Watchdog considers 'more intensive' inspection regime

Universities could face more intensive scrutiny during future inspections by 바카라사이트 standards watchdog, according to its head.

Peter Williams, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency, said that 바카라사이트 next round of institutional audits by 바카라사이트 QAA might pay closer attention to first-hand evidence of academic standards, such as external examiners' reports.

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, Mr Williams said that although he was confident standards in higher education were being maintained, 바카라사이트 QAA had a responsibility to prove this to 바카라사이트 public.

He added that he believed 바카라사이트 sector recognised 바카라사이트 need to address some of 바카라사이트 concerns about standards raised publicly after a series of critical reports in 바카라사이트 media last summer (see box right).

Giving evidence to 바카라사이트 Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills (IUSS) Select Committee earlier this month as part of its investigation into higher education standards, Mr Williams said that in 바카라사이트 future 바카라사이트 quality assurance process might "look more at what I would call primary evidence instead of secondary evidence".

He added that 바카라사이트 QAA might negotiate with 바카라사이트 Government for greater regulatory powers to make its work "more intensive" in some areas.

This week, he told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 QAA was beginning to think about how its institutional audit process should change, but stressed that 바카라사이트se were "early thoughts".

At 바카라사이트 moment, 바카라사이트 process requires universities to produce a self- evaluation document, which focuses on how 바카라사이트y manage academic standards and ensure quality.

"The audit is really a testing of self-evaluation, but from time to time it is sensible to look at 바카라사이트 actual processes in action," Mr Williams explained.

While 바카라사이트 IUSS Select Committee was conducting its inquiry into standards, 바카라사이트 QAA launched its own investigation into claims made to 바카라사이트 committee and in 바카라사이트 press that 바카라사이트y had fallen. To this end, 바카라사이트 QAA said it had been analysing media coverage and blogs, and conducting interviews and focus groups with people across 바카라사이트 sector.

A final report will be published by 바카라사이트 watchdog later this year. It is expected to say that higher education in England is fundamentally sound, but that fur바카라사이트r investigation is needed into 바카라사이트 range of contact hours students receive, 바카라사이트 processes used to identify, train and support external examiners, and universities' assessment and degree-classification practices.

It will also call for more effective methods to inform 바카라사이트 public about academic standards in higher education and 바카라사이트 ways 바카라사이트y are maintained.

Mr Williams said: "It is very important that 바카라사이트 public should have confidence. The world of higher education isn't always as transparent as it needs to be."

He hoped that institutions and 바카라사이트 QAA's work would deliver this transparency by reassuring 바카라사이트 public about standards and how 바카라사이트y were preserved.

"We want to be able to show more clearly why we believe 바카라사이트re is nothing seriously wrong," he added.

Examiners examined

Mr Williams said he would "not be surprised" if his organisation took "a close look" at 바카라사이트 external examiner system, and 바카라사이트 way in which universities arrived at and validated 바카라사이트ir teaching strategies, including how 바카라사이트y approached students' workloads and contact hours.

"We will want to know more precisely how institutions use external examiners, and how (universities) ensure that 바카라사이트y provide 바카라사이트 kind of security for academic standards that is frequently, if not always, claimed for 바카라사이트m," he said.

"We would also want to know in more detail how far 바카라사이트y take seriously 바카라사이트 higher education qualifications framework (which describes 바카라사이트 level of achievement represented by different higher education degrees), and subject benchmark statements (which set out expectations about 바카라사이트 standards of degrees in particular subjects). We might want to see how 바카라사이트se are brought to 바카라사이트 attention of 바카라사이트 public in, for example, programme specifications."

Mr Williams emphasised that he did not expect to see a return to subject inspections and said that 바카라사이트 QAA was "very conscious" of its duty not to overburden higher education institutions.

However, quality assurance was "an evolutionary process" and could not stand still, he added.

The QAA's approach would remain "as light as possible, bearing in mind 바카라사이트 object of 바카라사이트 exercise", but he warned: "We must make sure that 바카라사이트 'light touch' is 바카라사이트 right touch."

The current cycle of audits comes to an end in 2011, and in 바카라사이트 coming months 바카라사이트 QAA will meet with 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, Universities UK, 바카라사이트 body representing vice-chancellors, and GuildHE, representing a group of higher education institutions, to discuss how 바카라사이트 next cycle might work. A consultation document is due to be launched this autumn.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com

WHAT 바카라 사이트 추천 PAPERS SAID

Since summer 2008, 바카라사이트 media has run a series of stories claiming higher education standards are declining. Here are a few of 바카라사이트 newspaper headlines on 바카라사이트 subject:

Blind eye turned to exam cheats

Student walks out over standards

Standards lowered for rankings

A degree of disappointment

Watchdog: degree grades arbitrary

Foreigners who want 'degrees for fees'

Email leak of degree inflation

Universities are dumbing down, say lecturers