Accreditation Bodies Research Articles

MODELING THE APPROACHES TO MANAGING JOINT CO-OP INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The paper offers an overview and an in-depth analysis of a management framework for developing cooperation between international higher education institutions. Given the key areas and strategic opportunities from the international higher education institution partnership, the study has identified the specifics of international cooperation that can affect the performance efficiency of international activities of higher education institutions along with providing a better focus on the range of mechanisms that can be adopted to boost cooperation between international higher education institutions to increase their efficiency. In addition, the study explores the validity prospects for the above management mechanism as an effective toolkit to enhance HEI global competitiveness. The research findings demonstrate that a higher education system, in the narrow sense, is a set of organizations (institutions) that produce (provide) educational services to individuals (consumers) who pursue higher education. From this perspective, the higher education system includes institutions of higher education, as well as other organizations: licensing, certification and accreditation bodies and research institutions that carry out analytical research in the area of higher education development; monitoring organizations – to maintain higher education quality assurance; media; NGOs; donor organizations. In this context, the primary objective of the education system is to gain maximum effectiveness and efficiency of educational activities. Apart from the above, this paper seeks to explore the effects from education internationalization, thus demonstrating that this process is critical in terms of fostering harmonization of different education systems (at the global level, as well as in the nation-wide settings). The study also asserts that education internationalization creates favourable environment to effective implementation of the goals of sustainable development, in particular those related to human capital development through education. Within the framework of this research, sustainable development of society in the context of higher education and science internationalization and global progress of humanity as well as the institutionalization transformations in political, economic and social domains is viewed as a holistic and multi-level interaction of economies, societies, states, social institutions, cultures, peoples, nations, worldviews, etc. that ultimately affects both the national models of education and science, as well as translates into a change of the global educational and research paradigm.

Societal Impacts of Higher Education Research: From ‘Publish or Perish’ to ‘Publish and Prosper’ in Business School Scholarship

This paper introduces a transformative systems-level framework for understanding the interplay of institutional, cultural, and systemic dynamics influencing the societal impacts of academic research. We introduce and apply the Societal Impacts of Research Institutional Ecosystem (SIRIE) framework to business school scholarship and academic research in higher education. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) serve as SIRIE’s normative ethical framework to benchmark: institutional mission; accreditation bodies’ compliance requirements; faculty tenure and promotion research expectations; the influence of rankings and ratings; and journal quality metrics. Our framework acknowledges the role the Anthropocene Epoch plays in contributing to contemporary social and environmental problems. We argue that recalcitrant institutional forces in academia neutralize the promise of academic scholarship to galvanize meaningful societal impacts. We assert that the contemporary state of higher education research is unfortunately dominated by a “publish or perish” mentality. This narrative produces academic research that is decontextualized from today’s exigent “grand challenges” related to poverty, climate, equity, health, peace, environment, etc., as well as transformative solutions for a sustainable future. By exploring an alternative paradigm for academic research through SIRIE and the SDGs—“publish and prosper”—we detail how academic research can meaningfully contribute to change the world for the better.

LC-MS/MS analysis of erythrocyte phosphatidylethanol in haematocrit-corrected whole blood versus isolated erythrocytes: Results of an inter-laboratory comparison.

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is a non-oxidative metabolite of alcohol (ethanol), which is a sensitive and specific indicator of historic ethanol consumption. Although PEth production from ethanol is catalysed by the ubiquitous enzyme phospholipase D, it resides mainly within the erythrocyte compartment of the blood. PEth analysis has been reported in different preparations of whole blood, representing one of the barriers of inter-laboratory comparisons. We previously reported that expressing PEth concentrations in terms of blood erythrocyte content is more sensitive than whole blood volume, and haematocrit-corrected liquid whole blood calculations of erythrocyte PEth and isolated erythrocyte PEth concentrations are comparable when assayed under identical analytical conditions. Acceptance of a clinical diagnostic assay by accreditation bodies requires proficiency testing with a third-party analytical facility. To explore different blood preparations within the same inter-laboratory program, 60 matched isolated erythrocyte or liquid whole blood specimens were tested at three laboratories. Laboratories measured PEth by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), two using isolated erythrocytes, while the third used liquid whole blood, which underwent haematocrit correction before comparison with isolated erythrocyte PEth concentrations. There was acceptable consensus (87%) among laboratories to detect PEth around a cut-off of 35 μg/L of erythrocytes. Each laboratory correlated well with the group average PEth concentration (R > 0.98) for each specimen above the cut-off. Differences were observed between laboratories in bias, which did not affect comparable sensitivity at the selected cut-off. This work demonstrates the feasibility of an inter-laboratory comparison for erythrocyte PEth analysis across different LC-MS/MS methodologies and different blood preparations.

