Quality Improvement In Higher Education Research Articles

Performance Management and Quality Assurance in Higher Education

This article proposes a framework to promote continuous quality improvement in higher education by bringing performance management and quality assurance together in a single approach. Blending the two systems eliminates the challenges of a two system approach. The study employed a quantitative methodology, with data collected by means of a closed-ended questionnaire administered to academic and administrative staff at four purposely selected public higher education institutions in Zimbabwe’s four major ethnic regions. The questionnaire drew insights from a framework developed by Silimperi et al. (2002) on essential elements for developing quality assurance systems. Fourteen elements were used to determine the possibility of blending the two systems. Of these, nine had a mean score of 4.0, three above 3.5 and two had a mean score of less than 3.5. These results indicate a high likelihood that the systems can be blended.

Exploration of Higher Education Management from the Perspective of Educational Ecology

The core of higher education management from the perspective of educational ecology is to build a multi-level, multi-agent and diversified ecosystem to realize sustainable development and quality improvement of higher education. This paper will conduct in-depth research on the basis of ecology theory of higher education management, as well as characteristics, practical exploration, and future prospects of higher education management from the perspective of educational ecology, and explore the theoretical and practical connections between higher education management and ecology, as well as how to promote the internationalization and innovative development of higher education. In short, the research on higher education management from the perspective of educational ecology will help to build an ecosystem, which can meet the requirements of modern social development, improve the quality of higher education, and cultivate more talent resources for the country and society, for higher education management.

Examining nursing students’ perceptions of educational environment: Further validation of DREEM instrument

Background: Educational environment is an essential foundation for the effective learning process of students, which in turn contributes to the success of a curriculum. The evaluation of educational environment from students’ perception has been considered as an indicator for the quality improvement of higher education. This study aimed to explore the Vietnamese nursing students’ perception of educational environment and identify internal consistency reliability of the Vietnamese version of the (Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure) DREEM instrument. Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 102 second-year undergraduate nursing students in a medical university. An online survey, including the 50-item DREEM questionnaire, was used to obtain student’s perception of learning environment. Results: The overall Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the V-DREEM in this study was 0.95 and five sub-scales ranged from 0.74 to 0.85, demonstrating that the V-DREEM instrument has good internal consistency reliability for measurement. The overall score of DREEM was 143.89/200 (SD =17.50), indicating a positive educational environment perceived. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of the items were rated high score, however, there were aspects perceived as problematic including teaching methods (The teaching is too teacher-centered), student-teacher interactions (The students irritate and annoy the teachers), and students’ learning approaches (I feel able to ask the questions I want). Conclusion: The study results suggested the specific areas, including teaching methods, student-teacher interactions, and students’ learning approaches, that need more attention to enhance the educational environment for nursing students in Vietnam where the reform of nursing education has eventuated recently.

Higher education quality improvement and economic growth in China

This study presents a transmission mechanism that sheds light on the relationship between higher education quality improvement and economic growth performance. To evaluate this relationship, we employ panel models with a macro-level higher education quality index to investigate national and regional samples of China from 1999 to 2018. Our analysis reveals several key findings: (1) Higher education quality improvement has a direct effect on economic growth, although its contribution to rapid economic growth has been relatively small given the increased enrollment in higher education. (2) Higher education quality improvement has an indirect effect on economic growth via the promotion of technological innovation. (3) Factor inputs on the supply side, market opening on the institutional side, new urbanization, and infrastructure continue to be vital drivers of sustained economic growth. Our empirical results underscore the importance of improving higher education quality for facilitating China’s high-quality development in the new era.

A Study on the Correlation Between Higher Education Quality Assessment and Teacher Professional Development

This article explores the correlation between higher education quality assessment and teacher professional development. Teachers are the most important resource and supporting force in higher education, and their professional abilities and development level directly affect students’ learning outcomes and educational quality. The quality assessment of higher education plays a guiding role in the professional development of teachers, while the professional development of teachers plays a guarantee role in the quality assessment of higher education. At the same time, there is a mutually promoting relationship between higher education quality assessment and teacher professional development, forming a virtuous cycle that jointly promotes the continuous improvement of higher education quality.

Stakeholder Engagement and Determination of Priority Strategies in Quality Improvement in Higher Education

Stakeholder management is vital to the project's success because the strategies, plans, methods and processes for stakeholders determine the success of implementing sustainable construction. This study aims to analyze the quality improvement of tertiary institutions in optimizing stakeholder involvement and determining quality improvement priority strategies. The research method used is qualitative, with the NVivo 12 application analysis. This research was conducted at the Pacific University (UNIPAS) Morotai. The study results show that through stakeholder involvement, Pacific University Morotai is committed to developing the potential of Morotai's human resources for the development and progress of the Morotai Island Regency area. As well as the proposed quality improvement priority strategy is also inseparable from the proposed derivative strategy in quality improvement within the Pacific University of Morotai itself. This derivative strategy can be effective, assuming the priority strategy can be implemented effectively.

