Ten years of external quality audit in Australia: evaluating its effectiveness and success

External quality audits are now being used in universities across the world to improve quality assurance, accountability for quality education and transparency of public funding of higher education. Some countries such as Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Sweden and Denmark have had external quality audits for more than a decade but there has been limited research as to their impact. This study analyses the extent to which external audits in Australia have improved quality assurance in universities over the past 10 years. The analysis is based on discussions with 40 participants in a workshop on the effectiveness of audits and the review of 60 external quality audit reports between 2001 and December 2010. The research found that while external audits have led to an improvement in systems and processes in Australian universities, they have not necessarily improved the student experience. This lack of impact on the student experience in Australia is similar to other countries, according to the literature review. This study is timely in its analysis on the effectiveness of the current improvement-led audits, as government in Australia is in the process of renewing quality assurance arrangements of higher education institutions with a focus on standards and outcomes.     

Strengthening internal quality assurance as a lever for enhancing student learning experiences and academic success: lessons from Namibia

Higher education plays an important role in the social, economic and political development of any given nation. In the Namibian context, quality assurance systems have been put in place at both national and institutional levels through the establishment of national quality assurance agencies and units responsible for quality in institutions. A critical literature analysis of quality assurance systems in higher education shows that although they claim to strike a balance between improvement and accountability, external quality assurance mechanisms tend to have an accountability and compliance focus and to promote managerialisation and bureaucratisation of academia. This article argues that internal quality assurance systems, built on a strong quality culture, tend to be more effective in enhancing the quality of student learning experience and academic success than externally driven quality assurance. Thus, to promote genuine quality, more energy must be invested in external quality assurance capacitating and strengthening internal quality assurance systems.     

英国高等教育质量保障体系分析

英国高等教育质量保障体系以内部质量保障为主体,外部质量保障为主导,前者主要是高校的自律机制和自适机制,后者主要以高等教育质量保障署的＂学术规范体系＂为主线,从而形成了其独立自主、以制度促规范、互动而平衡的鲜明特征。给我国的启示有：建立起法制化、制度化运作的高等教育质量保障体系和专业化的高等教育质量评估体系;完善以＂内部＂为主体、＂外部＂为主导的体系构成;加强内外有效沟通和协调发展的运行体系。     

Regulatory intermediation and quality assurance in higher education: the case of the auditors

The paper takes the external quality assurance of English universities and colleges as an example of regulation in higher education as undertaken by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). Regulatory scholarship generally has been largely disinterested in higher education and the paper applies a ‘regulatory lens’ to higher education quality assurance. It reports the findings of a research project on the role identities and perceptions of the auditors recruited by the QAA from the academic community for undertaking institutional audits. It suggests that such a group may be regarded as ‘regulatory intermediaries’, facing both ‘upwards’ to the regulator, and ‘down’ to those being regulated. As such, they have an important function in the delivery of external quality assurance regulation and the paper reports on how they mediate and understand a range of frequently conflicting pressures.     

高等学校《本科教育教学质量报告》透视(笔谈)

教育部拟建立全国高等学校教育教学质量年度报告发布制度,表明我国对高等教育质量的期待已从学校层面上升到了国家意志层面。2011年9月底,39所"985工程"大学首度公开发布了各自的《本科教育教学质量报告》,说明我国高教界已开始对社会期待和问责作出回应。尽管不能说各大学不重视,但它目前还没有很好地发挥信息平台、质量保障和管理监督的功能。作为创建具有中国特色的高等教育质量保障制度的重要举措,它还有待于从质量标准、报告内容和形式等方面进一步规范和完善。     

On the role of impact evaluation of quality assurance from the strategic perspective of quality assurance agencies in the European higher education area

In this paper the current national legislations, the quality assurance approaches and the activities of impact analysis of three quality assurance agencies from Romania, Spain and Germany are described from a strategic perspective. The analysis shows that the general methodologies (comprising, for example, self-evaluation reports, peer reviews, on-site visits, assessment reports, follow-up measures) and main subjects of quality assurance in higher education (such as study programmes and institutional structures and processes) are very similar in the sample cases. However, up to now, impact evaluation of quality assurance has not been implemented systematically in the sample agencies (as in many others). This is the more relevant since the European standards of quality assurance in higher education oblige quality assurance agencies to analyse their general findings and observe the effects of their activities. Against that background, it is argued that methodologically sound impact analyses of quality assurance interventions in higher education institutions should be seen as an integral part of the agencies’ own quality assurance because it would make their work more transparent and easier to improve systematically. The paper identifies some professionalisation needs required for impact evaluation competences: staff and peers who are qualified by methodological knowledge but also by ‘soft’ skills such as project and conflict management.     

