A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q u a l i t y A g e n c y

1
Global Trends in Quality Assurance
Principles and Challenges
Dr David Woodhouse Executive Director, AUQA Presid
ent, INQAAHE
A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
2
Challenges

• Challenge 1 Turning QA into a Profession
• Challenge 2 From National to International
• Challenge 3 Establishing the Place of the EQA
• Challenge 4 Dealing with Different Types of HEI
• Challenge 5 Standards Achieved by the
  Institutions

2
A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
3

• Challenge 1
• Turning QA into a Profession

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
4
Definition of a Profession
A profession is a disciplined group of
individuals who adhere to ethical standards and
are accepted by the public as possessing special
knowledge and skills in a widely recognised body
of learning.Thus, QA is becoming a profession
and needs to be approached in that fashion.
A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
5
QA as a Profession

• The QA profession already has
• - Its association (INQAAHE)
• - Its Journal (QHE)
• - Its code of ethics (INQAAHEs GGP)
• - Its apprenticeships
• The major gap is the lack of formal
  qualifications in QA.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
6
Education Qualifications in QA

• Education and training in QA is needed for
• staff of agencies
• members of agencies boards/commissions
• agencies honorary experts/reviewers/evaluators/au
  ditors
• staff of HEI QA units
• other HEI staff
• others with specific interests

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
7
Developing Practice

• The most common facet of the practice of QA is
  the standard QA process

• self-review
• self-review report
• external team visit
• team report / recommendations

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
8
Why is there nothing else?

• Could there be new models for QA?
• Changing expectations
• Conflicting requirements

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
9
Principles

• QA principles related to QA becoming a
  profession include

• Professionalism adoption of professional values
  and adherence to professional standards of
  conduct
• Development of a theory of QA
• Integrity not susceptible to inducements
• Avoidance of conflicts of interest

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
10
Principles (cont.)

• Independence of judgements all QA agencies are
  owned by someone and are there not independent,
  but their judgements can and must be independent
• Impartiality different programs and
  institutions must be evaluated differently, but
  the difference must relate only to publicly
  stated academic factors, not to hidden bias

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
11

• Challenge 2
• From National to International

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
12

• Most agencies were set up by national governments
  and therefore only have the authority to operate
  nationally.
• As institutions operate internationally, so must
  EQAs
• EQA of internationalisation / internationalisation
  of EQA

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
13

• The management of, quality of, and image of
  TNE/CBE is a matter of vital interest to the
  institutions that provide the education, the
  students that receive it, and the governments of
  countries affected.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
14

• Most definitions of transnational education list
  many possible forms of collaboration between
  organisations franchising, twinning, branch
  campuses, double-badging, articulation,
  recognition, subsidiaries, validating, exchanges,
  study abroad, etc.
• Sometimes the institutions themselves are not
  entirely clear on the structures, and it can
  certainly cause difficulties for the external
  quality agency.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
15

• Another dimension of education across national
  boundaries is trade.
• Exporters and importers and both

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
16
Mutual Recognition by agencies of each others
judgements and decisions

• First to assist institutions by not making them
  jump through two hoops.
• Second to assist students and graduates by
  setting the conditions under which institutions
  and employers are likely to recognise partial and
  completed credit.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
17
Recognition of qualifications and graduates
across borders for work and study permits student
mobility, credit transfer and graduate
employment.
A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
18

• EQAs operating internationally
• The role of the networks of EQAs

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
19

• Language issues for institutions and hence for
  EQAs
• Language issues for EQAs themselves

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
20
Principles
QA principles related to cross-border work
include

• ensuring comparability of standards for
  qualifications of the same title
• total clarity in what is offered to students, and
  explicit statement of the nature of the
  qualifications they have gained (this relates to
  place and language)

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
21
Principles

• equity of treatment of students
• avoidance of commercialism (this means not
  treating education solely as a product it does
  not mean that the educational transaction cannot
  be, inter alia, commercial whether on-shore or
  off-shore, it is reasonable for an institution to
  consider what people are willing to buy)

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
22
Principles

• respect for culture
• avoidance of imperialism or educational or
  cultural arrogance
• consideration of national needs and how education
  fits with the society (but to be higher
  education rather than training it must include
  the ability and opportunity to question received
  wisdom and current thinking, including current
  social norms, and this might not be acceptable to
  some societies)

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
23

• Challenge 3
• Establishing the Place of the EQA

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
24

• The increase in numbers of EQAs shows that
  governments are increasingly seeing the need for
  an EQA (or more than one). Many governments have
  created EQAs for various purposes

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
25

• Nonetheless, we are constantly under
• threat and subject to criticism.
• Institution attitude to EQAs can be

