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Some International Perspectives:
QA Structures and Principles
Dorte Kristoffersen, June15 2010, Presentation for:The Western
Association of Schools and Colleges -
Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges andUniversities
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Purpose and Introduction
Common features of European QA
Independent body responsible for external qualityassurance
QA linked to objectives of each institution,
department,program
Based on institutional self evaluation
Underpinned by site visit undertaken by external experts
Results reported publicly
Council Recommendation of 24 September 1998 on European
cooperation in quality assurance inhigher education
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Outline
Terminology
Multiple Contexts for Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance Agency roles
Quality Assurance Principles and Practices
The Impact of Qualifications Frameworks
Professionalisation of QA
Quality Assurance of Quality Assurance Agencies
Concluding remarks
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Terminology
Quality assurance>
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Multiple contexts for QA
Institutional: eg institution, department, discipline,local or
international partnerships
National: government, HEI community, professionalbodies
Regional: governmental policy cooperation, tradeagreements,
quality assurance networks, institutional,eg EUA and AUN
Global: International organisations, eg OECD andUnesco, INQAAHE,
international professionalaccreditation, eg Washington Accord and
EQUIS
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Multiple contexts for QA cont
CONSEQUENCES
Need for adaption to various contexts
Need for alignment of procedures
Cooperation in various settings
International peers
Emerging market for QA
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National Level: QA Agency
Characteristics
Ownership and Governance
Focused>
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QA Principles & Practices
Multiple types of quality assurance, ie institutional andprogram
accreditation, audit and institutional andprogram evaluation
Voluntary>
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QFs and QA
Mobility and recognition of learning are global
issues and European developments arecontributing to work in this
area. Further
consideration of how to articulate Europeandevelopments with
global developments is
required since, if successful, this can genuinelyprovide
enhanced mobility and recognition.
Robust quality assurance, firmly based on
learning outcomes, is key to success in this area.
Extract from Statement made at the conference: 'National
QualificationsFrameworks and the European Overarching Frameworks:
Supporting LifelongLearning in European Education and Training,
Dublin, 15 April 2010.
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Emergence of QFs
QF type Level ofdevelopment Number ofcountries
Total
0= no info
1= starting2= established
3=advanced
National QFs 0 94
1 83
2 16
3 8
Regional QFs 0 122
1 68
2 12
3 0TransnationalQFs
0 168
1 34
2 0
3 0
J. Keevy, South African Qualifications Authority, September
2008
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Student Learning Outcomes
and QA
CONSEQUENCES
Paradigm shift
Rethinking of program planning at national andinstitutional
level
Re-training of peers and staff in external QA agencies
Multi-sectoral quality assurance
Impact on international institutional cooperation
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Outcomes-based QA focus
Program
curriculum
Studentlearning
experienceand teaching
delivery
Structure andobjectives
Outcomescheckedthrough
assessment
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Professionalisation of QA
An increasingly complex environment
Changes in educational policy
Continuous life cycles of quality assuranceapproaches
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Professionalisation of QA cont
CONSEQUENCES
Expanding internal and external QA entities
Specialised peer concept with need forcontinuous training
Specialised division of labour among peers
Courses for QA professionals
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JAEE Uniform & Kit
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QA of external
quality assurance agencies
Increasing formal measures for quality assuranceof external
quality assurance agencies
Variety of purposes
US has been at the forefront and federalrequirements are
increasing
INQAAHE Guidelines for Good Practice
European Standards and Guidelines and theEuropean Quality
Assurance Register
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Concluding remarks #1
More complex contexts for quality assurance
Major differences in national QA approaches at the
same time as a need for international alignment
Specialization and professionalization of peers andstaff of QA
agencies
Demand for more formalised accountability from avaried group of
users
Increasing need for highest quality in qualityassurance due to
the expansion of education
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Concluding remarks #2
The systemic approach to quality assurance also
leads to a reformulation of the question aboutquality.
Independent of its definitions (results
achieved, methods used, analysis of the stagesbetween project
and result etc.), quality is the
product of interaction between actors orelements in the system.
It is the consequence of
the functioning of the system.
ENQA Convergence Study, March 2005
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