Why are so many educators willing to give credence to observations based on announced visits? Perhaps it's avoidance or a failure to distinguish between good teachers and good teaching, or perhaps it's the way the conventional teacher-evaluation model limits administrators' options. To put it bluntly, an evaluation process that relies on announced…

This paper discusses three central issues relating to quality and standards: clarity, comparability and responsibility. The issue of clarity is that we have reached a point of disjunction between the questions being asked by the public and the answers being provided by quality assurance professionals. The issue of comparability comes in two forms:…

Purpose: Teaching and unit evaluations surveys are used to assess the quality of teaching and the quality of the unit of study. An analysis of teaching and unit evaluation survey practices in Australian universities suggests significant changes. One key change discussed in the paper is the shift from voluntary to mandatory use of surveys with the…

In order to promote the sustained and healthy development of teaching evaluation work, five changes should be brought about in the evaluation of the level of undergraduate teaching at China's institutions of higher education: Change teaching evaluation from a specific item of work to a system of a long-term and normative nature; change teaching…

Teacher evaluation has emerged as a major focus for reform at the highest levels of education policymaking, and for good reason. Most evaluations are based on scant evidence of actual effectiveness, produce inflated ratings, and provide teachers with little useful feedback. This paper offers policymakers and practitioners important "lessons…

Three attempts to improve the state approval process in accreditation are described, and their implications for improving the process are discussed. (JD)

A survey of 48 United States dental schools investigated the degree and type of program evaluation conducted. Results indicated a range of related activities, with evaluation and remedial action occurring in a majority of schools. However, establishment of criteria for specific quality assurance activities was found lacking. (Author/MSE)

A framework for improving student and course evaluation in higher education is presented. The framework is based on a simple quality control model. Suggestions for support mechanisms and resources for improving practice are also offered. (MSE)

Benchmarking is an ongoing, systematic process for measuring and comparing work processes of one organization to those of another to identify best practices. Higher education can gain much from this technique, as industry has. The method is objective, reduces resistance to change and can lead to dramatic innovation and rapid development. (MSE)

This book is a guide to the implementation of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) in institutions of higher education. After an introductory chapter, each chapter focuses on one of six steps. The first step to implementing CQI in an institution of higher education is to educate the administration. The second step is for the administration to take…

This handbook provides suggestions about quality control procedures that will enable Teacher Corps project personnel to assess the effects and success of educational products, practices, and other outputs prior to dissemination. Two assessment processes are outlined. The first, review, is the collegial ongoing process for Teacher Corps project…

For libraries to succeed, a clear understanding of what services are in demand is necessary. The SWOT analysis technique for evaluating an organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is examined, and barriers to effective diagnosis are discussed. (AEF)

The 1993 CAUSE Conference included eight papers on the adoption of Total Quality Management (TQM), in its various forms, by information technology (IT) sections of colleges and universities. Papers have the following titles and authors: (1) "The Impact of TQM on an IT Organization: The First Eighteen Months" (Paul M. Morris), which…

As a consequence of the suspension of a system of yearly evaluations of individual courses with student questionnaires, the University of Leuven organised a broad consultation of the academic community focussing on what they expect from a system based on student feedback. The study revealed that this community attaches great importance to a clear…

This white paper outlines a proposed framework for post-16 learning in England. Chapter 1 discusses the principles underpinning the new policy, which are as follows: investing in learning to benefit everyone; lifting barriers to learning; putting people first; sharing responsibility with employers, employees, and the community; achieving world…