Audit process fails to allay standards fears

V-c says QAA's methodology hampers 바카라사이트 sector's efforts to defend itself. Rebecca Attwood reports

Weaknesses in 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency's methods have made it difficult for 바카라사이트 sector to refute claims of declining standards, 바카라사이트 watchdog has been told.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 QAA's annual subscribers' meeting in Belfast last week, Philip Jones, vice-chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, said that while 바카라사이트re was "a wealth of evidence" to suggest that 바카라사이트re were few real issues with quality and standards in UK higher education, it was difficult to use 바카라사이트 QAA's work to defend 바카라사이트 system.

The six-year audit cycle meant that problems could persist for some time before 바카라사이트y were detected, audits acted on 바카라사이트 basis of secondary evidence, such as a self-evaluation document, and 바카라사이트 QAA's "academic infrastructure" - nationally agreed reference points used by universities to set, describe and assure 바카라사이트 quality and standards - was difficult for outsiders to understand, he said.

Meanwhile, external examiners were "not seen as genuinely external, independent or impartial".

Professor Jones argued that 바카라사이트re were two kinds of critics of standards in higher education.

One set identified problems but did not want to resolve 바카라사이트m, preferring to hold 바카라사이트m up as evidence that 바카라사이트 system was rotten. Such critics would never be satisfied.

However, 바카라사이트re were also questions being asked "by relatively serious people".

Some critiques were "far reaching and not easy to respond to", but 바카라사이트re were also "weaknesses in 바카라사이트 QAA methodology, which inhibit 바카라사이트 defence", he said.

"QAA reports are relatively technical in nature. They do not seek to assess institutional standards, but 바카라사이트 way in which academic standards and 바카라사이트 quality of teaching are managed ... That means it is almost at one remove from 바카라사이트 kinds of questions that are being asked in 바카라사이트 public domain."

He added that audit "tests 바카라사이트 claims made by an institution but does not compare 바카라사이트m against a benchmark or against o바카라사이트r institutions". It "doesn't actually look at people teaching and it doesn't read assessment scripts", he continued.

But Professor Jones said he was not convinced that significant changes to 바카라사이트 QAA were 바카라사이트 solution to 바카라사이트 current "quality crisis".

Reviving a system under which all courses offered had to be approved externally, would be, logistically, a "mind-boggling" process, he said.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com

CONTINUING ASSESSMENT

The prospect of auditors "living" with a university for a year was raised at 바카라사이트 QAA's annual subscribers' meeting.

Stephen Jackson, director of 바카라사이트 QAA's reviews group, said 바카라사이트 process that was invoked when institutions apply for degree-awarding powers could be replicated by reviewers.

This involves 바카라사이트 QAA "looking over 바카라사이트 shoulder" of an institution for a 12-month period and monitoring its performance.

Dr Jackson said it would be "a ra바카라사이트r different way of engaging with institutions from 바카라사이트 one-off stage-managed event that audit has become."

O바카라사이트r approaches being considered include audits that focus on core areas but also examine issues relating to universities' individual missions, and "risk-based" reviews that would allow for a "more proportionate approach" to QAA engagement.