Part B updates

Book | Quality Work in Higher Education: Organisational and Pedagogical Dimensions

The edited volume that summarises some of the key findings from the project was recently published with Springer.

About the book: This book focuses on quality work in higher education, and examines the relationship between the organizational and pedagogical dimensions of quality work in higher education. Bringing together different disciplinary traditions, including educational science, sociology, and organisational studies, it addresses the following principal research question: How is quality work carried out in higher education? The book addresses a wide variety of academic, administrative and leadership practices that are involved in quality work in higher education institutions. The chapters in this book examine core issues crucial in the design and content of study programs, such as modes of teaching, learning and curricula design, as well as institutional practices regarding assessment and quality enhancement. The introductory and concluding chapter present an overarching focus on quality work as a lens to analyse intentional activities within higher education institutions directed at how study programmes and courses are designed, governed, and operated.

The book contains following chapters:

  • Researching ‘Quality Work’ in Higher Education by Mari Elken and Bjørn Stensaker
  • Quality Systems in Higher Education Institutions: Enabling and Constraining Quality Work by Mari Elken, Nicoline Frølich, Peter Maassen and Bjørn Stensaker
  • The Relationship Between External Quality Assurance and the Work of Study Programme Leaders: A Comparative Study by Per Olaf Aamodt, Ebbe Krogh Graversen, Elisabeth Hovdhaugen, Evanthia Kalpazidou Schmidt, Peter Maassen, and Bjørn Stensaker
  • Technology as Quality Work? Educational Leaders and Teachers’ Use of Digital Technology by Trine Fossland and Cathrine E. Tømte
  • Layers of Consistency in Study Programme Planning and Realization by Tine S. Prøitz, Anne Line Wittek, and Thomas de Lange
  • Exploring Student Participation Challenges in Student-Centred Learning Environments by Monika Nerland
  • Making Group Learning Work. Processes and Pedagogical Designs in Higher Education by Crina Damşa and Anne Line Wittek
  • Plenary Teaching: Examining Opportunities for Student Involvement and Knowledge Exploration in Large Classroom-Settings by Thomas de Lange, Anne Line Wittek, and Trine Fossland
  • What Counts as Quality Feedback? Disciplinary Differences in Students’ and Teachers’ Perceptions of Feedback by Rachelle Esterhazy, Trine Fossland, and Odd-Rune Stalheim
  • Quality Work: Reflections and Refinements by Mari Elken and Bjørn Stensaker

The book is edited by Mari Elken, Peter Maassen, Monika Nerland, Tine S. Prøitz and Agnete Vabø.

There will also be an event associated with the publication later this autumn.

Edited volume coming in summer 2020

Researchers on the project have for the last two years been working on an edited volume. The book has now a release date, and is scheduled to be out by 6th of June. About the book:

This book focuses on quality work in higher education, and examines the relationship between the organizational and pedagogical dimensions of quality work in higher education. Bringing together different disciplinary traditions, including educational science, sociology, and organisational studies, it addresses the following principal research question: How is quality work carried out in higher education?

The book addresses a wide variety of academic, administrative and leadership practices that are involved in quality work in higher education institutions. The chapters in this book examine core issues crucial in the design and content of study programs, such as modes of teaching, learning and curricula design, as well as institutional practices regarding assessment and quality enhancement. The introductory and concluding chapter present an overarching focus on quality work as a lens to analyse intentional activities within higher education institutions directed at how study programmes and courses are designed, governed, and operated.

The book consists of 10 chapters by researchers in this project, covering a wide set of themes and empirical settings.

Article about digitalization in higher education in Quality in Higher Education

Based on the comparative analysis of data from the Norwegian and Danish surveys among study programme leaders, Cathrine Tømte (NIFU), Trine Fossland (UiT), Per Olaf Aamodt (NIFU) & Lise Degn (CFA, Århus University) have recently published an article titled “Digitalisation in higher education: mapping institutional approaches for teaching and learning” in Quality in Higher Education.

Note that the article is available open access!

Abstract. This paper explores the digitalisation of teaching and learning understood as external processes, influenced by government and international trends and as internal processes within the institutions, in Denmark and Norway. These are countries with similarities regarding digitalisation and educational systems. In the internal processes, there was some use of digital technology in teaching and learning when initiated from administration including IT-staff, in collaboration with academic leaders. There was little or only limited reported use of technology for teaching and learning, when the processes were initiated by administration together with enthusiasts among faculty staff, who did not have leadership roles or influence on change. There was more reported use of technology in teaching and learning in Denmark than Norway. The paper discusses possible explanations for these findings and thus illuminates how processes of digitalisation are influenced by broader governance arrangements, institutional maturity and academic and administration staffs.

  • Research Professor Cahtrine Tømte, NIFU
  • Associate Professor Trine Fossland, UiT
  • Research Professor Per Olaf Aamodt (NIFU)
  • Dr. Lise Degn, CFA/Aarhus University

Article about quality management in study programme design and delivery

Bjørn Stensaker, Elisabeth Hovdhaugen and Peter Maassen have recently published a new article that examines the relationship between study programme delivery and quality management systems built on external accountability regimes. The article had specific focus on coordination and control of quality work. The empirical material for the article draws from the survey among study programme leaders carried out in this project.

The article is titled “The practices of quality management in Norwegian higher education: Collaboration and control in study programme design and delivery” and it was published in International Journal for Educational Management (Vol.33, 4).

  • Professor Bjørn Stensaker, UiO
  • Dr. Elisabeth Hovdhaugen, NIFU
  • Professor Peter Maassen, UiO

Special issue about student-centered learning environments

  • Dr. Crina Damsa, UiO
  • Dr. Thomas de Lange, UiO

A new special issue has been published from the project at the UNIPED journal, with emphasis on student-centered learning environments.

The special issue was coordinated by guest editors by Crina Damsa and Thomas de Lange.

The articles include both English and Norwegian language articles, and all are available open access.

The special issue includes the following contributions:

  • “Studentsentrerte perspektiver og tiltak i høyere utdanning. Et forskningsbasert innspill til kvalitetsarbeid i praksis” by Crina Damsaand Thomas de Lange
  • “Student-centred learning environments in higher education. From conceptualization to design” by Crina Damsa and Thomas de Lange
  • “Skal vi la pasienten døy? Sjukepleiarstudentar sine erfaringar med å handtere utfordringar i simulering” by Odd Rune Stalheim and Yngve Nordkvelle
  • “Deltaker eller tilskuer? En casestudie om vilkår for deltakelse og samarbeidslæring i et nettbasert masterprogram i økonomi og ledelse (MBA)” by Trine Fossland and Cathrine Tømte
  • “Evolution of a portfolio-based design in ecology: a three-year design cycle” by Rachelle Esterhazy and Øyvind Fiksen
  • “How do self-regulation and self-efficacy beliefs associate with law students’ experiences of teaching and learning?” by Heidi Hyytinen, Anne Haarala-Muhonen and Milla Räisänen
  • “Studieprogramledelse – et spørsmål om organisering?” by Bjørn Stensaker, Mari Elken and Peter Maassen
  • “The role of research-based evidence in cultivating quality of teaching and learning in higher education” by Sari Lindblom-Ylänne
  • “Kvalitetsarbeid i studieprogrammene: fagene som kontekst for studentaktivisering og kunnskapsintegrasjon” by Monika Nerland

You can find all the articles here