Sustainable Quality Assurance Research Articles

An Automated Item Pool Assembly Framework for Maximizing Item Utilization for CAT

AbstractComputerized adaptive testing (CAT) has gained deserved popularity in the administration of educational and professional assessments, but continues to face test security challenges. To ensure sustained quality assurance and testing integrity, it is imperative to establish and maintain multiple stable item pools that are consistent in terms of psychometric characteristics and content specifications. This study introduces the Honeycomb Pool Assembly (HPA) framework, an innovative solution for the construction of multiple parallel item pools for CAT that maximizes item utilization in the item bank. The HPA framework comprises two stages—cell assembly and pool assembly—and uses a mixed integer programming modeling approach. An empirical study demonstrated HPA's effectiveness in creating a large number of parallel pools using a real‐world high‐stakes CAT assessment item bank. The HPA framework offers several advantages, including (a) simultaneous creation of multiple parallel pools, (b) simplification of item pool maintenance, and (c) flexibility in establishing statistical and operational constraints. Moreover, it can help testing organizations efficiently manage and monitor the health of their item banks. Thus, the HPA framework is expected to be a valuable tool for testing professionals and organizations to address test security challenges and maintain the integrity of high‐stakes CAT assessments.

토픽모델링을 활용한 유네스코 세계성인교육회의 동향 분석

This study presents an empirical examination of the evolution in adult education globally, analyzing the final reports from the 1st to the 7th UNESCO International Conferences on Adult Education, spanning 1949 to 2022. Employing topic modeling and TF-IDF analysis, it identifies central themes such as foundational concepts in adult education, the impact of societal changes like climate change, and a heightened focus on marginalized groups. The analysis highlights that the seventh conference placed significant emphasis on the necessity for transformative adult education to foster sustainable development. Initially, discussions centered around international cooperation, UNESCO's role in socio-economic development, policy-making, and research in adult education. However, post the fifth CONFINTEA, the emphasis shifted towards sustainable development, literacy, social equality, quality assurance, and broader social development. This trend reflects UNESCO's growing acknowledgment of the pivotal role adult education plays in addressing current societal challenges and promoting transformative change.

Mewujudkan sistem penjaminan mutu internal berkelanjutan melalui pendampingan audit mutu internal

The Internal Quality Assurance System is a reference for universities to better manage and organize higher education, prepare students to compete at the global level, and make a greater contribution to the local community. Bumi Sebalo Management Academy Bengkayang faces challenges in implementing the Internal Quality Assurance System, such as a lack of understanding of the Internal Quality Assurance System concept, limited human resources and infrastructure, low commitment to quality culture, and not yet having a certified internal auditor. The purpose of this community service assistance is to support the implementation of the Internal Quality Assurance System through the second cycle of Internal Quality Audit using a Participatory Action Research approach consisting of the identification/assessment stage, planning, program design, implementation, and monitoring, and evaluation. As a result, Bumi Sebalo Management Academy Bengkayang successfully implemented the control cycle and can continue to the Internal Quality Assurance System improvement cycle. This is evidenced by the support of the Organizing Board, college management, the involvement of the entire academic community, and the preparation of the second cycle Internal Quality Audit report. Internal Quality Audit assistance is very useful in realizing a sustainable Internal Quality Assurance System at Bumi Sebalo Management Academy Bengkayang

PROVENANCE STUDIES IN ARCHAEOLOGY – MORE REFLECTIVE OF ‘QUALITY CONTROL’ WITHIN A RESOURCESCAPE THAN GEOCHEMISTRY?

SummaryDespite the obvious methodological similarities between archaeology and geology, we argue here that the fundamental assumption in scientific provenance studies of inorganic artefacts provides an insufficient basis for the methodology. That assumption is that there is a geochemical link between the source of the raw material and the finished object. Although this is undoubtedly necessary, it is not sufficient. We argue that, particularly for highly processed materials such as metal, glass, or ceramics, an equally (if not more) important factor is the sequence of human activities which are applied to the raw material during processing to become an object. In fact, we suggest that the main requirement for successful provenance work is the existence of sustained and repeatable quality assurance processes during production, carried out within a defined resourcescape. Ironically, this makes provenance studies more relevant to archaeology than does the simple search for sources.

