Balancing Quality and Quantity in Tertiary Education: The Caribbean Challenge

Paper presented at the Sixth Annual CANQATE Conference, Barbados,

October 8, 2009

ByVivienne Roberts

A Question of Purpose 1

“The goal of education for democracy, for critical participatory citizenship must remain an ideal to strive for - just as the elusive goal of achieving both quantity and quality must be attempted no matter how difficult the balancing act may be.”

Robert Arnove ,1996

A Question of Purpose 2

Everyone has a right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary

stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made

generally available. and higher education shall be equally accessible to

all on the basis of merit. Education shall be directed to the full development of

the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

(Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) adopted by the United Nations, Article 26.)

Focus of the Presentation

What is meant by the terms quality and quantity and what is the relationship between these parameters?

Why is it necessary to measure and manage quality and quantity and towards what end?

What are some of the relevant challenges in the Caribbean?

How can the relationship be managed?

Definitions of Quality (1)

“Quality education has been and still is the privileging of particular subjects: in Europe, until recently the languages and (reconstructed) cultures of ancient Greece and Rome. In imperial China, a quality education was shown by the ability to recall classical texts, the ancient poets, to write poetry in their style and to have a good calligraphy.”

Price (2000)

Definitions of Quality (2)

Quality is meeting the needs of all learners by offering an experience that is value for money. It involves continuous self improvement of all stakeholders, provisions and services while conforming to and rising above all established and recognized standards, thereby stimulating demand.

CANQATE Core Group, Barbados, 2009

Quantity

The size of the enterprise in terms of student enrolment,

staff involvement, physical plant, assets and resources, and financing

The quantity dimensions must also include measures of inclusiveness.

Relationship between Quality and Quantity

“the aims of wide access, high quality and low cost are not achievable, even in principle, with traditional models of higher education based on classroom teaching in campus communities.”

Daniel, Kanwar and Uvalic-Trumvic (2009)

Relationship between Quality and Quantity

A Proposed Formula

Quality ÷ Quantity x Strategic Management = Success.

Balancing Quality and Quantity

The Caribbean Challenge

the small size of member states and the existence of multi-island states,

diversity of institutions in terms of size and diverging missions,

technology limitations, infancy of the tertiary education system, limited research and its application, lack of coordination and harmonization of the tertiary

education system, growing internal and external competition, on - going financial constraints, and newly emerging national accreditation systems

Realities of Quantity in the Caribbean (1)

Between 1996 – 2006, there was approximately a 15% increase in the enrolment in public tertiary institutions other than UWI in the English Speaking Caribbean. (TLIU, 2007 and ERIIC, 2009)

At UWI in the last four years, there has been a 13% increase in the UWIDEC/Open Campus Distance Education enrolment in degree programmes; 23% increase in total enrolment at the Cave Hill campus, 11% at Mona, Jamaica and 15% at St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, interestingly also resulting in an overall 15% increase from 35,457 in 2005 to 41, 756 in 2009.

Realities of Quantity in the Caribbean (2)

Increase in the number of public universities and indigenous private universities as well as University Colleges.

Growing competition from foreign providers based within and outside of the Caribbean borders but with home bases mainly in the USA and United Kingdom and from virtual providers as far afield as New Zealand and Australia.

Many small tertiary providers have become operational across the Caribbean with more than eighty in Barbados

Caribbean Quality Issues – Small Size

The English Speaking Caribbean has less than 7 million persons.

In 2007, tertiary enrolment ranged from approximately 4% in Anguilla to over 30% in Barbados. Institutions range in size from a couple hundreds to over 40,000 at UWI, the latter being head count.

Many CARICOM countries are composed of more than one island and the issues of very small size and geographical isolation are further exacerbated. .

Caribbean Quality Issues – Technology

Uneven access to computers and to the internet

Increasing access to cell phones and iPods

Uneven access to broadband

Caribbean Quality Issues – Emerging System

The establishment of ACTI. Establishment of individual institutions, national

groupings, national accreditation bodies, professional accreditation bodies, professional associations and bodies, international networks to bring about coordination and harmonization of standards.

There are regional and some national qualifications frameworks.

There are formal articulation arrangements among many institutions that provide multiple pathways for entry to tertiary education.

Caribbean Quality Issues – Finance (1)

The tertiary education pool includes both predominantly publicly funded, predominantly privately funded and privately funded institutions.

These institutions obtain funding not only from governments but also increasingly so from student tuition, private sector grants, philanthropic contributions and investments.