• appreciation and support
• or
• apprehension, suspicion or even rejection

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
26

• Employer attitude to EQAs can be
• co-operative or dismissive
• Media attitude to EQAs can be
• helpful or exploitative
• Government attitude to EQAs can be
• Supportive, sceptical or even critical

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
27

• EQAs must therefore show that we
• are credible
• make a difference, and
• are not too expensive.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
28

• Credibility
• independence, intellectual robustness,
  thoroughness.
• EQAs themselves must be of good quality

29

• Effectiveness
• What are the expectations on EQAs?
• eg

• Holding institutions accountable for funds
• Showing institutions have provided
  value-for-money (whether government money or
  students money)
• Providing evidence that teaching and research
  have contributed to national economic and social
  development.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
30

• The greatest challenge is to provide (if it
  exists!) a causal link between the operations of
  an EQA and student learning outcomes. This is
  something that needs our attention.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
31
Cost

• Institutions ask
• How much do we pay the agency? How much does
  hosting the review team cost? How much time did
  staff have to spend on this interaction? And so
  on?
• Furthermore, in talking about the cost of the
  EQA, most institutions lump in the cost of their
  IQA also.
• The cost of AUQA audit is about one coffee per
  student per year.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
32

• QA needs advocates and powerful supporters.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
33

• Principles

• QA principles related to the role of the EQA
  include
• Rigour all evaluations must be carried out as
  rigorously and thoroughly as possible.
• Effectiveness the EQA must achieve its objectives

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
34

• Economy/Efficiency the EQA must operate
  cost-effectively and keep as low as possible the
  demands it places on institutions.
• Transparency the EQAs procedures, and its own
  QA system, are known to the public.
• Open the EQA reports its findings publicly
  (either in full or in summary).

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
35

• Supportive AUQA recognises institutional
  autonomy in setting objectives and implementing
  processes to achieve them, and acts to facilitate
  and support this.
• Co-operation QA should, to the extent possible,
  be a partnership between the EQA and the
  institution

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
36

• Challenge 4
• Dealing with Different Types of HEI

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
37

• Types of institutions / types of education
• We constantly talk about diversity and
  diversification new providers for HE, new levels
  of provision, a new and varied student
  population, new demands from the labour market,
  but we do not always manage to take up the
  challenges this diversification poses to the QA
  work, and the development of appropriate
  standards and procedures.
• Most institutions are non-traditional
• Quality Fitness for Purpose (FFP)

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
38

• For-Profit Institutions
• Broadly negative attitude to for-profit education
  providers, yet discussion of for-profits rarely
  dwells on the profit-seeking characteristic but
  on matters such as organisation, full- and
  part-time staff, practitioner teachers, student
  characteristics, target markets, and speed of
  operation.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
39

• Less often discussed by the usually critical
  not-for-profit sector is the high level of
  attention paid by the for-profits to getting and
  acting on student feedback and ensuring an
  employment orientation of their courses
• Ownership structures

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
40

• Bogus institutions (degree mills) are another
  type of institution
• Bogus accreditors
• Embedding QA in institutional operations.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
41

• Principles
• QA principles related to dealing with different
  types of institutions include
• Flexibility with consistency the EQAs
  operations must acknowledge institutional
  diversity and recognise that there are many valid
  structures.
• Equity of treatment of institutions
  objectiveness with respect to types of
  institution, with no double standards

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
42

• Courage, and avoidance of favouritism, with no
  leeway given to fraudulent or deceitful operators
  no matter how powerful or vocal the interested
  parties may be
• Creativity and ingenuity in finding new ways of
  dealing with new educational institutions and
  modalities
• Comprehensiveness

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
43

Challenge 5 Standards Achieved by the
institutions
A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
44

• How good are the institutions results / the
  institutions performance?
• Measuring / affirming standards / outcomes
• What can an EQA say about an institution?

44
A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
45

• Qualifications frameworks
• Professional accreditation
• Standards
• International comparison (notably The Washington
  Accord)

45
A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
46

• More means different v. More means worse
• There never were absolute standards
• No absolute standards over time
• Need different skills to solve different problems

46
A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
47

• Principles
• QA principles related to institutional standards
  include
• Educational outcomes should be clearly stated.
• There should be evidence of achievement of
  outcomes.

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
48

• Principles (cont.)
• The EQA should report clearly on its findings.
• The EQA should make clear what it is or is not
  saying its findings must be strongly
  evidence-based

A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
49

Further information aboutINQAAHEhttp//www.inq
aahe.org
AUQAhttp//www.auqa.edu.au
A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y
50
David Woodhouse Executive Director, AUQA President
, INQAAHE
50
A u s t r a l i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s Q
u a l i t y A g e n c y