Capability Studies as a Key Driver for Product and Pro-Cess Quality Assurance in Industrialization Process

Abstract Customer satisfaction has long been an important concern for most organizations aiming to provide and ensure excellent quality products. To offer an appropriate level of quality assurance, it is necessary to have implemented a robust quality assurance system. Nowadays, mere customer satisfaction is not sufficient for organizations to sustain a mutually beneficial relationship. There has arisen a necessary requirement to go beyond customer satisfaction, aiming primarily to achieve a level of socalled cus-tomer delight. To attain sustainable product and process quality assurance and, consequently, customer delight, we must address process capability. This includes gauges, machines, and the overall process and product capability, with a specific emphasis on the design and development process, product reali-zation, and the initial flow. This also includes data gathering from the utilization stage of product opera-tion. This article deals with the capability study during the industrialization process of a new product into serial production, using chosen Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), particularly Capability indices and their sequence, to ensure the appropriate level of quality guarantee and customer delight. The article aims to broaden the existing set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) by incorporating crucial metrics from the quality domain, with a particular emphasis on Capability indices.

Quality Assurance in Kenyan higher education as a tool for keeping pace with the international standards

This paper is a desktop review which presents findings from 32 studies covering quality and Quality Assurance (QA) systems in the Higher Education (HE) sector in the Kenyan context; the choice of the studies was based on relevance, themes and the objectives of the study. The purpose of the paper was to evaluate the determinants of a sustainable quality assurance systems in higher education in Kenya. The selected studies were carefully reviewed, data was gathered and categorized into themes. The emerging patterns from the categorized data was used to answer the research questions. In that regard, this study went beyond the processes of QA, and accreditation to address the question of sustainability which presently stands as one of the key gap in the implementation of QA systems in the HE sector. The main findings of the study are: sustainable QA systems in HE is realizable by addressing the factors identified b) conceptual model is fundamental for clarity and accuracy to avoid confusion and relativism c) the processes of developing and implementing QA should be inclusive and participatory for better results, d) more partnership and collaboration are needed to solve the challenges of implementing QA systems.

PRINCIPALS’ PLANNING SKILLS AND ITS INFLUENCE ON SUSTAINABLE QUALITY ASSURANCE IN GOVERNMENT TECHNICAL COLLEGES IN THE SOUTH WEST REGION OF CAMEROON

The study was carried out to investigate “principals planning skills and its influence on sustainable Quality Assurance in Government Technical Colleges in the South West Region of Cameroon. The researcher made used of mixed method with sequential Exploratory design. The instrument used for data collection was questionnaire and interview guide. The sample was made up of 392 teachers and 11 principals proportionately selected from four Divisions (Fako, Meme, Ndian and Manyu). Data was analysed using inferential and descriptive statistics. The descriptive statistical tools used were frequency count, percentages and multiple responses options which aimed at calculating the summary of findings. To test the hypothesis, the Regression analysis was used. On the other, the qualitative data derived from interview were analysed using the thematic analysis approach with the aid of themes, and quotations. After verifying the hypotheses of the study, analysis showed that principals’ planning skills (β=0.275, p=0.011, <0.05) are positively and significantly associated with sustainable quality assurance. Based on the findings, it was recommended that; principals prioritize the development and enhancement of their planning skills in aspects such as attending workshops or pursuing relevant training programs to promote sustainable quality assurance.

A Case Study on Sustainable Quality Assurance in Higher Education

In contemporary academia, accreditation stands as a vital process for universities to uphold their reputation and deliver quality education to students. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) significantly contribute to this process by enabling institutions to assess their performance in crucial areas, such as student outcomes, faculty engagement, and research effectiveness. To achieve sustainable accreditation, universities necessitate a comprehensive data management system capable of handling extensive data and generating pertinent insights. High-quality education remains paramount for academic institutions to equip students with essential professional skills, thereby enabling societal economic advancement. A sustainable quality management system is an innovative approach emphasizing continuous improvement and long-term planning to enhance an organization’s overall performance and maintain a competitive edge within the sector. This paper presents a case study on sustainable quality assurance in higher education, underscoring the importance of KPIs in accreditation and the need for a robust data management system to ensure sustainability. Additionally, it highlights the significance of delivering high-quality education and the role of a sustainable quality management system in realizing this objective.

Internal Audit and Sustainable Quality Assurance Practices in Zimbabwean Tertiary Institutions: A Literature Perspective

In the recent years the issue of quality of service delivery in Zimbabwean tertiary institutions has been at the centre of discussion at different fora. It is against this background that this paper sought to explore the role of internal audit in fostering sustainable quality assurance practices in Zimbabwean tertiary institutions. Thus, the discussion on interaction between internal audit with the view to create a sustainable quality assurance culture in tertiary institutions was viewed through a lens comprised the agency, and stakeholders theories. The methodology was qualitative in nature, grounded in content analysis, and interpretation with the view to provide a rich and thick inquiry into the issue. Hence, from the discussion it was noted that in tertiary education, and training, the production of goods, and services involves the interaction of mutually exclusive facets such as institutional management, resource mobilization, teaching-learning, and monitoring practices. This discussion came to a conclusion that the interaction of different facets of tertiary institutions based on control, compliance, accountability, and transparency thereby creating sustainable quality assurance practices that are vital in enhancing the right to use, and the quality of teaching-learning in tertiary institutions. Researchers recommends for an improvement of the existing quality assurance in teaching-learning, as a way to guarantee quality culture in tertiary institutions.

