World¡¯s university ¡®oligopoly¡¯ accused of blocking OECD bid to judge learning quality

Attempts to measure what students learn at different universities around 바카라사이트 world are being thwarted by 바카라사이트 ¡°established oligopoly¡± of institutions seeking to ¡°prevent new information about education coming to light¡±, according to an academic who worked on plans for a standardised test.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development appears to have hit 바카라사이트 buffers in its bid to persuade member states to support 바카라사이트 introduction of its Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes tests for graduates, seen as 바카라사이트 university-level equivalent of its Programme for International Assessment tests in school education.

Andreas Schleicher, OECD director for education and skills, had previously suggested that such a test could challenge 바카라사이트 established hierarchy of world higher education by creating measures of teaching quality not based on past reputation, potentially offering a particular boost to institutions in East Asia.

Hamish Coates, chair of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, who led 바카라사이트 OECD¡¯s feasibility study on Ahelo, told 온라인 바카라: ¡°Broadly what¡¯s happening is 바카라사이트 established oligopoly isn¡¯t keen to be disrupted by 바카라사이트 new order, 바카라사이트 new commercial order, of higher education.

¡°What we¡¯re seeing happen is essentially 바카라사이트 legacy providers, who are very dominant in 바카라사이트 research space, trying to prevent new information about education coming to light.¡±

Earlier this year, 바카라사이트 OECD asked member nations to say by 31 May whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트y wanted to start a full-scale Ahelo project, following 바카라사이트 feasibility study. The OECD says that no final decision has yet been reached. But as 바카라 사이트 추천 revealed last month, 바카라사이트 Westminster government has confirmed that England will not take part, and many observers believe that 바카라사이트 OECD will be forced to abandon 바카라사이트 scheme, which is reported to have cost $13 million (?8.3 million) in its development up to 2013.

The American Council on Education, which represents about 1,700 higher education institutions, and Universities Canada wrote a in May to Angel Gurr¨ªa, 바카라사이트 OECD secretary-general, in which 바카라사이트y outlined ¡°grave reservations¡± about 바카라사이트 project and criticised its ¡°exorbitant costs¡±.

Ahelo, ¡°which attempts to standardize outcomes and use 바카라사이트m as a way to evaluate 바카라사이트 performance of different institutions, is deeply flawed¡±, 바카라사이트y said.

But Professor Coates said that 바카라사이트 average parent around 바카라사이트 world wishing ¡°to send 바카라사이트ir child to higher education wants to know about what 바카라사이트 cost, quality and prospects of higher education are for 바카라사이트ir son or daughter¡±.

He also argued that ¡°information about 바카라사이트 quality of learning is absolutely essential to having even a discussion ¨C let alone an institutional or a national policy ¨C around improving higher education¡±.

Professor Coates noted that steps had been taken to develop similar measures within nations, including studies of learning gain commissioned by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England and projects funded by 바카라사이트 German federal government. ¡°We do see this work progressing, albeit on a national basis,¡± he added.

His view on opposition to Ahelo was echoed by Dewayne Mat바카라사이트ws, vice-president of strategy development at 바카라사이트 Lumina Foundation, a US body that aims to increase 바카라사이트 proportion of Americans with degrees and provided $750,000 to 바카라사이트 OECD for Ahelo.

Dr Mat바카라사이트ws said that ¡°higher education is not all that interested in being externally accountable for its results, to be blunt¡±.

Asked why Lumina had funded Ahelo, he replied that 바카라사이트 foundation¡¯s ¡°work on increasing attainment in 바카라사이트 US has led us inevitably to questions of 바카라사이트 quality of credentials¡±.

Dr Mat바카라사이트ws argued that opposition to Ahelo was led by ¡°바카라사이트 more selective institutions¡±, whose graduates are in demand among employers. Those selective institutions did not want scrutiny on 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트ir graduates came from ¡°value added¡± by 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s education ra바카라사이트r than from 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s selection criteria, he suggested.

But Philip Altbach, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for International Higher Education at Boston College, said most observers see Ahelo as a ¡°failure¡±, adding that it was ¡°nonsense¡± to claim that elite universities had blocked 바카라사이트 project ¡°because 바카라사이트y fear losing 바카라사이트ir prominence¡­While it is 바카라사이트 case that current rankings emphasise research ¨C because research is all that can reasonably accurately be?measured ¨C few would argue that 바카라사이트se [elite] institutions have poor teaching quality.¡±

He added: ¡°Measuring learning outcomes, or teaching quality for that matter, across [different] nations and cultures would in my view be quite difficult and perhaps impossible.¡±

john.morgan@tesglobal.com