Quality Assurance in Higher Education Indicators and Variables

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Quality Assurance in Higher Education
Indicators and Variables
Part II
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Indicators of quality assurance

• Problem definition at institutional level
• Problem-solving capacity at institutional level
• Institutions orientation towards innovation
• Continuity in policy making

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First Indicator Problem definition at
institutional level

• Variables
• Education philosophy at the institution
• Attitude towards evaluation
• Use of internal reserves and capacity

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Second Indicator Problem-solving capacity

• Variables
• Specific structures and tasks
• Problem solving process
• Policy making participation of all stakeholders
  in the process
• Expertise to detect, manage and solve problems
• Trust

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Third Indicator Orientation towards innovation

• Variables
• Evaluation
• Innovative activities
• History of innovation in the institution
• Training policy

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Fourth Indicator Continuity in policy making

• Variables
• Linking education policy and total management
• Linking modes of quality assurance and quality
  control
• Linking responsibility for evaluation and
  implementation
• Dynamic assessment

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Quality Assurance in Four Types of Organisations
Quality Assurance indicators
Static organisation
Stagnating organisation
Growing organisation
Creative organisation
Problem definition at institutional level
Quality care individual responsibility out
of external pressure
Quality care individual care
Quality care is collective engagement with
external impulse
Quality care is an internalised and collective
mission
Problem-solving capacity of the institution
Informal and incidental
Definitively informal not-withstanding external
pressure
Growth to more explicite and formal schemes
Structured underpinning
Institutions orientation towards innovation
Obstacles
Obstacles in the growth towards innovation
External stimuli
Broad and flexible
Continuity in Policy making
Discontinuity
Disturbance of continuity by external pressure
Aimed at total solutions
Growing continuity out of positive perception
on external pressure
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Static organisation

• Absence of internal dynamics
• External input is seen as intruding
• There is no feeding ground for setting up quality
  care

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Stagnating organisation

• Internal dynamics
• External impulses are rejected
• Stagnating care for qualitative education
  notwithstanding external impulses

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Growing organisation

• Internal dynmics are present at embryo-stage
• External impulses give the green light
• Engagement to go to a higher level of quality
  care, triggered by external impulse

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Creative organisation

• Creative interplay between internal dynamics and
  external input
• External input is seen as an added value
• Quality care is at a superior level

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Two simple Questions

• What kind of organization represents the
  University of Vienna?
• What kind of organization should the University
  of Vienna represent?