The implementation of Lifelong Learning (LLL) in European higher education institutions is one of the most important educational and carrier development oriented initiatives of this decade. Albeit an essential path in the continuous improvement of skills, competences and knowledge throughout the life of an individual, this project is also…

The five Nordic countries and their respective quality assurance agencies have convened annually for over a decade to exchange experiences and discuss issues concerning quality assurance in higher education. In recent years this has resulted in a regional network for the quality assurance agencies (NOQA). During this period, methodological issues…

Learning outcomes are described as written statements of what a learner is expected to know, understand and/or be able to do at the end of a period of learning. At the beginning of the 90s, a EU pilot project on ECTS showed that study programmes were much easier to compare if they were described in terms of outcomes, instead of inputs. The…

The annual meeting of the ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) IQA (internal quality assurance) Group gathered some 60 participants in the premises of the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) in The Hague in June 2009. This seminar was a successful follow-up to the first ENQA IQA…

E-learning in the European Higher Education Area has stampeded its way to the foreground of the Quality Assurance (QA) forum, and has become a key issue among quality assurance agencies and institutions in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Because internet-based learning is currently such a relevant topic, there is a dire need for the…

This report is a product of an European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) Workshop "Assessing educational quality: Knowledge production and the role of experts" hosted by the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) in Oslo in February, 2008. The workshop gathered representatives from higher…

Describes a workshop on quality criteria for research papers in science education. The aim of the workshop was to improve the ability of participants in writing papers for research in science education journals. Reports the activities and outcomes of the workshop including its concise evaluation and some suggestions for manuscript improvement.…

Purpose: This paper sets out to examine methods that can be used to enhance the quality and consistency of dissertation assessment. Design/methodology/approach: The paper includes a review of literature on quality, consistency and criteria of dissertation assessment to highlight the current practices in higher education. A case study approach was…

Cross-border higher education raises a number of challenges and there is a growing awareness among quality assurance agencies that they have to work together to address these challenges. The joint effort of UNESCO-OECD to develop "Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-border Higher Education" is an educational response to this need. This paper…

There has been considerable debate about the impact of external quality assurance in higher education. This paper describes a discussion at the INQAAHE workshop in The Hague, attended by representatives of agencies, exploring the effects of external quality processes on institutions and programmes. The summary, probably for the first time,…

INQAAHE is working to improve the portability of degrees and credits across national boundaries. By defining "good practices" for quality assurance agencies, INQAAHE will promote mutual recognition among agencies in different countries and the acceptance of their accreditation decisions outside their own country. This will allow students and…

To assure continuing internal organizational accountability and to promote external communication and idea adoption, Outward Bound began in 1973 on ongoing procedure whereby its affective objectives were identified, analyzed, and evaluated. In a workshop situation teachers initially identified 3 to 6 major affective objectives; these, then, were…

The 2009 Worldwide Education and Training Workshop brought together over 375 members of the international development community to share best practices in addressing the growing challenges in the field of education for social and economic development. This paper presents synopses of the presentations delivered during the workshop.

The Quality Assurance Program (QAP) workbook is intended to assist institutions of higher education conduct qualitative and quantitative evaluations of their financial aid operations in relation to requirements of Title IV of the Higher Education Act. The workbook provides a structured approach for incorporating a cyclical Title IV QA system into…