Discusses how to improve library reference service, especially the effective delivery of accurate answers, based on a program at Wichita State University (Kansas) that used concepts of quality from business and organizational management. Topics addressed include customers and customer service, and methods of reference service evaluation. (Contains…

A study on the use of performance indicators within a quality assurance system in higher education in the Netherlands is reported. The case study of seven departments of economics shows the attention paid to structural aspects of the curriculum instead of the declared object of the program evaluation. (SLD)

Efforts to improve the quality of academic programs in the United Kingdom, United States, and Netherlands have followed three general approaches: the logic of competitive markets; application of incentives; and professional self-regulation. Strengths and weaknesses of these approaches for improving academic quality are examined through the lens of…

Drawing on experience in the United States and United Kingdom, two educators discuss the practice of quality assessment in higher education. Distinguishing between formative and summative assessment, they identify characteristics that support quality learning, observing that practice falls short of these ideals and noting that it is risky for…

Although higher education in Scotland is part of the United Kingdom system, it has operated separately, with a distinctive focus on the assessment of quality in each academic subject. Internal and external quality assessment and assurance processes are described, and the lessons learned are explored briefly. (MSE)

Presents the first in a series of articles discussing the implementation of North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement's Performance Accreditation framework in a school setting. Offers statistical information on Holgarth Middle School, a fictitious school "located" in a suburban area in a Midwestern state. (NB)

Identifies key variables within and outside the learning context that could affect motivation to learn during training. Bases the theoretical framework on sociotechnical systems, total quality management, and training transfer theories that could influence employee and organizational performance. Considers task autonomy, organization's orientation…

Discusses quality assurance for Web-based courses, based on experiences at the University of Pretoria. Topics include evaluation of courseware; the concept of quality, including quality control, quality assurance, and total quality management; implementing a quality management system; measurement techniques; and partnerships. (LRW)

Suggestions for restructuring marketing efforts within colleges and universities stress the institution's primary profit center: student recruitment and retention. Techniques such as continuous quality improvement and implementation of a task force concept are recommended as a way of synergistically employing all the institution's assets and…

Presents results of an empirical study on the changes of students' expectations and perceptions of service quality in teaching. Results show that, whereas students' expectations appear to be relatively stable over the time of the study, their perceptions of service quality change over time and their perceived service quality level decreases as…

Presents an overview of a suite of software tools called "Of Course!" that was created for the design and development of interactive multimedia instructional (IMI) programs. Describes the tool's three built-in quality assurance operating modes; the Event Status buttons that handle the quality assurance feature; and the design and…

Raises concerns about collaborative contractual arrangements that provide educational services to international students within British institutions of higher education. Reports that evaluation of a course for international students designed and delivered with a private partner found the course commercially successful but educationally and…

Discussion of distance education in higher education focuses on faculty concerns that lead to resistance. Topics include the adequacy of institutional support, including salary, promotion and tenure, workload, and training; changes in interpersonal relationships with students; and the issue of quality. (LRW)

Assessment for learning, as opposed to assessment of learning, requires educators to make a major shift--from quality control in learning to quality assurance, from assessing at the end of teaching to assessing while learning is still taking place. Five nonnegotiable strategies define the territory of assessment for learning: clarifying and…

Nebraska's approach to standards, assessment, and accountability, the School-based Teacher-led Assessment and Reporting System (STARS) is based upon local control and the belief that classrooms and teachers must be at the heart of student learning and accountability. STARS relies on locally-developed assessment systems to accurately measure and…