Higher Education Course Evaluation Based on Deep Learning Model

Higher education has completed a revolutionary transition stage from traditional elite education to mass quality education, and the improvement of higher education quality has increasingly become the focus of social attention. Courses are the most basic unit of university teaching, and the quality of courses directly affects the quality of personnel training. The expansion of higher education has resulted in insufficient teaching resources and a decline in the quality of courses. Improving quality is the eternal theme of higher education reform. How to formulate scientific curriculum quality standards and objectively evaluate curriculum quality is the most concerned issue of the society. Therefore, in-depth analysis of the factors that affect the quality of the curriculum and the establishment of the curriculum quality evaluation system and method has certain practical significance for improving the quality of the curriculum. This work combines the evaluation of higher education courses with deep learning models and proposes a network MSACNN for quality evaluation of higher education courses. This work proposes to use an attention-based multiscale network to explicitly learn the relationship between the qualities of various higher education courses. By using parallel networks with different convolution kernels, it combines different scale features at the same spatial location to better learn the relationship between the quality features of higher education courses. This work conducts sufficient experiments on the higher education curriculum quality dataset, and the experimental results demonstrate that the multiscale network based on the attention mechanism exhibits superior performance. MSACNN surpasses other machine learning methods in both precision and recall metrics.

Course enhancement conversations: A holistic and collaborative evaluation approach to quality improvement in higher education

This practice article describes the use of collaborative evaluation for institutional improvement leading to continuous learning at a regional university in Australia. The University of Southern Queensland’s Academic Quality Framework (2019–2022) was developed in response to external drivers to improve practices relating to the comprehensive and systematic analysis of academic data. One aspect of the response was to introduce ‘course enhancement conversations’, which were a collaboration between the central Academic Quality Unit and academic staff, including course teams and learning and teaching leaders within schools and faculties. A feature of these conversations was the use of sentinel rather than performance indicators of course (not teaching) quality to prompt the holding of conversations. Conversations were conducted in a spirit of constructive collaboration, where the shared goal was to support course teams to deliver an outstanding student experience. Through adopting a collaborative approach to evaluation, Academic Quality Unit staff were evaluation champions who gradually acculturated academic staff and learning and teaching leaders to evaluative thinking and data-informed decision-making. Issues brought to light during these conversations have informed changes in practice at the university level, including the development of a new evaluation procedure to embed best-practice monitoring and evaluation across all levels of curriculum delivery.

Sustaining Higher Education Quality by Building an Educational Innovation Ecosystem in China—Policies, Implementations and Effects

This article analyzes how China has worked to develop and build a higher education innovation ecosystem in the past decade. Binding its analysis to three types of data, namely clusters of national policies issued by important Chinese government bodies, dozens of articles in an internal journal of the Ministry of Education, and various Chinese media accounts, the article unravels how resources are mobilized and the direction chartered for unprecedented engagement between different stakeholders for education purposes. The findings reveal that the establishment of a higher education innovation ecosystem derives from the need to improve the overall higher education quality in full swing and has been realized as a strategic consensus among the government, enterprises, higher education, and social forces. The ecosystem is underpinned by the assigning of different roles to different stakeholders based on collaboration and division of labor. At the same time, there is also substantive capital, resource mobility, and the infusion of industrial technological expertise underpinning such an innovation ecosystem that involves six categories of collaboration at macro and micro levels. The impact of the higher education innovation ecosystem thus far includes deepened and extensive participation in higher education quality improvement by multiple types of stakeholders and the same type of stakeholders across different tiers. Instructors’ teaching and students’ learning have experienced changes due to the ecosystem’s impact at a micro level, and many institutions have increased shared governance practices to better cater to the synergy among different sides. At the same time, there is an unevenness in the innovation ecosystem in terms of participating higher education institutions and enterprises.

Analytical Investigation of Higher Education Quality Improvement by Using Six Sigma Approach

For over two decades in India, the technical industry's unique selling proposition (USP), with its wide infrastructure of technical institutes, has been capable of supplying best-in-class engineers. But recently, this claim does not hold water. According to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), about 2.6 lakh mechanical engineers graduate every year in India. But the real count of industry ready mechanical engineers is approximately 7%. Hence, there is a need to assess the quality of engineering education in India to reduce the flaws in higher education. The purpose of the paper is to identify the various defects associated with technical education and eliminate those defects using various quality tools. This research is based on the six sigma technique, which is used to assess the quality criteria proposed by the National Board of Accreditation India (NBA). The proposed model is then applied to a typical tier II Indian engineering college located in south India. Six Sigma has two main methodologies: DMAIC and DFSS. The DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) methodology is implemented for existing systems, whereas DFSS (Design for Six Sigma) is for assuring quality in new products. In this project, the conclusion is driven by the DMAIC methodology. Various statistical and non-statistical tools are employed in this research. The tools used are CTS-CTQ, SIPOC, Pareto chart, normal process capability analysis, one-way ANOVA, Ishikawa diagram, FMEA, RCBD, and SPC chart. All the statistical processes are done using Minitab analytical software. From the results, it is identified that the factors that have a risk priority number (RPN) greater than 300 need improvement, such as versatility in program curriculum, laboratories and workshops, and credibility among universities. Six Sigma can be achieved by developing proper strategies for mitigating these defects. Doi: 10.28991/HIJ-2022-03-02-07 Full Text: PDF

