LOOKING FOR A ‘QUALITY ASSESSMENT MECHANISM’ FOR TEACHING ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY THROUGH OPEN AND DISTANCE EDUCATION

Abstract

Although general courses related to humanities, social sciences, education and pure sciences are popularly taught through distance mode, through the institutions involved in teaching distance mode techniques for some time, more practical application courses such as engineering technology and applied sciences are less popular as distance mode teaching till recent. The current technical advancement is making it possible for more practical application courses to be offered through distance education techniques. The Faculty of Engineering Technology of the Open University of Sri Lanka is one of the few faculties involved in teaching of engineering technology through distance mode in the region. Faculty offers courses leading to diploma in technology, bachelor in engineering technology, postgraduate diplomas and postgraduate degrees in engineering through distance mode. The diplomats and graduates passing out from the faculty have to compete with the diplomats and graduates passing out from the conventional universities in the common job markets. Hence to maintain a high quality of the diploma/degree is important. Attempt is made to develop a quality assurance system that will help to maintain a high standard of the faculty diploma/graduate output. This study investigates the strengths, and in particular the weaknesses of quality assessment practices used in conducting subject reviews in Sri Lankan universities, especially when it comes to subject reviews in relation to more practical application courses such as engineering technology and applied sciences. This paper describes the aspects that were looked into: adopted current practices & the weaknesses, areas identified to check on quality maintenance, and measures to be taken to improve in developing a quality assurance mechanism based on the Faculty of Engineering Technology at Open University of Sri Lanka.