The use of Google Sheets for Specimen Tracking, Pathologists’ Requisitions, Quality Control and Data Retrieving for Statistics, Search and Research in Anatomical Pathology Laboratories in the Absence of Barcoding and/or Anatomical Pathology Laboratory Information System

Background: Many Anatomical Pathology laboratories do not have a barcoding system or an anatomical pathology laboratory information system that allow for better workflow by tracking of specimens and orders, quality control documentation, statistics calculation, search and data retrieval for research purposes. Aim: This paper will show how Google sheet can be used as an alternative using the checkboxes, the electronic edit history and other features. Materials and Methods: Google accounts were created then Google sheets were designed with specific details and the daily quality log was designed to show compliances to national and international standards. Results: Descriptive templates allowed for tracking of specimens and pathologists’ requisitions, quality control documentation, statistics calculation, search and data retrieval for research purposes. Conclusion: Google sheet can be used in the absence of barcoding systems or an anatomical pathology laboratory information system for tracking, documentation, search, research and monitoring of all activities by the supervisor as required by some accreditation body.

“Teachers’ Impact on the Implementation of Human Rights Education in International Indian Schools in Kuwait

With globalization, the establishment of private international schools has increased, particularly in nations with large migrant populations. These schools are affiliated to accreditation bodies from their respective country of origin for curriculum and assessment, although they may also be subject to certain norms within host countries. This duality alludes that students’ knowledge is largely dependent on the teacher who effectuates the official curriculum defined by the accrediting institution into the actual curriculum within the classroom. Although this reflects on all courses taught, it has wider implications in the effectiveness of Human rights education (HRE). This paper investigates key factors that determine the effective implementation of HRE by teachers in international schools, using the case study of Indian schools in Kuwait. By developing the 3I model (Introduction, Interpretation, and Implementation), the researchers determined the causative linkages in the structure and effectiveness of school curriculum for HRE, measured with exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The results indicate that human rights are not adequately addressed in the official curriculum and the teacher’s own knowledge and comprehension of human rights influences the application of HRE in the actual curriculum, which may present scope for bias and subjectivity.

REVIEW OF PHOTOGRAMMETRY, REMOTE SENSING, AND GEOSPATIAL SCIENCES REQUIREMENTS BY VARIOUS ACCREDITATION BODIES

Abstract. Technological advancements in the fields of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, and Geospatial Sciences continuously alter the way we collect, process, and interpret datasets. Accreditation bodies and institutions often need to respond to those changes and make timely modifications to stay current with technology changes and industry needs. However, it can be generally stated that the industry can adapt and adopt technological changes faster than accreditation organizations and institutions, because the process of modernizing curricula can be time consuming and slow based on organization / university / college policies. In addition to industry demands, institutions must adhere to and follow accreditation requirements. This paper reviews several accreditation requirements related to Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, and Geospatial Sciences. The accreditation bodies that are reviewed focus on organizations in Northern America and Europe due to ease of access to information. The review provides insights about their curricula criteria, their level of detail, if they can be considered current based on industry needs, and if they provide enough flexibility for modernizing curricula without violation of accreditation policies and criteria.

Libraries, Archives, and Records Placements from Four Perspectives: Placement Students, Higher Education Program Providers, Placement Host Institutions, and Accreditation Bodies

ABSTRACT Placements have been a long-standing practice of the Higher Education (HE) sector, including in the areas of libraries, archives, and records. The study investigates perceptions of placements amongst placement students, higher education program providers, placement host institutions, and accreditation bodies. A qualitative case study approach with individual semi-structure interviews as the means of data collection is employed. The research will facilitate and enable purposeful and effective student placement programs in the libraries, archives, and records sector.