Academic achievement standards and quality assurance

Quality assurance processes have been applied to many aspects of higher education, including teaching, learning and assessment. At least in the latter domain, quality assurance needs its fundamental tenets critically scrutinised. A common but inadequate approach has been to identify and promote learning environment changes ‘likely to improve’ learning outcomes. They are simply labelled ‘quality assurance’ without establishing their effectiveness. Part of the problem is that the case for quality assurance has been largely taken as self-evident. Originally, quality assurance principles were developed in domains outside higher education. In those, auditable product, service and other standards play a central role. Although external processes do not directly transfer to higher education, their underlying principles offer perspectives and pointers for reconceptualising quality assurance and improving assessment and grading. Quality assurance should be grounded in authoritative and properly formulated academic achievement standards applied to actual student works, performances and course grades.     

Hunting and gathering: new imperatives in mapping and collecting student learning data to assure quality outcomes

Assurance of learning (AOL) is a quality enhancement and quality assurance process used in higher education. It involves a process of determining programme learning outcomes and standards, and systematically gathering evidence to measure students' performance on these. The systematic assessment of whole-of-programme outcomes provides a basis for curriculum development and management, continuous improvement, and accreditation. To better understand how AOL processes operate, a national study of university practices across one discipline area, business and management, was undertaken. To solicit data on AOL practice, interviews were undertaken with a sample of business school representatives (n?=?25). Two key processes emerged: (1) mapping of graduate attributes and (2) collection of assurance data. External drivers such as professional accreditation and government legislation were the primary reasons for undertaking AOL outcomes but intrinsic motivators in relation to continuous improvement were also evident. The facilitation of academic commitment was achieved through an embedded approach to AOL by the majority of universities in the study. A sustainable and inclusive process of AOL was seen to support wider stakeholder engagement in the development of higher education learning outcomes.     

A framework for enhancing regulatory cooperation in external quality assurance in Southern Africa

Cross-border higher education (CBHE) has taken centre stage in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). There has been increased trade in higher education services among member states of the SADC. This has necessitated regional regulatory cooperation in quality assurance and accreditation. SADC has established the Southern African Quality Assurance Network as a regional network of external quality assurance agencies. This paper presents a framework that can be used to enhance regulatory cooperation within the Network on quality assurance in higher education with special focus on CBHE. The paper identifies the main areas of focus as people mobility, institutional and programme mobility, accreditation and registration and recognition of academic credentials. Proposed mechanisms for regulatory cooperation include regional credit accumulation and transfer system, regional qualifications framework, framework for accreditation and registration of foreign providers and framework for recognition of academic credentials.     

南非教师教育的质量保障制度

为了保障教师教育的质量,南非构建了从教师教育机构审查、教学项目认证、教师资格认证到教师专业发展的一体化质量保障体系,并为此成立了高等教育质量委员会、教育从业者委员会和行业教育培训局等质量保障机构。无论在机构审查标准、教学项目认证标准、教师资格认证标准、教师专业发展系统,还是教师专业能力描述、教师职业规范要求,教师专业发展内涵上都颇具特色,为教师教育质量保障制度体系的构建提供了有益的国际经验。     

高等教育质量的社会保障:特点、途径和实现条件

政府、社会和高校分别代表着高等教育运行过程中的三种基本力量,也是高等教育质量保障的三大基本主体。相对于政府和高校的质量保障,社会的质量保障主要通过市场经济引导、社会舆论监督、社会中介组织评价等途径来实现。要充分发挥社会力量在高等教育质量保障中的作用,政府的放权与高校的自治是前提,市场的完善与文化的先进是关键,社会力量的整合与引导是手段。     

