scholarly journals Excellence in Internal Quality Assurance: An Empirical Study in United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 54-62
Author(s):  
Nhung Thi Tuyet Pham

Assessment or internal quality assurance (IQA) processes have often been driven by external stakeholders such as accreditation and governmental agencies of higher education, which are focused on accountability rather than quality improvement. This research examined how private and non-profit Doctoral and Research institutions with less public financial dependence and accountability requirements adopted the Excellence in Assessment (EIA) rubric to improve their IQA models that supports improvement. A survey based on National Institute of Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA) EIA rubric was sent to the ASSESS Listserv to learn if there was a difference in EIA scores related to source of funding and Carnegie characteristics. A two-way MANOVA analysis of the survey responses showed that there was no difference in IQA practice followed EIA rubric between source of funding (public and non-profit private institutions) and Carnegie classification (Research and Comprehensive). Recommendations are made regarding the reliability of the EIA rubric. The EIA designation can serve as a framework for U.S. and non-U.S. higher education institutions to benchmark and improve the current IQA processes.

Author(s):  
Francis Ansah

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. 


Author(s):  
Nelson Casimiro Zavale ◽  
Luisa Alcantra Santos ◽  
Maria Da Conceição Dias

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. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 76 ◽  
pp. 01016
Author(s):  
Jenny Mochtar ◽  
Gan Shu San

Academic quality is defined as the equivalent to academic standards related to student learning outcomes, which consist of specific levels of knowledge, skills, and abilities achieved by students participating in a program. The achievement of academic standards is accommodated by implementing both internal and external quality assurance practices. Internal quality assurance refers to policies and practices used by the higher education institutions to monitor and improve the quality of their education, while external quality assurance refers to policies and practices set up by external parties to assure the quality of higher education institutions and programs. Petra Christian University has built and implemented its internal quality assurance since 2009 based on its unique quality culture. After its ten-year journey and the achievements that Petra Christian University has reached in 2019, the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and Society 5.0 are challenges ahead that Petra Christian University has to face.


Author(s):  
Ta Thi Thu Hien ◽  
Nguyen Thi Thu Huong

Internal quality assurance is an important management tool in higher education. World-class universities have established and developed their internal quality assurance system together with buiding and developing the institutional quality culture. Research and practice from many universities worldwide showed that there are good connections between quality culture and internal quality assurance. This paper aims to analyse and evaluate the relationship between internal quality assurance and quality culture in the international higher education context. Consequently, the outcomes of the study are recommendations for the establishment and development of the quality culture together with the development of the internal quality assurance system for Vietnamese higher education institutions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-157
Author(s):  
Onisimus Amtu ◽  
Sjeny Liza Souisa ◽  
Lourine Sience Joseph ◽  
Pitersina Christina Lumamuly

Objective of the study: The low quality of higher education in Indonesia has been a concern as well as a shared responsibility to fix it from an early age. Lack of maximum leadership, low organizational commitment, and organizational culture have had an impact on the implementation of an internal quality assurance system. This study intends to examine whether there is a direct or indirect effect of leadership and organizational commitment on the implementation of an internal quality assurance system mediated by organizational culture in state universities.Methodology/Approach: This research uses quantitative methods with a path analysis design. Each value of the effect of exogenous and endogenous variables is tested and analyzed descriptively and path analysis to show the contribution made by each variable studied. Data were collected through a questionnaire with a sample of 221 from a population of 340 populations spread across three state universities in Ambon city, Maluku province, Indonesia.Originality/Relevance: Organizational culture plays an important role to mediate and contribute to the leadership and organizational commitment to create situations and encourage the participation of all elements in the application of the internal quality assurance system in higher education. Main results: The quality of higher education is determined by many factors, but by increasing the role, performance, competence, and leadership style and supported by organizational commitment in an affective, normative, and sustainable manner, the organizational culture becomes one of the frameworks for every university to improve quality and competitiveness in a planned manner. and continuous.Theoretical/methodological contributions: Universities need leadership that is able to encourage and increase collective organizational commitment and culture to achieve sustainable higher education quality. Social/management contributions: The results of this research can be a new breakthrough for each faculty, department, and the department to prepare prospective professional leaders, build solidarity and display a dynamic, creative, and innovative academic culture.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Nhung Tuyet Thi Pham ◽  
Binh Thanh Thi Nguyen

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are under pressure to provide evidence of student success. In addition to traditional performance indicators such as GPA, grades, and rates of retention, graduation and employment, stakeholders also required institutions to provide evidence of institutional learning outcomes (ILOs). ILOs encompass the knowledge and skills that all students regardless of disciplines from a specific university are expected to demonstrate upon their graduation. This case study examines a complete internal quality assurance (IQA) cycle from a U.S. comprehensive university, including the adaptation of national authentic assessment measures, the use of technology in data analysis, the best practices to communicate assessment results to multiple internal stakeholders to facilitate leadership decision-making, the challenges encountered, and the improvement plans to sustain the procedure. Researchers also make recommendations to Vietnam HEIs that want to adopt IQA of ILOs for both quality improvement and accountability purposes.


Author(s):  
Ganbaatar Сhantsaldulam ◽  
Igor Koroduk ◽  
Galina Voynikova

Quality assurance in higher education has become an endeavor of global proportions. With the increasing necessity of quality assurance system, the efforts have been initiated within the higher education sector in Mongolia to seek a feasible internal quality assurance system that is in line with the international standards. The main objective of this article is to identify the problems encountered Mongolian higher education system specifically to the implementation of internal quality assurance in HEIs and explore factors that are influential to the implementation of internal quality assurance system of Mongolia. Thus, this article is expected to give recommendations at institutional level by pinpointing the facts that should be taken into account in developing and implementing a workable and effective internal quality assurance system for Mongolian higher education institutions. This article reviewed literatures on the quality assurance systems in higher education area, and determined the current situation and challenges encountered in quality assurance of Mongolian higher education institutions. The findings of the article indicate that the four main issues — the factors influential to the establishment of effective IQA system, quality assurance structure, lack of understanding towards IQA activities and implementation as the view of preparing only for self-evaluation report, and the lack of transparent information system. The article finds that the participation of both external and internal stakeholders in quality assurance process and activities is the key to the development and implementation of an effective internal quality assurance system.


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