Construction and Exploration of Virtual Simulation Experimental Teaching Platform for Network Security and Computer Technology

Today, with the arrival of informatization, the application of education informatization in the field of education and teaching and the management process is being gradually deepened. The application mode has effectively promoted the profound reform of education mode, teaching methods and learning mode. The main content of the construction of higher education informatization and experimental teaching demonstration center is to establish a virtual simulation experimental teaching center, which has had a positive and important impact on the improvement of higher education quality and the deepening of experimental teaching reform. Virtual simulation technology uses a variety of emerging science and technologies to make otherwise challenging and dangerous experiments simple. According to the main characteristics of virtual simulation teaching, we discusses the application of virtual simulation teaching in computer network teaching and proposes corresponding suggestions for relevant problems.

Research and Practice of MOOC Based Innovative Education in Universities under the Background of “Internet Plus”

Under the background of “Internet plus”, the emerging open education resource MOOC (Mogao) has increasingly become the focus of attention worldwide. The advantages of MOOC, the maturity of Internet and information technology, the strong attack of famous universities and the huge market demand have become the reasons for the rapid development of MOOC. Through the analysis, we can see that MOOC has certain influence on the improvement of teachers’ teaching methods, the change of students’ learning methods, the expansion of education objects and the improvement of higher education quality.

The Impact of Blockchain Technology in Higher Education Quality Improvement

The times have made technology increasingly developed that there are innovations as new media to make it easier for humans in everyday life. Blockchain technology is an innovation that has been applied in various fields such as education, health, economy, and other areas. In this study, researchers want to see the impact that blockchain technology has had on universities in technology and information to improve universities' quality. The methodology used is by reviewing previous research papers related to the research. So that this research is expected to contribute, which can overcome the problems being faced, such as the application of blockchain in universities, namely how to use the blockchain system, what blockchain is, and how to change existing technology into disruptive technology. The experimental results state that by using data from the previous paper, the aim is to reveal the impact that blockchain technology has had on technology and information that is useful for improving the quality of universities in encouraging human potential and improving quality so that they can compete both domestically and abroad.

Outcome Based Education: A step towards Quality Improvement in Higher Education of Pakistan

The need for outcome based education is of paramount importance as outcome based education system is a student-centric teaching and learning approach in which course delivery and assessment are planned to attain certain well defined objectives and outcomes. It emphases on assessing student performance i.e. outcomes at different levels. Due to its immense benefits to the students, adopting outcome based education is a favorite choice of curriculum planners, curriculum developers, faculty, employers and students. This paper describes a basic framework of assessing outcome based education which may be implemented by the higher education commission of Pakistan in degree awarding institution across.

Does higher education development facilitate carbon emissions reduction in China

ABSTRACT Based on the data of 31 provinces in China during 2004–2015 and the models of panel threshold regression and panel quantile regression, this paper investigates the impact of China’s higher education on regional carbon emissions. The results indicate that there exists threshold effect of both China’s higher education scale and quality on regional carbon emissions per capita. Specifically, in terms of higher education scale, its further progress may facilitate the positive effect on carbon emissions per capita when technology is above threshold. As for higher education quality, its further growth may moderate the positive effect on carbon emissions per capita when income exceeds threshold; it also can promote its constrained effect on carbon emissions per capita when exceeding the technology threshold; and the continuous improvement of higher education quality may help to reduce carbon emissions per capita. Besides, the positive impact of higher education scale on carbon emissions per capita appears smaller in regions with more carbon emissions per capita; meanwhile, only in the regions with larger carbon emissions per capita, may higher education quality promote carbon emissions per capita, while the curbing impact of technology level is relatively constant among different regions with various carbon emissions.