南非高等教育质量外部保障体系探析——以开普敦大学为例

以教育评估认证为中心的质量保障体系是确保大众化阶段高等教育健康发展的重要基础。文章介绍了南非高等教育质量外部保障体系的内容及标准,包括其项目认证与协调、机构审核、质量促进与能力发展建设;重点讲述了开普敦大学高等教育质量的外部保障实践。这给我们带来了借鉴意义,即外部质量保障体系要官方主控化,法制要先行,要重视国际合作交流。     

荷兰高等教育质量评估保障模式的改革与启示

荷兰高等教育管理及质量保障经过了持续完善的改革过程,政府建立认证制度并发挥重要引导作用,保证高校充分享有自治权,促使评估机构走向市场化,建立并完善日趋严格的评估制度,保证外部保障体系和内部保障体系相协调,政府、高校、市场和社会建立一种平等、互动、协商的治理制度。我国要全面提高高等教育质量,政府应保持＂掌舵者＂的角色,树立多样化质量观,兼顾对教学与研究的评估,注重高校的分类分层评估,培育独立性的评估中介机构,充分发挥高校自身的主体性。     

评估新模式:英国院校审计

英国一直以来都是高等教育质量保障的前沿阵地,以关注高校内部质量保障工作的有效开展为重心,其外部质量保障体系总是处于动态的发展之中.已实施近两轮的英国院校审计正是在长期实践中各方利益主体力量权衡下逐渐形成的一种模式,也是迄今为止相对成功的高等教育外部质量保障模式创新之一.     

External peer review of assessment: an effective approach to verifying standards?

There is growing international concern to regulate and assure standards in higher education. External peer review of assessment, often called external examining, is a well-established approach to assuring standards. Australian higher education is one of several systems without a history of external examining for undergraduate programmes that is currently considering the approach. What can entrants to external examining at that level learn from the UK higher education system's long history of external examining? To that end, this paper reports on a mixed methods research project designed to investigate current practices in how academic standards are conceived, constructed and applied by external examiners and debates the implications of the findings for the development of external examining in other countries. The findings suggest that the potential of experienced peers in a subject discipline to provide the assurance of standards is limited. It concludes by presenting various possible enhancements that might be considered.     

Impacts of higher education quality accreditation: a case study in Vietnam

Quality accreditation in higher education exists in many countries, including Vietnam. As of May 2018, 80 higher education institutions in Vietnam have officially been evaluated and recognised using the national quality standards. This study examined the impact of institutional accreditation on the evaluated university. The qualitative research evaluates the impact of external quality assurance from the perspective of managers of the university. The self-assessment phase helped the university assemble evidence of activities carried out at the university and the status of being recognised was believed to increase its prestige. The process, on the other hand, was also believed to be burdensome, time and cost consuming, which led to no significant changes at the institution. Lack of institutional autonomy and competence of the review team were barriers to any attempts to improve quality of higher education in Vietnam.     

澳大利亚高等教育质量保证体制综述

文章首先考察了20世纪90年代澳大利亚高等教育质量保证的发展，然后总括了澳大利亚目前多层面质量保证体制，论及了两个联合政府机构：澳大利亚学历资格评定框架署和澳大利亚大学质量保证总暑，联邦、州和地区政府以及高等教育部门的各种职能。     

Audit, Assessment and Academic Autonomy

The current preoccupation in British higher education with quality assessment, quality assurance and the monitoring of academic standards is traceable to a set of government policies which constitute an agenda for the radical overhaul of the ideals by which higher education has operated in Britain hitherto. Intent on overturning the collegial ethos of British higher education, and determined to replace the notion of a self-justifying and self-regulating academic community with a system in which universities operate primarily as pan of the national wealth-creating process, the Conservative government has used the quality debate to impose upon the universities a culture of compliance with norms of its own choosing. The net result of this process has been a deliberate undermining of academic autonomy.     

泰国高等教育质量保障体系及启示

泰国高等教育的质量保障体系由外部质量保障和内部质量保障两大体系组成。在外部,国家教育标准与质量评估办公室这一公益性组织负责对全国所有高等教育机构实施每五年一次的外部质量监控。在内部,各高等教育机构非常重视内部质量保障体系的建设,设立有校级、学院级、中心级等不同层次的教学质量保障委员会,负责对学校的教学、科研和学生服务等方面进行全程监控,以确保提供的教育产品和输出的质量达到国家和国际标准。这一做法对我国高等教育系统的质量保障体系建设具有重要的借鉴意义。