Challenging the system: envisioning the future of quality assurance

Cristina-Ramona Fiț

Delia Gologan

Anca Prisăcariu

Workshop content

1. Current context and challenges

2. World-café spider methodology

3. Group work

4. Scenario of future developments in quality assurance

Current context and challenges I- As a priority of EHEA, quality assurance is now being reflected in legislations, policy

making at national level and QA agencies’ provisions;- QA policy and practice substantially influences institutional priorities and focuses,

becoming an increasingly important matter for institutions, and for public policy anddebates on education;

- As the demand for higher education has increased, so has the demand for itsaccountability, reliability and value for money (Harvey and Askling, 1965);

- HEIs now face much larger competition; in order to attract more students, institutions areunder the constant pressure of having to maintain their quality, standards, reputation andespecially the student experience they provide;

- Quality of education is closely linked to four inter-related purposes, namely: • preparation for sustainable employment;• preparation for life as active citizens in democratic societies;• personal development; and• the development and maintenance, through teaching, learning and research, of a

broad, advanced knowledge base (Bergan, 2005).

- Given the internationalization of QA, agencies have the responsibility not only toassure the institutions and the public that the education and experience providersdeliver is of a good standard, but also to maintain trust in the education systeminternationally;

- Therefore, QA managed to raise the trust in the QA structures, but most importantly inthe quality of education itself;

- Many external quality assurance mechanisms still do not manage to take a holisticview of quality (EHEA, 2012);

- Peter Williams (2008) observes that many agencies had become fixated on processesrather than focusing on their original quality promotion purpose. He expressedconcerns about what he called “the ossification” of quality assurance;

- There is a tendency of hardening the quality assurance in the direction of regulation, amove away from a regime which at least included the notion of quality improvementbased on collegial engagement and recommendations to a regime requiringjudgements of compliance against set standards (Bergan, 2011).

Current context and challenges II

World-café spider methodology

30 cards - presenting key-factors that willdetermine global changes and mightaffect the future of Quality Assurance;

- to be selected according to theimportance given by the participants tothe key factors;

- reflect the potential impact in changingquality assurance in EHEA.

World café Spider

Facilitator

PARTICIPANT

As the cards get closer to the center of the spider-web, the factors are considered to be more important for the future changes inHigher Education and QualityAssurance.

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

1

2

3

The participants choose

Types of decisions:

- Individual

- Group-decisions

For:

• Introducing new cards;

• Moving a card towards the center of the spider-web;

• Moving a card towards the exterior of the spider-web;

*All decisions must be supported by arguments.

World café Spider

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

- Choose a facilitator - 20 min. – getting

familiar with thecards

x 3 Rounds

• 10 min.• 10 min.• 10 min.

Facilitator

PARTICIPANT

1

2

3

World café Spider FACILITATOR

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

J

ROUND 1 Each participant chooses 2 cardsto place on the first exterior rowof the spider-web + offersarguments for his/her choice(10 min.)

1

J – Joker = a blank card filled-in by aparticipant in order to introduce a newfactor that was not considered by the facilitators

World café Spider

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

J

ROUND 2The participants have thechance to move forwardone of the cards alreadysuggested by the otherparticipants + offerarguments (10 min)

FACILITATOR

1

2

3

World café Spider

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

J

ROUND 3

Participants are asked to discussand place 3 cards in the center of the spider web(10 min)

FACILITATOR

1

2

3

World café Spider

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

PARTICIPANT

J

FACILITATOR

ROUND 3

Participants can negociate and moveBack-and-forward until they reacha common decision about thecards that will remain in the center

3

Results

• A representative of each group presents the 3 chosen cards and the arguments for the group’s choices (3 min./group)

• 10 min = discussions

Food for thought (given these challenges)

•What is your opinion about the chosen global changes (key factors)?

•How these factors affect the future of QA?

•What should individuals/institutions/national governments do to take QA further in this context?

•How does the scenario of future developments in quality assurance look like?

Sources (key cards pictures)

1. http://www.csstoday.com/Item/538.aspx

2. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Human_migration

3. http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-05-28/news/62766199_1_earth-sciences-harsh-vardhan-high-performance-computing-extreme-weather-events

4. http://jordan1communication.blogspot.ro/

5. http://www.acube.com/en/digitalisieren.html

6. https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/intreg-development-2013-06-14-en

10. http://www.studyinchina.com.my/web/page/brics-emerging-economies-rankings-2015/

11. http://www.mindingthecampus.org/tag/pell-grant/

12. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTEDUCATION/0,,contentMDK:22640776~menuPK:4995933~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:282386,00.html

13. http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/09/equality-is-not-enough/

14. http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jan/20/moocs-global-thirst-education

15. https://careerdevelopmentmusings.wordpress.com/tag/career-development/

18. http://diversitycollaborative.collegeboard.org/

19. http://www.aic.lv/ace/WP/Transnational/pr_cartoo.htm

20. http://www.leap2020.net/euro-brics/2014/11/18/student-mobility-in-europe-and-the-brics-what-for-a-euro-brics-perspective-aiming-at-globalisation-through-cultural-diversity-based-on-clear-identities/?lang=en

21. http://www.nature.com/news/global-mobility-science-on-the-move-1.11602

22. https://www.nuffic.nl/en/news/blogs/trans-national-education-harms-development-cooperation

23. http://curinvest.com/investment-opportunities/transnational-education/

24. http://www.studyabroad.uci.edu/academics/lang.html

26. https://hughtheteacher.wordpress.com/2013/02/04/caines-arcade-style-project-based-learning-2/

27. http://lo-hei.net/?p=404

28. http://responsibility-rri.eu/the-project/work-packages/

29. http://wdfmd.blogspot.com

30. http://www.theguardian.com/education/2009/may/29/ageing-professors-overseas-scholars

31. IEMU project - http://iemu.forhe.ro/

Thank you for your contribution!

Cristina Fit, Policy expert UEFISCDI, Romaniacristina.fit@gmail.com

Delia Gologan, Policy expert UEFISCDI, Romaniadelia.gologan@gmail.com

Anca Prisacariu, Doctoral Research Fellow University of Helsinki, Finlandanca.prisacariu@gmail.com