International Experience for Assessing the Quality of Educational Services at Higher Education Institutions

World Bank

Washington, DC

关键词: ACADEMIC FREEDOM;    ACADEMIC INFRASTRUCTURE;    ACADEMIC REPUTATION;    ACADEMIC STAFF;    ACADEMIC STANDARDS;   

RP-ID  :  68724

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The Government of Poland benefits from aTechnical Assistance Activity in support of the reformsunder way in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.This Technical Assistance accompanies Development PolicyLoans financed by the World Bank; its activities have beenidentified jointly by the Government of Poland and the WorldBank. One activity is focused specifically on the assessmentof the quality of educational services at Higher EducationInstitutions, specifically for post-graduate courses andtraining (adult education). This report has helped us toidentify the main key characteristics of a good qualityassurance system. To us, it should in particular: Be capableof correctly grasping the essence of university teaching andlearning and being able to seize it correctly, encourageuniversities to develop a quality culture promotingimprovement instead of encouraging them just to pass thecriteria necessary for accreditation or similarratification, but it should also provide an external checkand support. To make it happen, the system should be focusedon the fitness for purpose of the strategies followed byHEIs and quality assurance processes more than onpre-defined criteria; be as much institution-driven asagency-driven, which means that internal quality assuranceprocedures are an important element of quality assurance; beas light as possible by pushing the concerned institution todo a great part of the work as it is finally in its interestand by avoiding processes in which the bulk of the work isdone by external experts. Finally be partly adapted to thetype of institution. The higher the level of the institutionmeasured by its research performance and quality of itsteachers and students, the more it is advisable to have aninstitutionally-led system. On the other hand, modestprofessional schools or universities, particularly if theyhave been strongly regulated for a long time, as well asprivate institutions that are permanently fighting forsurvival, are more in need of a rigorous external evaluationmade by an agency. This does not mean, however, that theyare freed of developing their own internal QA system as itis also important for them to put quality as a high priority.