Remote online open book examinations: through the lenses of faculty and students in health professions programmes

BackgroundOpen book examinations have been used to assess students’ higher order cognitive skills. These examinations can be conducted online remotely with the advancement of technology. However, there are concerns regarding its validity and reliability particularly if the examinations are not proctored. The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of faculty and students in health professions programmes about remote online open book examinations (ROOBE).MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted among 22 faculty staff who were involved in ROOBE in health professions programmes. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a thematic analysis approach. The perceptions of 249 medical students were obtained using an online questionnaire after they completed ROOBE.ResultsThe faculty agreed that open book examinations could promote students’ higher order cognitive skills and reduce students’ stress. However, they were concerned about students’ academic integrity during non-invigilated ROOBE which could affect recognition by accreditation and professional bodies. The shift from traditional practice of closed-book examinations to ROOBE required change management with the support of guidelines and faculty training. Majority of the students claimed that the examinations were challengingas they assessed their ability to apply knowledge in real world problems. Nevertheless, they preferred ROOBE due to less anxiety and memorisation, andmore emphasis on problem solving skills. The shortcomings were insufficient time for information searching duringexaminations and uncertainty in preparedness for future practice as theyfocused less on memorisation of factual knowledge during examinationpreparation. Cheating among peers andinternet instability during non-invigilated ROOBE were the concerns highlightedby some students.ConclusionsFaculty and students expressed favourable views about ROOBE in promotinghigher order cognitive skills. Adequatetechnological support was essential during ROOBE. While there was a need toaddress issues related to academic integrity, ROOBE could be included as anauthentic assessment within the systems of assessment.

The Role of Digitization in Promoting the Globalization of the Halal Industry "Halal Chain Platform as a Model"

The Arab Organization for Industrial Development and Mining affiliated to the League of Arab States launched the International Forum for Halal Accreditation Bodies, as an Arab innovative initiative in the Halal industry inspired by the UAE Halal initiative, which in turn leads international efforts towards the globalization of the Halal industry aimed at strengthening Dubai's position as the global capital of the Islamic economy.
 In line with the technological development and digital transformation that the world is witnessing today, and in line with the Emirati initiative to globalize the Halal industry, HLC Technologies has launched the HalalChain platform, which specializes in tracking the Halal industry, based on Blockchain technology, at the company's headquarters in Dubai. It is a smart, decentralized platform, based on "Blockchain" technology and "Internet of Things", to enable entities, institutions and companies to track all stages of food production, processing and distribution, and to track the production of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics across all elements of the supply chain, to ensure safety and compliance. All health standards and controls.
 The study aims to demonstrate the role of digitization in improving productivity and promoting economic growth, and its role in spreading the globalization of the Halal industry. The study also highlights the importance of the Halal Chain platform in facilitating the process of trade exchange and strengthening the role of the state in the field of industry and trade, The study concluded that the Halal Chain platform is not only a platform for tracking products, but rather a comprehensive Islamic system on the Block Chain.

How Do Accreditation Bodies Manage Risk Associated with the Accreditation Business?

Among other factors, accreditation-focused entities operating various accreditation schemes for conformity assessment bodies are expected to fulfill requirements of international standard ISO/IEC 17011:2017 (Conformity Assessment – Requirements for accreditation bodies providing conformity assessment). Consideration should be made of legal requirements. Additional requirements of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) as well as the requirements of scheme owners, such as CORSIA and GlobalG.A.P., etc., should adhere to the word “risk,” which appears in different places of the ISO/IEC 17011:2017. The main objective of ISO/IEC 17011:2017 is to ensure competence, consistent operation, and impartiality of accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies. The term “risk” is defined as the “effect of uncertainty on objectives” (ISO 31000:2018, clause 3.1). Therefore, it is required to consider all possible uncertainties by accreditation bodies (ABs) and initiate suitable actions to prevent or mitigate such risks. Mandatory documents (MDs) published by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) have addressed how accreditation bodies should consider risks when they operate specific accreditation schemes, such as EMS, FSMS, QMS, OH&SMS, etc. There are no common viewpoints published or discussed in relation to the risks associated with accreditation bodies. This aims to create awareness of possible risks associated with accreditation bodies and share experiences with examples of cases on how accreditation bodies react to uncertain situations with respect to achieving the intended objectives of ISO/IEC 17011.