In quest for sustainable quality assurance in higher education: An empirical investigation

The main intent of the present research is to explore the particular practices of human resource management (HRM) to impact on sustainable assurance in quality higher education. Specifically, how promotion opportunity, performance appraisal, work condition and payment package influence teachers’ job satisfaction which, in consequence, impacts on education quality in the private universities. To attain this objective, this research applies the two factor theory of Herzberg as its theory background. Data (n = 517) were collected from 21 private universities’ faculty following the technique of random sampling. The study analyzed the data utilizing structural equation modeling through the analysis of moment structure. Results demonstrate that all four HRM variables are statistically positively significant to influence faculty job satisfaction. It also indicates that faculty job satisfaction also influence positively quality education. The study also indicates that if proper HRM practices are nurtured in private higher education institutes (HEIs) that will enhance faculty satisfaction which will sustain the development of quality education.
 Keywords: HRM practices; Faculty satisfaction; Sustainable quality

Do European quality assurance frameworks support integration of transformative learning for sustainable development in higher education?

PurposeA transition toward sustainable development requires engagement of university students in transformative learning. Therefore, quality frameworks and processes should support deep approaches to sustainable development in higher education. Research and initiatives that connect sustainable development, higher education and quality assurance (QA) are lacking. This study aims to explore to what extent quality assurance agencies in Europe support transformative learning for sustainable development in their frameworks.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a qualitative analysis of national QA frameworks in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) to assess whether they support transformative learning for sustainable development. First, frequency analysis was undertaken; second, a blended coding approach was used to investigate whether and how transformative learning for sustainable development is addressed.FindingsOverall, the authors found little support for transformative learning for sustainable development in most QA frameworks. One exception is the framework of the United Kingdom, which includes a specific guide on education for sustainable development wherein transformative learning is prominently mentioned. To a lesser extent, some support exists in the frameworks of Estonia, Holy See, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine. Although the transformative learning for sustainable development approach is not explicitly mentioned in most QA frameworks, many of them contain opportunities to highlight it. France and The Netherlands offer guidelines and criteria for acquiring a sustainable development label, while Andorra suggests including the sustainable development goals in institutional quality assessment.Originality/valueThe research provides the first map of how countries within the EHEA support transformative learning for sustainable development in national QA systems.

Does the mode of delivery affect the health-related quality of life? A comparative analysis.

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of postpartum mothers is a multidimensional concept and is relatively neglected in both researches and in practice as most postpartum researches have focused on the physical complications. In line with the global trends, India has witnessed a sharp rise in cesarean section (CS) deliveries and has become a global concern for the health of the mother as well as her quality of life. This study was conducted to analyze and compare the HRQoL after normal vaginal delivery and CS in the postpartum women. It was a community-based cross-sectional study and a predesigned, pretested interview schedule was used in the form of a questionnaire including the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 Health Survey for HRQoL. The study was conducted in a resettlement colony, Kalyanpuri located in Delhi, India with a total population of 25,754 with 4596 eligible couples in 4302 households from November 2018 to March 2020. The study participants comprised of a sample size of 330 post-partum women and the data were collected in the 6th week of post-partum period. In our study, there were statistically significant (P < 0.05) differences with mode of delivery as one of the predictors of HRQoL of postpartum mothers. The study subjects with vaginal delivery had higher mean HRQoL score under all the domains. In CS, reduced physical activity, body pain not only affected the mental health domain score but also significantly impacted the emotional domain. Promoting the use of family planning services is also significant in improving maternal health and should be made a provision of quality of care and strengthening of quality improvement and sustainable quality assurance mechanisms are major problem-solving steps in improving access to healthcare.

