Useful resources

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.

Maassen presentation about quality management.

Professor Peter Maassen, UiO
Professor Peter Maassen, UiO

Professor Peter Maassen presented some preliminary insights regarding quality management at a seminar that was arranged on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Faculty of Educational Sciences at the University of Oslo. The seminar took place on 27th of September 2016.

In the following presentation, Peter Maassen provides a presentation: “Quality Management of Norwegian Higher Education: complexities and visions on possible future developments“. Before the presentation, professor Monika Nerland introduces the overall seminar.

 

Download (PDF, 583KB)

Need for more appropriate quality indicators in higher education

As a part of Project A in this study, project researchers have examined some of the existing indicators and data on higher education quality in Norway.

They have analysed existing data that is compiled by Statistics Norway (SSB) and Database for Statistics on Higher Education (DBH). The working paper examines some of the challenges of using these data sources as basis for indicators about quality in higher education.

Clipboard02The researchers highlight in the working paper that quality indicators have different kinds of functions – for system and institutional governance, as an information source for the public (incl students who apply to higher education), as a basis for quality enhancement practices in the institutions, and for purposes of conducting research.

While a substantial amount of data exists on Norwegian higher education, several aspects of quality in higher education are difficult to quantify and measure. Thus, the report argues that indicators should be based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative indicators. For instance, merely measuring resource use would not necessarily say anything about quality as it does not give indications about the pedagogical approaches used nor the study environment at the institution. Furthermore, the report highlights that there likely is considerable amounts of data regarding process quality, but that this is not part of the traditional reporting in current system.

Download the working paper here (in Norwegian).

Quality in Norwegian higher education review published this week

qualityIn this first report from the project, the aim is to position our study with respect to the international research-based literature in this area, and to identify factors and mechanisms that the relevant literature points to as important contributors to the enhancement of quality in higher education. A second aim is to identify knowledge gaps in the existing literature. The literature is selected to highlight some core themes with respect to quality in higher education.

Download the report here.