achieving sustainable development goals. To support this aim, the following objectives were formulated: to discuss and summarize the best practices of QA agencies in promoting SDGs, to identify how Ukrainian universities consider SDGs in their policies, to develop recommendations for internal, and external quality assurance systems regarding SDG achievement. This qualitative study is based on a case study, observation, and questionnaire methods. Ukrainian higher education quality assurance systems are taken as a case study for this article. Primary data are collected through an online questionnaire and observation of Ukrainian universities’ publicly available information regarding sustainable development activities at their official websites. Additionally, some publicly available documents, reports, and materials on the experience of foreign quality assurance agencies are also reviewed, compared, and contrasted. The results of the research can be used at national levels where higher education standards should include competence in sustainable development goals, at institutional level to improve HEIs’ quality assurance system, and at the study program level to include SDG consideration as one of the requirements during internal quality assurance procedures.

scholarly journals The Triggers for Internationalization and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education of France

2020 ◽  
pp. 3-14
Author(s):  
Mariia Debych
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Organizational Development ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Internal Quality ◽  
Quality Enhancement ◽  
Higher Education Quality ◽  
International Projects ◽  
Internationalization Strategies ◽  
Education Quality Assurance

The article analyzes the internationalization strategies and the quality assurance systems of France and Université de Lorraine. It has been found out that the goals, proposed in the national and institutional internationalization strategies, include strengthening policies to improve the reception of international students, young researchers and staff. It has been noted that Haut Conseil de l'évaluation de la recherche et de l'enseignement supérieur and Université de Lorraine are partners in the project «Implementation of Education Quality Assurance System via Cooperation of University-Business-Government in Higher Education Institutions» (EDUQAS Project), aiming at improving education quality assurance systems through the development of efficient internal quality standards leading to graduates’ better employability in partner countries. Haut Conseil de l'évaluation de la recherche et de l'enseignement supérieur and Commission des Titres d’Ingénieur are authorized to conduct international accreditations of study programs. Université de Lorraine Délégation à l’Aide au Pilotage et à la Qualité promotes a culture of continuous improvement and organizational development based on the tools of quality management and process control. It has been noted that participation in EDUQAS Project stimulates further development of QA systems at the national and institutional levels; wider participation of stakeholders in higher education quality enhancement and internationalization; higher education quality monitoring through stakeholders’ surveys; monitoring graduates’ career paths in partner countries. The legislative basis, internationalization strategies and quality assurance institutions at the national and institutional levels, networks of stakeholders involved in internationalization and quality assurance processes, participation in the international projects have been identified to be triggers for internationalization and quality enhancement in higher education of France.

scholarly journals Main Features and Challenges of Implementing Internal Quality Assurance Within African Higher Education Institutions: The Case of Eduardo Mondlane University

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Casimiro Zavale ◽  
Luisa Alcantra Santos ◽  
Maria Da Conceição Dias
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Strategy Training ◽  
Internal Quality ◽  
African Higher Education ◽  
Internal Quality Assurance ◽  
Reflection On Action ◽  
First Time ◽  
Eduardo Mondlane University

Founded in 1962, Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), Mozambique’s largest and most prestigious university, established an Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) system for the first time in 2013. Based on UEM’s case, this paper examines the features and challenges faced when implementing an IQA system within African higher education institutions. Literature on higher education quality assurance has widely examined the features of, and challenges faced by national QA systems, or by a QA system established across several higher education institutions (HEIs). However, this literature has rarely targeted single HEIs, particularly (African) HEIs that are establishing, for the first time, their IQA systems. Besides, even when IQA at a single HEI is targeted, this is often done by outsiders. Based on reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action, this paper addresses the perspectives of both insiders and outsiders. The authors analyse a system that they have been involved in establishing. The paper’s findings enable to conclude that the main challenges of implementing an IQA system in an African HEI are associated with linking QA to decision-making and to a funding strategy; training human resources and allocating funds for the system to operate and to be sustainable; enabling the system to be assimilated by the university community; and defining measurable and objective quality standards to enable unbiased performance classification. Fondée en 1962, l’Université Eduardo Mondlane (UEM), la plus grande et la plus prestigieuse université du Mozambique, a créé pour la première fois en 2013 un système interne d’assurance qualité (IAQ). A partir de l’étude du cas de l’UEM, cet article examine les caractéristiques et les défis qui attendent les institutions d’enseignement supérieur africaines qui désirent implémenter un IAQ. La littérature sur l’assurance qualité de l’enseignement supérieur a largement examiné les caractéristiques des systèmes nationaux d’AQ (ou de systèmes communs à plusieurs institutions), et les défis auxquels ils sont confrontés. Elle s ‘est cependant rarement concentrée sur des cas uniques d’institutions, notamment des institutions (africaines) qui ont créé pour la première fois leur propre IAQ. Par ailleurs, même quand elle s’attarde sur une institution en particulier, l’analyse est souvent effectuée par des personnes étrangères à l’institution. Fondé sur la réflexion dans l’action et la réflexion sur l’action, cet article présente les perspectives de personnes internes et étrangères à l’établissement. Il permet de conclure que les principaux défis à affronter lors de l’établissement d’un IAQ sont dus à la difficulté de lier l’AQ à la prise de décision et à une stratégie de financement ; à la formation des ressources humaines et l’allocation des fonds nécessaires pour que le système fonctionne et perdure ; à l’assimilation du système par la communauté universitaire ; et à la définition de standards de qualité mesurables et objectifs pour permettre une classification de la performance impartiale. 

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