Evaluation & Quality Assurance in Higher Education PDF Print

ΚEΠ9 - Evaluation & Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Tutor: Yiouli Papadiamantaki

Semester: 6th
ECTS: 4.5

Short Description:

The course is structured in two parts.
The first part analyzes the “quality discourse” and the various rationales associated with quality. The development of quality assurance practices is discussed and correlated to changes in the governance of higher education institutions and neo-liberal policies.The role of EU policies and the role of the Bologna Process are presented, as well as current developmentspertaining to the evaluation, accreditation and ranking of universities in Europe.
The second part focuses on the case of Greece. It presents the way that quality assurance processes were introduced in Greece and the role of ADIP-the Hellenic Quality Assurance Agency. The material used in quality assurance is discussed and the way internal and external evaluations are effected is analysed.

Aims:

To acquire basic knowledge concerning the history and the development of quality assurance/quality enhancement processes; to become familiar with the various aspects and rationales of the concept of quality
To understand why quality assurance processes are considered indispensable, and the values embedded in them.
To conceptualise quality assurance processes as a “technology” of indirect control of higher education institutions relating to a specific mode of governance of higher education.

Learning Outcomes:

Development of generic competences: understanding, critical analysis and comparison of basic concepts.
Development of writing skills/ability to compose an essay
Introduction to research (literature research, evaluation and prioritisation of acquired information)
Development of basic professional skills (organisation and presentation of information within a limited period, public speaking skills, IT skills, use of PowerPoint)

Structure:

13 three-hour lectures.

Assessment:

Students are graded on the basis of an essay (up to 5000 words) submitted at the end of the course. The topic of the essay is set upon discussion with the tutor. The presentation of the essay accounts for 20% of the grade.

Bibliography:

Lee Harvey and Diana Green (1993), “Defining Quality”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 18-1, 9-34
Lee Harvey and Berit Askling (2003) “Quality in Higher Education” in R. Begg (ed.) The Dialogue between Higher Education Research and Practice, 69-83, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Netherlands
S. Schwarz and D.F.Westerheijden, (2007), (eds) Accreditation and Evaluation in the European Higher Education Area, 1-41, Springer.
Counting what is measured or measuring what counts? League tables and their impacts on higher education institutions, HEFCE, 2008
21.9.2009 COM(2009) 487 Final Report on progress in quality assurance in higher education
Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area, ENQA, 2009