Implementation of Internal Quality Assurance to Improve the Quality of Islamic Education

The purpose of this study was to examine the implementation of internal quality assurance of madrasah Aliyah Amanatul Ummah International Standard to improve the quality of education as one of the international-based madrasah. There were 30 participants involved in this study, of consisted of 1 kiai, 1 madrasah head, 1 deputy coordinator of madrasah, 27 teachers (ustads). They were selected by using purposive sampling. This research was a case study research design with a single case study model in qualitative research. The qualitative data were collected by using observation, documents and interviews. The data analysis technique used three activity flows that occurred simultaneously, namely, l) data reduction; 2) data display, and 3) concluding/verification. The results of data analysis indicated that the quality assurance process has an orderly flow by Standard Operating Procedures. The process started from setting evaluation standards, implementing evaluations, monitoring, self-evaluation, auditing internal academic quality as a whole, formulating corrections, and improving quality. This cycle was carried out continuously. Quality assurance improved the quality of Islamic education. It had a positive impact on sustainable quality assurance and the commitment of stakeholders to achieve quality education

Improving quality of medical certification of causes of death in health facilities in Tanzania 2014\u20132019

BackgroundMonitoring medically certified causes of death is essential to shape national health policies, track progress to Sustainable Development Goals, and gauge responses to epidemic and pandemic disease. The combination of electronic health information systems with new methods for data quality monitoring can facilitate quality assessments and help target quality improvement. Since 2015, Tanzania has been upgrading its Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system including efforts to improve the availability and quality of mortality data.MethodsWe used a computer application (ANACONDA v4.01) to assess the quality of medical certification of cause of death (MCCD) and ICD-10 coding for the underlying cause of death for 155,461 deaths from health facilities from 2014 to 2018. From 2018 to 2019, we continued quality analysis for 2690 deaths in one large administrative region 9 months before, and 9 months following MCCD quality improvement interventions. Interventions addressed governance, training, process, and practice. We assessed changes in the levels, distributions, and nature of unusable and insufficiently specified codes, and how these influenced estimates of the leading causes of death.Results9.7% of expected annual deaths in Tanzania obtained a medically certified cause of death. Of these, 52% of MCCD ICD-10 codes were usable for health policy and planning, with no significant improvement over 5 years. Of certified deaths, 25% had unusable codes, 17% had insufficiently specified codes, and 6% were undetermined causes. Comparing the before and after intervention periods in one Region, codes usable for public health policy purposes improved from 48 to 65% within 1 year and the resulting distortions in the top twenty cause-specific mortality fractions due to unusable causes reduced from 27.4 to 13.5%.ConclusionData from less than 5% of annual deaths in Tanzania are usable for informing policy. For deaths with medical certification, errors were prevalent in almost half. This constrains capacity to monitor the 15 SDG indicators that require cause-specific mortality. Sustainable quality assurance mechanisms and interventions can result in rapid improvements in the quality of medically certified causes of death. ANACONDA provides an effective means for evaluation of such changes and helps target interventions to remaining weaknesses.

Strategi Kepemimpinan: Quality Continuous Improvement SMP Islam Prestasi Al Mubtadi-Ien Bantul Yogyakarta

The principal's leadership becomes a reference for managing other school resources for school development. The role of the principal is very important for school quality control work. This article aims to provide a specific description of the principal's leadership strategy in sustainable quality assurance. The method used is qualitative with data collection techniques in the form of interviews, observations, and documentation. The research was conducted at the Islamic Achievement Middle School in Bantul, Yogyakarta. This school is interesting because it tries to combine the concept of multiple intelligence with the pesantren-style school system. The results of the study indicate that the strategy used by the principal can have an effect on school development. Although in practice it has not yet reached the level of activity in the theoretical structure of PDCA (Plan Do Check Action), the principal continues to develop school quality.

Fostering Sustainable Quality Assurance Practices in Outcome-Based Education: Lessons Learned from ABET Accreditation Process of Computing Programs

Education is an important enabler for economic uplift of a society and academic institutions need to deliver quality education to equip students with required skills to excel in their professional careers. Due to international initiatives such as Washington and Seoul accords, outcome-based education has gained significant interest from industry, academia, governments, accreditation bodies and students. Outcome-based education is a paradigm shift form conventional education approach and its successful adoption requires sustainable quality practices by higher education institutions. Fostering quality assurance processes for outcome-based education requires careful planning and active collaboration among stakeholders. However, due to the sparse body of knowledge about quality processes in outcome-based education, many academic institutions rely on ad hoc practices, resulting in a trial and error approach. In this paper, we present set of guidelines which can help academic institutions to deploy sustainable practices in their academic programs. We document important guidelines to deliver outcome-based education based on our longitudinal work of ABET accreditation process of three different computing programs (Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, and Cyber Security and Digital Forensics). The successful application of proposed guidelines helps to foster sustainable quality practices in academic programs.

Implementing Fuzzy AHP and FUCOM to evaluate critical success factors for sustained academic quality assurance and ABET accreditation.