Strategic Leadership as a Mediating Variable between Organisational Climate and Quality Improvement in Higher Education

The quality of higher education systems depends mainly on leaders. This study describes how strategic leadership influences organizational climate and enhances the continuous quality improvement of the university. Besides, this study sought to examine the mediating impact of strategic leadership on the relationship between organizational climate and continuous quality improvement in a specific context of Tanta universities in Egypt. A quantitative research design was used in this study. Data were collected from 165 lecturers from the faculty of medicine. For achieving the study's objective, SPSS version 26 and Smart PLS 3.3 software were used to analyze the data. The study revealed that strategic leadership has a full mediating influence on the relationship between organizational climate and continuous quality management. The study suggests that more emphasis should be laid on organizational climate in terms of university sources. Finally, the study concluded that the organizational climate could be improved through strategic leadership. The study recommended that the top management creates a suitable climate that improves quality improvement in Egypt's public university.

Exploring the Readiness for Digital Transformation in a Higher Education Institution towards Industrial Revolution 4.0

Assessing the impact of digital transformation in the fundamental areas of higher education at a specific university, i.e., Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) will show us the readiness for the digital university. Therefore, in this paper, we deeply analyze the characteristics of the typical model of the digital university (University 4.0) to identify the criteria to be surveyed for the assessment of the availability of HUST in digital transformation process. The analysis of survey results, thereby, discloses the effects achieved by practical implementation of digital transformation solutions at HUST. The results of this study allow us to introduce a readiness framework for digital transformation as a reference for the other higher education institutions. In addition, we can partly confirm that the trend of digital transformation is indispensable for universities in Vietnam, contributing to the improvement of higher education quality and international integration in the context of industrial revolution 4.0.

ПЕРЦЕПЦИЈЕ ВИСОКОГ ОБРАЗОВАЊА МЕЂУ УЧЕНИЦИМА СРЕДЊИХ ШКОЛА У ВОЈВОДИНИ

Future students’ expectations of higher education, and the relevance of one’s (un)realistic expectations for further academic success, are of growing importance in the context of contemporary needs for quality improvement in higher education. Research indicates that students’ perceptions and expectations regarding studies and academic life can influence their academic success, satisfaction with studies, as well as impact their decision to leave university. The research presented in this paper aims to investigate high school students’ expectations and perceptions regarding higher education and future studies. Participants were 1259 third and fourth-grade high school students planning to continue their education at universities. The paper presents qualitative and quantitative analyses of open-ended questions which were assorted in numerous categories, subjected to further statistical analysis. Results indicate that the majority of high school students hold the belief that academic studies require more effort and that the concept of academic studies, regarding the structure of lectures, greatly differs from the one in high schools. On the other hand, a surprisingly small number of high school students expect to gain advanced knowledge at the university and get better opportunities for employment after graduation. It has been concluded that there are significant statistical differences among high school students regarding their expectations, depending on their gender, age, type of high school they are attending, as well as their hometown. The results were discussed concerning their relevance for enabling an easier transition from high school to university, providing better adaptation to university life and preventing dropping out from university

AACSB assurance for STUST quality and competitiveness: balanced scorecard roadmap

Purpose This paper aims to explore the role of international quality assurance and accreditation on higher education quality improvement and competitiveness, as well as assessing the associated benefits and challenges in the Asian context with reference to Taiwan. Design/methodology/approach The paper used a qualitative approach to examine the case study of Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology (STUST) accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The paper collected survey responses from service providers (i.e. STUST faculty and AACSB) and focus group discussions with students to bridge the perception-expectation gap. Findings The qualitative results highlighted 10 key success factors and performance indicators which were later used to build a balanced scorecard (BSC) strategy for STUST quality improvement and competitiveness. Findings show that education quality assurance (via AACSB process) can directly influence the competitive advantage (i.e. for AACSB, STUST and Students) or indirectly via education quality enhancement. The results from faculty and students are consistent with the value co-creation trend to achieve continuous quality improvement more effectively and efficiently. Originality/value This research paper is unique as the first qualitative in-depth study to discuss assurance related factors that positively or negatively affect competitiveness and quality improvement for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Asia and Taiwan. The paper also contributed by designing a BSC framework and strategy-map applicable to HEIs.

ПРОБЛЕМА ОСВІТНЬОЇ ЯКОСТІ В СТРАТЕГІЇ РОЗВИТКУ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ В УКРАЇНІ

На підставі результатів авторських системних досліджень проблем освітньої якості в Україні і світі сформульовано стратегічно важливі пропозиції для забезпечення і вдосконалення якості вищої освіти. Ідентифіковано причини недостатньої освітньої якості — недосконалість університетської мережі, несформованість системи механізмів моніторингу і оцінювання якості, відсутність профілю якості вищої освіти. Аргументовано необхідність у практичному забезпеченні та вдосконаленні якості вищої освіти розрізняти і враховувати дуальність категорії якості — мінімально достатню і максимально досконалу, та відповідні механізми моніторингу і оцінювання, а також мотивації якісної освітньої діяльності — зобов’язання і заохочення досягнення якості. У пропозиціях акцент зроблено на формуванні в Україні глобально конкурентоспроможної якості, створення університетів світового і субсвітового класу, зокрема шляхом їх укрупнення.