QUALITY IN EDUCATION

Quality in Education Tuning International Master's Programmes 13 December 2007 Pirjo Halonen Head of Quality Assurance Contents  Quality concepts  Background to Quality Assurance in Education  Quality - for whom?  University of Jyväskylä  Summary Quality  Degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfils requirements – Characteristics: distinguishing feature – Requirements: need or expectation that is stated, generally implied or obligatory (ISO 9000) Quality  excellence  value  fitness for use  conformity to requirement  defect avoidance  meeting customer’s expectations  … Quality Management  Directing an organisation with regard to quality to establish policy and objectives and to achieve those objectives. Quality Assurance  Part of quality management focused on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled. Quality Work  means – planning – doing – checking (evaluating) – acting (developing, improving) Background to Quality Assurance in Education  The Bologna process in 1999: – The European Ministers of Education set a target to realise a coherent and cohesive European Higher Education Area (EHEA): • Undergraduate and postgraduate levels in all European countries • European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) • Common framework of comparable degrees (Diploma Supplement) • Recognition of studies abroad • Elimination of obstacles to the free mobility of students and teachers • European dimension in quality assurance What is quality in education?  Education quality is a multi-dimensional concept and cannot be easily assessed by only one indicator. Quality in Education – for whom?  Students  Graduates  Employers  Stakeholders  Teachers  Administrative personnel  Quality personnel [...]... Assurance in Higher Education EU Education and Culture 2005 Yin Cheong Cheng, Wai Ming Tam Multimodels of quality in education Quality Assurance in Education 1997; 5(1):22–31 Kekäle T, Ilolakso A, Katajavuori N, Toikka M, Isoaho K (2006) Kuopion yliopiston laadunvarmistusjärjestelmän auditointi Korkeakoulujen arviointineuvoston julkaisuja 3:2006 Korkeakoulujen arviointineuvosto Helsinki Wahlbin C, Hieikkilä... higher education: Shared values and vocabularies or elitism and inequalities? Higher Education Quarterly 2007; 61(3):229-249 Ross R, Gruber V, Szmigin I Service quality in higher education: The role of student expectations Journal of Business Research 2007; 60(9):949–959 Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher... supported  Responsibilities well-defined For administrative personnel, cont  Retaining students after a bachelor's degree  Excellent learning results  Excellent research results  Careful examination of opportunity costs In quality audits  Instructions are extensive  The studying process from the student’s point of view is clearly defined  Curricula and teaching are well-timed  The university... the quality  All the topics must be open for evaluation References Alves H, Raposo M Conceptual model of student satisfaction in higher education Total Quality Management & Business Excellence 2007; 18(5):571-588 Hill Y, Lomas L, MacGregor J Students' perceptions of quality in higher education Quality Assurance in Education 2003; 11(1):15-20 Morley L, Aynsley S Employers, quality and standards in. .. feedback from graduates in their curriculum work  Definition, what kind of learning is expected – in- depth learning” In quality audits, cont  The learning path must be a process without breaks between departments  Shared practices in departments: – – – – – personal curriculum (HOPS) systematic feedback systems curriculum process course assessments post-graduate studies In quality audits, cont ... Processes are well defined, assessed and developed  Guidelines to assure quality of education  The responsibilities well defined  A department of students services have been established and it has enough resources  A variety of teaching and testing methods are used In quality audits, cont  Research of teaching  produces good practices  Pedagogic strategy Two-way Quality!  In a service process...  In education also the students have duties At the University of Jyväskylä  Present practices are described in the quality manuals  A new education strategy is needed  Evaluation policies of the education have to be implemented  The education will be evaluated yearly  On the basis of the evaluation education will be developed Summary  The concept quality is defined in various ways depending... Hieikkilä J, Hellberg M, Lindroos P, Nybom J, Corrnér S (2007) Auditering av Svenska handelshögskolans kvalitetssäkringssystem Publikationer av rådet för utvärdering av högskolorna 3:2007 Rådet av utvärdering Helsinki Jokinen T, Malinen H, Mäki M, Nokela J, Pakkanen P, Kekäläinen H (2007) Tampereen teknillisen yliopiston laadunvarmistusjärjestelmän auditointi Korkeakoulujen arviointineuvoston julkaisuja... prejudice against new universities For stakeholders  In Finland, mostly The Ministry of Education  Young graduates  Moderate studying time  Given quantitative objectives to be fulfilled For administrative personnel  Existing strategy for education improvement  Development and improvement of the quality of academic programmes  Efficiency and effectiveness of organisational structures within which...For students  Quality of the lecturer – – – – – – – – – Expertise Teaching skills Teaching methods Communication skills Approachability Enthusiasm Humour Friendliness Flexibility For students, cont  Quality of the curriculum – – – – Flexibility Lifelong learning – varying student pathways Appropriate contents of courses Allowing to challenge practice when linking theory to the real world . – planning – doing – checking (evaluating) – acting (developing, improving) Background to Quality Assurance in Education  The Bologna process in 1999:. Quality in Education Tuning International Master's Programmes 13 December 2007 Pirjo Halonen Head of Quality Assurance Contents  Quality