Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education Ms Hassmik - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Ms Hassmik Tortian, PhD, Programme Specialist Division for Teacher Development and Higher Education

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

• UNESCO and Quality Assurance in Higher Education
• Defining Quality
• The Process of Quality Assurance
• The Cross-Border Higher Education
• Managing Mobility
• Evaluating Qualifications
• The Growing Emphasis on Outcomes
• Players
• Capacity Building
• Conclusion

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

UNESCO and Quality Assurance in Higher Education

• 1998 World Conference on Higher Education
• 2009 World Conference on higher education

 Higher education landscape  Broader social role  Regional and national economic growth  New Terms such as ‘transparency’, ‘performance indicators’ , and ‘outcome measures’

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

• UNESCO and Quality Assurance in Higher Education (Cont’d)

Growth

– Global enrollment in 2000 was 97 million ; it is estimated to reach 263 million students in 2025 (UIS, 2012)  Massification: Global enrollment in higher education is 167 million students worldwide (UIS, 2012).

• China currently enrolls 27 million,
• USA 18 million,
• India 15 million

 Diversity

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

• Defining Quality
• At the 1998 UNESCO World Conference it was already clear that the range
• f activities to be evaluated was expansive:

‘Quality in higher education is a multidimensional concept, which should embrace all its functions, and activities-; teaching and academic programmes, research and scholarship, staffing, students, buildings, facilities, equipment, services to the community, and academic environment’

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Defining Quality (Cont’d)

A decade later the definition provided in a UNESCO-CEPES report reflects the increasing complexity of the higher education environment: ‘Quality in higher education is a multi-dimensional, multi-level, and dynamic concept that relates to the contextual settings of an educational model, to the institutional mission and objectives, as well as to the specific standards within a given system, institution, programme, or discipline.’ (UNESCO-CEPES, 2007)

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

• Defining Quality (Cont’d)
• Quality assurance (QA) in higher education is a systematic process of

assessing and verifying inputs, outputs, and outcomes against standardised benchmarks of quality to maintain and enhance quality, ensure greater accountability and facilitate harmonisation of standards across academic programmes, institutions, and systems. QA can take many forms, ranging from simple self-assessment to more comprehensive inspection, accreditation, review, or audits supported by external, independent peer review. Building capacity for quality assurance that meets international standards requires a significant investment in technical assistance, training, knowledge sharing, analysis, and coordination, which are costly and time-consuming. (UNESCO, 2013)

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

The Process of Quality Assurance  Self Study or self-review of the institution  Self Study or self-review of program(s)  Evaluation or inspection of the effectiveness of the internal quality systems  Evaluation against own self-defined mission

• quality as fitness for purpose
• quality as enhancement or improvement

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Cross-Border Higher Education

• Many new cross-border models for higher education were being created. These

new models could be:

• Foreign providers
• Private non- profit and for-profit universities
• Online delivery
• The explosive growth of both traditional institutions as well as new providers

in higher education raises new questions in regard to standards of quality in this ever more diverse environment.

• National programs to evaluate quality will be essential to international

conventions: but they vary in focus and method.

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Managing Mobility

• The comparability of educational qualifications has become a key issue in

international discussions.

• The Lisbon Recognition Convention in 1997 emphasized that it is a student's right

to receive fair recognition of his or her educational qualifications within the European region.

• Since the late 1970s, UNESCO regional meetings in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin

America, and the Middle East have facilitated the elaboration of conventions that commit signatories to common policy and practice, easing the mobility of individuals within each region.  Tokyo Convention revised in 2009  Arusha is being revised (process on-going)  An International convention is under draft.

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Evaluating Qualifications

 How educational qualifications are evaluated is a newer dimension of the quality assurance conversation.  Historically, the emphasis has been on the content covered in the course of the degree program.  New criteria include: a) relevance to the labor market, and, b) competencies developed in the course of study.  In Europe, the Educational Qualifications Framework aims to define qualifications in terms of the depth of knowledge, skills, and competencies they represent.  The "Tuning Project" in Europe, Latin America, Africa, Middle East attempts to further define these competencies within specific fields of study.

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

The Growing Emphasis on Outcomes

• Growing emphasis on the "outcomes" of higher education.

 Physical and organizational characteristics  Education-related behaviors and practices  Psychosocial and cultural attributes  Behavioral and attitudinal outcomes

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

The Role of the Players

• ENQA – EQAR
• CHEA
• APQN
• RIACES
• ANQAHE
• INQAAHE

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Capacity Building

 There is greater recognition of the value of this process in meeting the challenges that globalization has presented to higher education

 It means well-planned and well-executed self-studies, audits, and peer evaluations.  As this process is new in so many countries, few people possess the knowledge, skill, or experience to implement it. The shortage of human resources prepared to undertake and manage complex activities, like self studies and peer reviews, has become a serious challenge to building successful quality assurance programs worldwide.

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Capacity Building (Cont’d)

 UNESCO and The Global initiative in Quality Assurance and Capacity (GIQAC Phase I) funded by the World Bank and executed by UNESCO (2008-2012)

• The principal objective of GIQAC I was “to improve and expand worldwide

capacity for quality assurance (QA) in higher education in developing and transition countries.

• By 2012, GIQAC made an impact at national level in:

 43 countries in Africa  11 countries in the Arab states  27 countries in Asia and the Pacific  33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean  31 countries in Europe and North America

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

• Capacity Building (Cont’d)
• GIQAC Phase II Financed by the Republic of Korea and executed by UNESCO (2012-2013)

 support a global environment for cross-regional learning in quality assurance.  establishing new Country Core Groups (10, or more territories);  reinforcing existing Country Core Groups of the Caribbean Area Network for Quality Assurance in Tertiary Education (CANQATE);  Developing a GIQAC webinar (an online seminar) on ‘Internationalisation and Quality Assurance: Capitalizing on Global Trends’

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education Conclusion

• Quality assurance will continue to be a high priority for higher education.
• During the last decade quality-assurance schemes for higher education have been

implemented almost everywhere.

• Regional conferences and summits have taken place throughout the world to

address this challenge. The Bologna process is guiding Europe toward shared benchmarks and standards that will make it possible to compare qualifications awarded in all participating countries.

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Conclusion

• Quality remains difficult to define and subsequently problematic to measure. Furthermore, quality

will have different meanings in different environments.

• Higher education has to prepare graduates with new skills, a broad knowledge base, and a range of

competencies to enter a more complex and interdependent world.

• Agencies throughout the world are struggling to define these goals in terms that can be understood

and shared across borders and cultures.

• Since the 1980s there has been extensive and ongoing discussion within nations, within regions,

and across the globe, to find new ways of assuring the many stakeholders involved that quality is being evaluated and monitored. What has resulted at the very least is an explosion of new agencies and a sufficient number of new acronyms to boggle the mind-ANQAHE, INQAAHE, GIQAC, ENQA, EQAR, QAA, CHEA, among others.

• Schemes for quality assurance are now accepted as a fundamental part of providing higher

education, but national, regional, and international efforts need to be integrated

• The need for international cooperation is clear, but the dialogue is really only just beginning.

Global Trends in Quality Assurance in Higher Education Thank you