‘Risky Business’: A Comprehensive Risk Analysis of an Accreditation Body

Risk assessment and risk-based thinking are both key aspects considering the multi-faceted activities inherent in Conformity Assessment. As an Accreditation Body (AB), risk assessment is used to ensure a consistent, data-based approach towards accreditation of conformity assessment bodies. The following paper presents methodology, lessons learned, and best practices found while conducting risk management at the AB level within the Global Conformity Assessment industry. It provides a framework for conducting a Modified Fink Risk Assessment and Analysis for use by various organizations, including accreditation and conformity assessment bodies, such as testing and calibration laboratories, inspection agencies, product and personnel certification bodies, management system certification bodies, etc.

Comparison of International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS) with ISO/IEC 17000 conformity assessment standards series and ISO 19011

This study compares the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS) and ISO/IEC 17000 series as well as ISO 19011. The part that we investigate in this paper is the marine industry audit cycle that the IMO Member State Audit Scheme uses, such as ISM code certification of the vessels over 500 Gross Tonnage (GT) and the IAF peer evaluation of its members’ accreditation bodies. The reasoning for such effort is that both ISM code certification of the vessels over 500 GT and the IAF peer evaluation are long established and more mature assessment practices. The contribution of our study is to create a robust audit cycle for the IMO Member State Audit Scheme, which has not been examined in the literature.

Accreditation of Agri-Food and Medical Laboratories in the UEMOA Region: An Opportunity for the Promotion of Sustainable Public Health

In an increasingly changing and demanding world, Quality Infrastructure is an instrument that is both important and essential in a context marked by health, environmental, economic, and social issues. Among the pillars of Quality Infrastructure, accreditation plays an important role, ensuring the technical competence and integrity of bodies offering conformity assessment services, such as testing, medical testing, calibration, certification, inspection, and validation/verification based on recognized international standards. The objective of this article is to highlight the importance and role of the Système Ouest Africain d’Accréditation/West African Accreditation System (SOAC-WAAS) in preserving and promoting the health of populations and the competitiveness of West African economies. Given the importance of accreditation, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) that gathers eight countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo) created, in 2005, SOAC-WAAS, a multi-economy accreditation body. The latter is the only authorized accreditation body for the eight UEMOA member states. Its mission is to deliver and promote accreditation in the community area, particularly through the issuance of accreditation certificates to conformity assessment bodies (CABs). To date, SOAC-WAAS has accredited forty-six (46) conformity assessment bodies, including four (4) calibration laboratories, three (3) certification bodies, and thirty-nine (39) testing laboratories. Among the SOAC accredited testing laboratories, one (1) is in the field of forensics and ten (10) are medical laboratories. Fourteen (14) testing laboratories and the three (3) accredited certification bodies are operating in the agri-food sector. This result, which is certainly insufficient for the entire UEMOA region, is still encouraging and contributes to the preservation of health and protection of the population, particularly with regard to accredited agri-food and medical testing laboratories.

Experience in Implementing ISO 15189:2012 Accreditation at Chimera Transplant Research Foundation: A Molecular Testing Laboratory

ISO15189:2012 is a formal recognition by an authorized national accreditation body that a testing laboratory is competent to carry out specific tasks according to the standard. This article aims to share the experience of reaching ISO 15189:2012 accreditation at Chimera labs. A gap analysis was performed, followed by the preparation and implementation of policies and procedures for the effective implementation of QMS. After six months of intensive work, including mentoring activities, the laboratory was ISO 15189 accredited in the field of medical genetics and related HLA and immunogenetics by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, India. Our experience suggests that the implementation of a quality management system is possible even in small-sized laboratories with the help of skilled manpower and supportive management.

