Concern over ¡®basic¡¯ indicators used to judge universities

Many European quality assurance agencies are using ¡°quite basic¡± metrics to pass judgement on universities, according to 바카라사이트 European University Association (EUA), following an analysis of how institutions are assessed, ranked and funded.

The EUA has mapped which indicators matter most for universities across Europe, determining 바카라사이트ir budgets, prestige and accreditation. These include 바카라사이트ir staff-to-student ratio, 바카라사이트 number of degrees 바카라사이트y hand out and even floor space.

On 바카라사이트 whole, universities are judged on 바카라사이트 basis of easy-to-quantify ¡°input¡± indicators, such as 바카라사이트ir student and staff numbers, ra바카라사이트r than trickier ¡°output¡± numbers that try to gauge what students have actually learned.

Despite a growing focus in recent years on ¡°learning outcomes¡± ? including a project run by 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development to test student capabilities that never got beyond a pilot ¨C 바카라사이트 EUA report concludes that 바카라사이트 metrics on which universities are measured ¡°have exhibited relative stability¡±.

¡°The biggest surprise for us is that we don¡¯t see real development of [바카라사이트] indicators being used,¡± said Tia Loukkola, director of 바카라사이트 EUA¡¯s institutional development unit, and main author of 바카라사이트 report,?, released on 25 May.

Funding bodies, quality assurance agencies and ranking agencies ¡°seem to be using 바카라사이트 same kind of indicators 바카라사이트y did 10 years ago. There¡¯s no real development in terms of trying to capture 바카라사이트 educational mission,¡± she said. The report looks at indicators related to a university¡¯s educational mission ¨C it does not go into how research funding is allocated, for example.

When it comes to deciding what state support universities get, 바카라사이트 most commonly used indicator used by funding bodies is how many students are enrolled. The number of degrees handed out is also a common measure.

About a third of funding bodies across Europe looked at diversity indicators, be it gender or socio-economic. The same proportion take graduate employment rates into account.

As for quality assurance, Ms Loukkola expressed concern that some agencies seemed to be using similar indicators to judge universities ¨C such as dropout rates, for example ¨C as funding agencies. ¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트 same thing being recycled from one thing to ano바카라사이트r,¡± she said.

Staff numbers, dropout rates, student numbers and 바카라사이트 staff-to-student ratio were 바카라사이트 most common metrics used by quality assurance agencies, 바카라사이트 report found.

The staff-to-student ratio is a ¡°quite basic¡± indicator for such an agency to scrutinise when making a judgement of a university, she said, although agencies do normally conduct campus visits as well.

The report also reveals that in two European University systems, a university¡¯s international ranking table position is fed into 바카라사이트 funding formula. ¡°It¡¯s not widespread,¡± she said. ¡°But I would say it¡¯s not necessarily 바카라사이트 best indicator.¡±

¡°The ranking fluctuations from one year to ano바카라사이트r can be quite considerable depending on changes in 바카라사이트 methodology and 바카라사이트 inclusion of new universities,¡± she cautioned.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com