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredits the tertiary education programs in the areas of applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. ABET offers accreditation in the United States and other regions in the world that lack such entities such as Gulf Cooperative Counties (GCC). Though ABET accreditation is voluntary, graduates of the ABET-accredited programs are considered equivalent in knowledge, behaviors, and attitude with global standards. The process of ABET accreditation takes months or years depending upon the gap with readiness and resources. The objective of this study is to compile and prioritize the list of critical success factors (CSFs) to commit resources optimally for sustained academic quality assurance and ABET accreditation. The triangulation research designed has been employed. Firstly, the observation of the ABET accreditation process of multiple programs at King Khalid University (KKU) helped in identifying 11 CSFs in three categories namely Program design and execution, Quality culture and excellence, and Institutional infrastructure and support. Further, these CSFs have been explored in the literature in the area of ABET accreditation. Finally, the research employs a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (Fuzzy AHP) and full consistency method (FUCOM) to rank the relative importance of these CSFs and their dimensions for sustained academic quality assurance and ABET accreditation. The incorporation of these CSFs will help institutions in the GCC and other regions to get their academic programs ABET-accredited in an optimal manner.

“Conditioned” Quality Assurance of Higher Education in Georgia: Talking the EU Talk

Abstract The article discusses the latest wave of the higher education quality assurance (QA) reform, implemented by the Government of Georgia in response to its obligations envisaged by the EU–Georgia Association Agreement and its consequent Association Agenda 2017–2020. We argue that Eu conditionality was a major driving factor for the modernization of Georgian QA system according to the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG 2015), and even though the reform was mostly implemented in the framework of the country’s EU integration, an expected reward in the form of the membership of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) granted to the national Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE) of Georgia was the major driving force for implementing the reform successfully. While this reward-driven reform has resulted in the ENQA membership, it has not inevitably led to building a sustainable, independent and development-oriented external quality assurance system for the enhancement of Georgian higher education. Therefore, the entire QA reform was merely aimed at “talking the EU talk” (Schimmelfennig &amp; Sedelmeier, 2005, p. 27) by the Georgian government instead of actually being focused on the development of internal “quality culture” in Georgian higher education institutions.

Quality assurance and control on hydrological data off western Sardinia (2000–2004), western Mediterranean

Abstract. Seven oceanographic cruises in 5 years were organized in the Sea of Sardinia with the repeated collection of physical, chemical and biological data. An accurate and sustained quality assurance on physical sensors was enacted through pre- and postcruise calibration and verified during in situ acquisitions with the use of redundant sensors and other instruments. Moreover, for dissolved oxygen and conductivity, seawater samples at standard depths were frequently analyzed on board. Then an accurate quality control was used to verify all hydrological data profiles, which passed a further quality check following standard procedures. Finally all hydrological data have been included in two online public open-access datasets in the SEANOE (SEA scieNtific Open data Edition) repository (https://doi.org/10.17882/59867 and https://doi.org/10.17882/70340; Ribotti et al., 2019a, b). During and after all cruises Chlorophyll a and nutrient analyses were also carried out, but these data are not yet open access; the same applies for water current profiles, both at casts and during vessel moves, and geophysical data. These ocean data are the first covering the Sea of Sardinia for its whole extension. Here data and assurance and control procedures used are described as they have become standards in deep-sea acquisitions over the years.

ANALYSIS OF PRINCIPALS’ MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES FOR SUSTAINABLE QUALITY ASSURANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE

The persistent decline in the quality of education in Nigeria in general and in Anambra state in particular gives serious cause for concern. Something has to be done about it and urgently too. This prompted the study to analyze principals’ management activities for sustainable quality assurance in secondary schools in Anambra state. Two research questions guided the study and two hypotheses were tested. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised all the 257 public secondary school principals in Anambra State. No sampling was done due to the relatively small size of the population of the study. A 21-item questionnaire titled ‘‘Analysis of Principals’ Management Activities for Sustainable Quality Assurance Questionnaire (APMASQAQ)’’ was the instrument for data collection. The instrument was subjected to face validation by three experts from Faculty of Education, NnamdiAzikiwe University. Cronbach alpha method was used to ascertain the reliability of the instrument. The overall coefficient of 0.84 was obtained. Mean was used to answer the research questions, while Z-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study, among others revealed that principals’ students’ academic performance monitoring activities for sustainable quality assurance in secondary schools in Anambra state was low. It also revealed that there was no significant difference in the mean ratings of male and female principals on the extent of their engagement in management activities for sustainable quality assurance in secondary schools in Anambra State. Based on the findings it was recommended among others that principals should encourage the teachers to take the continuous assessment exercise very serious and also make provisions for learners with special learning needs to bring about all inclusive learning.