Immunization requirements in medical school accreditation standards

Healthcare workers (HCW) are at risk of contracting vaccine-preventable diseases and spreading these infections to their patients. Vaccination against preventable diseases prior to clinical training can mitigate this risk. Accreditation guidance can be used as an opportunity to enforce desirable norms and standards. Standards from 144 national accreditation organizations spanning 123 member states listed in the Directory of Organizations that Recognize/Accredit Medical Schools by the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research were reviewed and summarized. Findings were further stratified by World Bank income group and WHO region. While higher-income countries were more likely to have accreditation guidelines available than lower- or middle-income countries, few national medical school accreditation bodies specifically request immunization status of trainees as a standard. Further, almost none mention specific antigens for which immunity should be assessed. These findings should be used by medical school and other health professional training accreditation bodies to inform future policy direction to protect trainees as future HCW.

Telehealth Policy, Practice, and Education: a Position Statement of the Society of General Internal Medicine.

Telehealth services, specifically telemedicine audio-video and audio-only patient encounters, expanded dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic through temporary waivers and flexibilities tied to the public health emergency. Early studies demonstrate significant potential to advance the quintuple aim (patient experience, health outcomes, cost, clinician well-being, and equity). Supported well, telemedicine can particularly improve patient satisfaction, health outcomes, and equity. Implemented poorly, telemedicine can facilitate unsafe care, worsen disparities, and waste resources. Without further action from lawmakers and agencies, payment will end for many telemedicine services currently used by millions of Americans at the end of 2024. Policymakers, health systems, clinicians, and educators must decide how to support, implement, and sustain telemedicine, and long-term studies and clinical practice guidelines are emerging to provide direction. In this position statement, we use clinical vignettes to review relevant literature and highlight where key actions are needed. These include areas where telemedicine must be expanded (e.g., to support chronic disease management) and where guidelines are needed (e.g., to prevent inequitable offering of telemedicine services and prevent unsafe or low-value care). We provide policy, clinical practice, and education recommendations for telemedicine on behalf of the Society of General Internal Medicine. Policy recommendations include ending geographic and site restrictions, expanding the definition of telemedicine to include audio-only services, establishing appropriate telemedicine service codes, and expanding broadband access to all Americans. Clinical practice recommendations include ensuring appropriate telemedicine use (for limited acute care situations or in conjunction with in-person services to extend longitudinal care relationships), that the choice of modality be done through patient-clinician shared decision-making, and that health systems design telemedicine services through community partnerships to ensure equitable implementation. Education recommendations include developing telemedicine-specific educational strategies for trainees that align with accreditation body competencies and providing educators with protected time and faculty development resources.

Readiness and Challenges of Indonesian Health Higher Education Independent Accreditation Institutions

This research is intended to examine the readiness and challenges faced by the Indonesian Health Higher Education Independent Accreditation Institute (LAM-PTKes) as an independent accreditation institution with authority to carry out the accreditation of study programs in the science and health professions fields in Indonesia. Based on the case study method, LAM-PTKes generally has the infrastructure and resources to carry out its role as LAM which has the authority to accredit these study programs. The research results show that this institution still has two types of challenges. First, internal challenges include inadequate study program accreditation teams who can understand the technical aspects of accreditation and a need for more supporting IT staff who can help with the accreditation system of these study programs. Second, external challenges, namely the lack of understanding from field study program managers regarding the stages, processes, and documents needed in accreditation and the management system for accreditation supporting documents in general, still need to be better integrated. Despite these challenges, this institution strives to become an influential accreditation body in the national and global arena. To achieve this, this institution needs effective, adaptive and resilient accreditation management and an executive leadership team to manage accreditation issues developing in the digital era.

