Transcript QUALITY ASSURANCE IN IRISH HIGHER EDUCATION Tuesday, September 19 Fergal Costello Higher Education Authority Overview: 1.

QUALITY ASSURANCE
IN IRISH HIGHER
EDUCATION
Tuesday, September 19
Fergal Costello
Higher Education Authority
Overview:
1. Overview - Ireland
2. The basis for quality assurance
3. The practice of quality assurance in the Irish Higher
Education Sector
4. Recent reviews of Irish quality assurance systems
5. Conclusions
Overview
• Population c 4 million
• GDP circa €161 billion /GNP c €136 billion
(2005)
• Roughly 135,000 students in Full time third level
education
• c. 55% of relevant age cohort progress to higher
education (2004)
• Investment in Higher Education
– Spend on Higher Education 2005 c. €1.5 billion
or 3.3% of total Govt spending
Introduction to Irish Third Level Education
• Developments in higher education in Ireland, particularly
over the past twenty years, have been based on a
differentiated system of third-level education
• One part is formed by the universities and the designated
institutions under the Higher Education Authority, with
state funding allocated by the Authority
• The other part includes the institutions designated under
the Regional Technical Colleges Act, 1992, and the Dublin
Institute of Technology, with state funding allocated
directly by the Department of Education & Science
The Basis for Quality Assurance:
The Universities Act 1997 and QA
Universities are required
“to establish and implement procedures for quality assurance aimed at
improving the quality of education and related services provided by the
university”
These procedures shall include –
– “the evaluation, at regular intervals and in any case not less than once in
every ten years …. of each department and, where appropriate, faculty of
the university and any service provided by the university, by employees of
the university … and by persons, other than employees, who are
competent to make national and international comparisons on the quality
of teaching and research and the provision of other services at university
level, and
– assessment by those, including students, availing of the teaching, research
and other services provided by the university”
The Basis for Quality Assurance:
Institutes of Technology
• Section 28 of Qualifications Act
• Providers to establish procedures for QA in agreement with
Council
• Includes
– Evaluation of programmes
– Evaluation by learners
– Evaluation of services
• Council, in consultation with NQAI, shall review
effectiveness of procedures established
• Consultation paper issued April 2005 setting out process
for reviews
The Basis for Quality Assurance:
Dublin Institute of Technology
Qualifications Act S.39
– DIT to establish QA procedures in agreement with
NQAI
– NQAI to consider findings of such proceudres and
make recommendations to the Institute
– NQAI in consultation with DIT review effectiveness of
procedures and implementation of findings of
procedures
The Practice of QA in Irish Universities:
1.
The Self-Assessment
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
What is the university trying to do?
How is the university trying to do it?
How does the university know it works?
How does the university change in order to improve?
2. The Peer Review Group
–
3.
Concentrates on fourth question
Publication and Implementation
–
As per Universities Act, Section 35
4. Response
The Practice of QA in IoTs
• Programme Validation
• Delegation of Authority
– Programme Accreditation Committee (PAC)
– Research Degree Committee (RDPC)
• Both the PAC and the RDPC have delegated validation powers
• Agreement on quality assurance procedures with HETAC
– Institutions to be reviews at periodic intervals
• Approach considered effective
The Practice of QA in DIT
• Degree awarding powers since 1997
• Qualifications Act 1999
– DIT obliged to agree its quality assurance procedures
with the NQAI
• Academic Quality Assurance Committee
– Focuses on school-bases reviews
– Regular monitoring of existing courses
Recent reviews:
2005 EUA University Review
Recommendations:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Peer Review Team Members
Broader Definition of Quality
Shorter time-frame
Review of Inter-disciplinary processes
Link to Strategic Plans
Focus on the useful outcomes of the QA review
Increase role of student in the QA review process
Other Recent Reviews:
HETAC Review (2006)
DIT Review (2006)
•First review of HETAC
•Performed statutory functions
effectively
•Complied with the Standards and
Guidelines for Quality Assurance
in the European Higher Education
Area
•Jointly commissioned by the DIT
and the NQAI
•Aim was to assess DIT’s ability to
change via its strategic planning
and internal quality culture
•Review published on website
Way Forward
• Relatively new QA system
– Yielding important returns
– OECD Review: Needs to evolve and mature
– Continuing Changes – Bologna declarations, international
developments etc
• Need to build awareness of quality among the general
public
– Quality reviews are published yet receive low level of media
coverage.
Way Forward II
• Challenge to maintain standards cross an institution’s
courses over the years
– 2004 percentage of first class and upper second class awarded
increased in every university since 1998
– Always a level of variation, but persistent upward trend an issue
• Need to address inconsistencies between institutions of
higher education
– QA needs to ensure that confidence is maintained in every course at
every higher education institution
• Ensure procedures are useful means of signaling
weaknesses and allowing for effective action
– 2003 review of Medical courses in Ireland
– Major concerns over standards identified but how to improve the
standard?
Way Forward III
• How to link funding to improved teaching and learning?
– Careful of risks involved
– But high level of concern nationally over need to safeguard quality
of learning
• Research investment
• Increasing numbers of entrants, and widening of ability of
specturm of entrants
– One option may be to ask institutions to set their own targets and
standards arising out of QA processes
– Those targets can be used as basis for allocation of a small part of
overall grant
– Further consideration and consultation necessary
Way Forward III
How to link funding to improved teaching and
learning?
– One option may be to ask institutions to set their own
targets and standards arising out of QA processes
– Those targets can be used as basis for allocation of a
small part of overall grant
– Further consideration and consultation necessary
Way Forward IV
• International Elements
• Facilitating and supporting European developments
– Bologna Declaration of 1999 co-operation with regard to
quality assurance
• Berlin Communique 2003
– Quality at heart of European Higher Education Area
– Process for the development of agreed set of standards
procedures and guidelines on quality assurance
• Bergen Communique 2005
– Progress within countries on development QA in line with Berlin
– Greater work in respect of student involvement and international
co-operation