THE MARKOV CHAIN AS NULL HYPOTHESIS IN A DEVELOPMENT SURVEY1

Development criteria observed as time series on nominal variables pose a problem for research design. Markov chains are attractive in the first instance because they can handle such multivariate multinomial data sets, with results that are described and demonstrated on Career Development Study data. The power of the formal probability model is purchased at the expense of assumptions that may be unrealistic. It is argued and demonstrated that where the Markov chain theory for the data breaks down is precisely where the most interesting part of the message contained in the data resides. The Markov chain is shown to be a better null hypothesis against which to array the psychometric or other prediction model than is the usually employed random walk. A new prediction system that combines information from the Markov chain with the psychometric predictors is described and operated.     

Developing a Quality Programme for Higher Education at the Hogeschool Utrecht: A Dutch Case Study

This article focuses on the development and implementation of a quality programme for higher education at the Hogeschool Utrecht in the Netherlands. Over the last 5 years, there has been increased interest in the improvement of quality for the educational process in higher education in the Netherlands. On the one hand, higher education is confronted by a diminishing number of students and reductions in government funding. On the other hand, higher education is expected to become more flexible in its organization and finance. Institutes of higher education are developing policies and procedures for assisting the primary process (‘good’ education for students and society). In the Netherlands there are special quality guidelines for services like education, derived from the standard ISO 9004-2.

The Faculty of Computer Sciences and Industrial Management of Hogeschool Utrecht appointed a project team to develop a self-assessment programme addressing topics such as student admission, educational process, graduates, educational development, personnel policy, facilities and material resources, the internal quality system structure, interaction with clients and the operational elements of quality assurance. A report on the results has been sent to the HBO-Raad—the association uniting all Dutch polytechnics and colleges—and was used as the basis for a quality audit in May 1993.