Curriculum Compliance Improvement Model for Addressing Program Outcomes in Engineering Education

Abstract - The teaching-learning methodology in the engineering education system is moving from a teacher-centric model to a student-centric model. The student-centered learning model is a method of learning or teaching that keeps the learner at the center. Outcome-Based Education (OBE) is an education model that focuses on the student-centric model which equips the students with the desired knowledge, skill, attitude, and behavior at the time of graduation. The National Board of Accreditation (NBA) is an accrediting body in India and its norms ensure that professional programs adopt OBE, and as an initiative, it has defined twelve Program Outcomes (POs). These POs are to be demonstrated by the graduates upon completion of the program. Professional programs curriculum will play a vital role in the attainment of POs. Therefore, the curriculum has to be designed in such a way that all the POs need to be addressed. The majority of the courses in the curriculum address the first five POs and are called disciplinary outcomes. The rest seven POs i.e PO6 to PO12 are generally named as professional outcomes and to address these POs, the department has to put in additional effort. In this paper, aCurriculum Compliance Improvement Model (CCIM) is proposed that performs the gap analysis of the existing curriculum and aid to enhance the curriculum compliance for PO attainment by suggesting suitable actions. These actions can be implemented by fine-tuning the curriculum design and teaching-learning process which will provide an environment for the students to attain all the graduate attributes (POs), the proposed model is illustrated through a case study. Overall, the model proposed is useful for the Tier-1 institutions that are keen on their students attaining all the graduating attributes, and also, ensures to meet the objectives of the accreditation procedure. Keywords— Accreditation, Course Outcomes, Disciplinary Outcomes, Engineering education, Outcomes-Based Education, Program Outcomes, Gap Analysis, Curriculum Design.

Child protection and safeguarding in initial teacher education: A systematic scoping review

To improve educational outcomes for maltreated children, there is an urgent need to strengthen the capacity of the education workforce to respond appropriately to their needs. We conducted a systematic scoping review to synthesize current evidence about child protection and safeguarding in initial (pre-registration) teacher education with the aim of developing a knowledge base, and understanding what we — as researchers, teacher educators, and professional accreditation bodies — can and should be doing better. Thirty-one studies (reported in 38 papers) met the inclusion criteria. Studies were coded inductively against standardised criteria and critically appraised. Coding of study aims yielded three themes forming a descriptive map of research in the field: (i) studies investigating student teachers’ perceptions of their preparedness to deal with child protection and safeguarding (n = 15); (ii) studies investigating preparation for child protection and safeguarding in initial teacher education courses (n = 14); and (iii) studies investigating student teachers’ preferences for future training (n = 2). We identified key contents or topics covered, teaching methods and delivery modes, time allocations, and personnel involved in course delivery. Findings show that child protection and safeguarding are seldom investigated in initial teacher education, averaging only one published study per year over a 32-year search period with most studies having been conducted in Australia and the UK. Time allocated to child protection and safeguarding in initial teacher education courses varied from 1 to 16 h. Content covered was limited to several core topics with primacy given to child maltreatment subtypes, indicators, and reporting duties. Delivery methods were dominated by lectures, workshops, and discussions. Few studies had investigated the efficacy of innovative and interactive teaching strategies or online learning. We conclude that child protection and safeguarding in initial teacher education may be improved by leveraging off existing well-designed, rigorously evaluated programs, which have been found to be feasibly delivered and acceptable to future professionals.

Situation analysis of optometric education in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

There is a scarcity of research evidence on the state of optometry education in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). To assess the state of optometry education in the EMR and provide evidence for policymakers and stakeholders. Twenty-two purposively selected key academic stakeholders from 21 countries and the Eastern Mediterranean Council of Optometry completed a semi-structured optometry situation analysis questionnaire about the state of optometry education in their respective countries between August 2021 and January 2022. Data was analysed using SPSS version 25. Data from 19 (86%) of the 21 countries and 1 territory were included in this analysis. Eight (36.4%) countries offered bachelor's degree programmes and 5 (22.7%) offered a diploma, 6 (27.3%) countries did not offer any optometry education. Saudi Arabia offered a doctor of optometry programme. Programmes were accredited by an accreditation body through periodic quality audits in 7 countries. Morocco had the highest average number of graduates per annum (n = 305), while Yemen had only 20. EMR countries differ in the number of optometry education programmes offered, as well as in their curricular competency levels and systems to monitor quality standards. There is a need for regional collaboration to harmonize and improve the quality of optometry education in the EMR.