Maintenance of the level of government contribution required to support expansion.

Caribbean Quality Issues – Finance (2)

Some institutions have been increasing tuition fees. UWI has kept fees at 20% or less of economic cost.

Many are increasing their efforts at partnerships with the private sector through contract training, sponsorship of buildings, sporting activities and commissioned research.

Alumni drives, philanthropic giving and related tax exemptions are becoming better organised and more widespread.

Some attempts are being made to consider open and distance learning as a method of reducing per capita cost but the set up costs may be considerable.

Caribbean Quality Issues – Open and Distance Learning Expansion

Many institutions are offering ODE ODL organisations including

CARADOL and JADOL, among others. CKLN. COL University of Technology

Caribbean Quality Issues – UWI Open Campus (1)

The UWI Open Campus is the embodiment of UWI’s commitment to widening access to the underserved communities of the 15 countries and scores of islands which it serves.

The Campus is attempting to balance quality with quantity by making it possible to multiply enrolment without the need for multiplying the usual physical or the usual type of human resources.

there is need for greater investment in technology and technology support as well as for training in the use of technology.

Caribbean Quality Issues – UWI Open Campus (2)

There are mechanisms for quality assurance through the application of the established UWI standards but there are new challenges such as the quality of courseware, the effective use of opportunities for creating virtual communities and providing general student support.

There is also the need for the agility and timeliness in all the systems and processes which ODL requires.

Caribbean Quality Issues – UWI Open Campus (3)

There is the potential for cost reduction but there are initial challenges of set up costs, branding and promotion.

Culturally, learners are still demanding the production and distribution of large quantities of printed materials, and the timely distribution of paper throughout the region is an extremely expensive venture.

Technology penetration, broadband availability and cost are also challenges which continue to be addressed from a number of vantage points.

Management of the Quality Itself in the Quality/ Quantity Relationship (1)

diagnosing learner needs and provision of remediation;

provision of student support services; increasing staff complement to maintain

appropriate student staff ratios; provision of opportunities for small group

interactions; the use of open and distance methodologies

with high quality courseware, appropriate technology and adequate and timely tutorial support.

Management of the Quality Itself in the Quality/ Quantity Relationship (2)

adjustment in the pedagogical approach for both face to face and e-learning;

empowerment of institutions so that they can conduct their own self evaluation;

the establishment and operationalisation and utilisation of accreditation bodies, and

a shift towards benchmarking through the assessment and comparison of outcomes and competencies within and across countries and regions.

Management of the Quantity Itself in the Quality/ Quantity Relationship

increasing male enrolment, enhancing the representation of the

differently - abled, accommodating and providing for the needs

of lifelong learners, catering to the late bloomers with non

traditional qualifications, and formally accommodating workplace and

community learning.

Moving Ahead

Quality/ Quantity x strategic management = success.

Success is viewed as the balancing of quantity and quality to promote the achievement of the desired outcomes of increased personal, national and regional development towards the emergence of knowledge societies.

Strategic Management of Quality/Quantity

Embrace service over self-centredness, development over judgment, openness over closure, dynamism and growth over static achievement, quality enhancement over quality assurance and control.

Use the circle, rather than the pyramid, as the logo. Employ both rewards and incentives for quality

enhancement. Aspire for full inclusion of stakeholders in quality

assurance, Adopt an increasingly global perspective and a

growing outcomes and competencies focus.

Strategic Management of Quality/Quantity

Adopt a systems - perspective which attempts to mobilize the resources of the entire region, and a proactive perspective to keep ahead of the curve.

Embrace convergence over divergence. The region must strive to look for opportunities to form alliances which will prevent wastage of resources and maximise comparative advantage.

Continue to pursue strategies for articulation and laddering of programmes and strive to harmonise course development to create a common pool of courses.

Cooperate in assessment including examination and certification.

Conclusion (1)

Adopt a shared vision of where we want to go. Continue to stimulate and facilitate the expansion of

tertiary education generally and through the use of open and distance learning.

Strive to harmonise standards across the tertiary education sector at both regional and national levels.

Foster partnerships rather than competition, particularly among our indigenous tertiary institutions.

Conclusion (2)

Work with existing and emerging accreditation bodies to foster quality improvement.

Help to promote and achieve convergence and integration into an affordable, quality tertiary education system which will also be able to successfully accommodate increased quantity while it produces quality graduates who will not only achieve their full potential but also become the region’s most valuable resource.

The End

Thank you for your attention.

Questions?

vivienne.roberts@open.uwi.edu