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The Background of Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Engineering Education

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Engineering Education Quality Assurance

Abstract

This chapter presents a review of the historical, philosophical, political, and social background of Quality Assurance of higher education, in general, and engineering education, in particular. Such a review can help us appreciate how the Quality Assurance movement got to where it is today and the tensions that are inherent in it, as well as provide guidance for its future development. Suggestions for advancing Quality Assurance in Engineering Education are provided at the end of the chapter.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The terms evaluation and assessment (lower-case e and a) can refer to a set of techniques, procedures, instruments, and methods for measurement and analysis. These are used in formal Evaluation, Assessment, Accreditation, and Quality Assurance schemes (upper-case E, A, and QA) to monitor performance and to ensure achievement of quality outputs or improved quality. In this sense, Evaluation or Assessment are synonymous with Quality Assurance as proper nouns denoting a movement, process, approach, or even a profession (such as is embodied in the American Evaluation Associate professional standards or International Network Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education certificate program).

  2. 2.

    See the CHEA Web site for an overview of US accreditation, http://www.chea.org/pdf/overview_US_accred_8-03.pdf and for a directory of CHEA Recognized Organizations http://www.chea.org/Directories/index.asp

  3. 3.

    See the chapter “Quality Assurance in the Preparation of Technical Professionals: The ABET Perspective” by Peterson for a discussion of ABET, Inc. and the chapter “Quality Assurance in Engineering Education in the United States” by Schachterle for an overview of higher education and engineering education accreditation in USA.

  4. 4.

    Augusti describes the history, current status, and future development of EUR-ACE in the chapter “EUR-ACE: The European Accreditation system of Engineering Education and its Global Context.”

  5. 5.

    See the general discussions by Augusti (“EUR-ACE: the European Accreditation system of Engineering Education and its Global Context”) and Cowan (“Quality Assurance in European Engineering Education: Present and Future Challenges”) and the specific descriptions for Sweden by Malmqvist and Sadurskis (“Quality Assurance of Engineering Education in Sweden”), Lithuania by Valiulis and Valiulis (“Engineering Education Quality Assurance: The Essential Pillar of Higher Education Reform in Lithuania”), and Russia by Chuchalin et al. (“Quality Assurance in Engineering Education and Modernization of Higher Education in Russia”).

  6. 6.

    See specific discussions on India by Natarajan (“Assessment of Engineering Education Quality: An Indian Perspective”), Vietnam by Le and Nguyen (“Quality Assurance in Vietnam’s Engineering Education”), Malaysia by Puteh et al. (“Quality Issues Facing Malaysian Higher Learning Institutions: A Case Study of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia”), Thailand by Jitgarun et al. (“Quality Assurance for the Engineering Para-Professional in Thailand”), Hong Kong by Siu (“Quality Assurance in Engineering Education: An All-round Perspective”), and Chile and Latin America by Letelier et al. (“Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Chile: National and Engineering Dimensions”).

  7. 7.

    For example, The New York State Office of College and University Evaluation (OCUE), oversees all degree-granting colleges and universities in New York State, and assures that the programs they offer for credit meet or exceed minimum quality standards. The Office’s computerized database contains information on nearly 25,000 separate college programs. The Board of Regents Authority for Quality Assurance in Higher Education is based on various state laws and Regents Rules. See the New York State Education Department Office of Higher Education Web sites: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/ocue/ and http://www.highered.nysed.gov/ocue/board_of_regents_authority_for_q.htm

  8. 8.

    See the Web site of the American Evaluation Association: http://www.eval.org/

  9. 9.

    See Building a scholarship of assessment by Banta and Associates (2002).

  10. 10.

    Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education (Code of practice) for the guidance of organizations subscribing to the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) and other bodies offering UK higher education (The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education 2006).

  11. 11.

    Hoecht (2006, p. 548) characterizes TQM in higher education as “a clash of principal assumptions and the difference between quality management for learning and quality management for control.” This again brings up issues of language and power.

  12. 12.

    Schwarz and Westerheijden (2007) quotations included with kind permission of Springer Science and Business Media. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form without written permission from the Publisher.

  13. 13.

    An appendix to College and University Ranking Systems by Usher and Savino (2007) includes The Berlin Principles on Ranking of Higher Education Institutions.

  14. 14.

    A more detailed description of such a system is beyond the scope of this chapter and will be left to the chapter “Internal and External Quality Assurance Approaches for Improvement and Accountability: A Conceptual Framework” and other venues intended to provide practical advice and direction for the development and implementation of a comprehensive Quality Assurance system.

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Acknowledgement

Peter J. Gray wishes to express appreciation to USNA Academic Dean and Provost William Miller for granting him the sabbatical leave that provided the opportunity to complete this book.

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  1. Faculty Enhancement Center, United States Naval Academy, 589 McNair Road, 10M, Annapolis, MD, 21402, USA

    Peter J. Gray

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Correspondence to Peter J. Gray .

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  1. Fac. Sciences, Engineering & Health, CQUniversity, Boundary Road, Mackay MC, 4741, Australia

    Arun Patil

  2. United States Naval Academy, McNair Road Mailstop 10M, Annapolis, 21402, U.S.A.

    Peter Gray

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Gray, P.J., Patil, A., Codner, G. (2009). The Background of Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Engineering Education. In: Patil, A., Gray, P. (eds) Engineering Education Quality Assurance. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0555-0_1

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