6 - Summative quality assurance systems: not good enough for quality enhancement

Abstract

In this chapter we scrutinise an elaborate institutional quality assurance model, with aspirations to develop a quality culture which aims to improve student learning, in order to discuss general issues of teaching and learning evaluation strategies. Our analysis suggests that summative student evaluations are useful for institutional quality assurance and quality enhancement at study programme level. However, they appear less efficient for quality enhancement at course module or subject discipline level, that is the loci of teaching and learning. To support quality enhancement of teaching and learning, iterative formative evaluation has greater potential and in order to promote an institutional quality culture, summative as well as formative student evaluations need to be in place, discussed, accepted and understood by all legitimate stakeholders (i.e. students, university teachers and institutional representatives).