Workshop 1

Principles of quality assurance and accreditation

Session 2

the purposes of quality assurance and accreditation

different types of quality assurance and accreditation (including rankings)

Topics for discussion

What is quality assurance and what is it for?

An all-purpose phrase, covering a spectrum of activities:

◦ continuous inspection, ◦ compliance-based accreditation systems, ◦ consumer protection ◦ improvement-based personal development.

‘Quality assurance is the planned and systematic activities implemented in a quality system so that quality requirements for a product or service will be fulfilled’(American Society for Quality)

In the world of higher education, quality assurance focuses on:

◦ accountability ◦ enhancement

What is quality assurance?

a series of formal procedures intended to help ensure that all those who are involved in teaching, learning and assessment can be confident of achieving their agreed individual and collective intentions

It is a spectrum running from: accountability <-----to-----enhancement

In the world of higher education, quality assurance can be described as:

Improvement of students‘ learning Self-knowledge Control of standards Confirmation of effectiveness Identification of weaknesses Information for development and

improvement Evidence for external use Basis for inter-institutional comparisons Increased professionalism of academic staff

Possible purposes of internal quality assurance

Accountability Government control Improvement/enhancement International reputation Public reassurance/confidence Public information Rankings Resource allocation System standardisation

Possible purposes of external quality assurance/accreditation

Some internal quality assurance activities:◦ Organisational procedures◦ Student assessment procedures◦ Student feedback◦ Program approval/validation◦ Program reviews◦ Departmental/school reviews◦ Staff appraisal◦ Management information ◦ Reflective professional practice

Different types of quality assurance and accreditation

External quality assurance and accreditation ◦ Institutional accreditation (external criteria)◦ Subject/department accreditation (external

criteria)◦ Program accreditation (external criteria)◦ Institutional audit or evaluation◦ External examiners

Different types of quality assurance and accreditation