Quality in the Undergraduate Experience What Is It? How Is It Measured? Who Decides? Summary of a Workshop (2016) / Chapter Skim
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3 Improving Quality
3 Improving Quality
Pages 19-28
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From page 19... ...
Several participants spoke about the need for strong leadership, both from a school's administration and from faculty champions, stressing that ongoing conversations about quality should become the norm on college and university campuses. Affordability and Inclusion Several participants discussed metrics based on an institution's mission.
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highlighted the contrast between the elaborate procedures required for research involving human subjects, including certification of knowledge and ethical responsibilities, and the absence of processes that oversee the quality of new undergraduate courses. He called it an "interesting irony" that essentially no standards or systems exist for review course content and experiences.
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She encouraged institutions to provide a "responsive education." Some participants view students as grazers (wanting the freedom to pick and choose) while others view students, especially adult learners pursing job-ready educational experiences, as looking for a clear roadmap to their desired education outcomes.
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1 Linda Slakey (Association of American Universities STEM initiative and Association of American Colleges and Universities) noted that alignment of what is known about student learning with current instruction methods is undergoing rapid change.
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Results obtained by an external auditing firm verify the claims the school makes for their graduates. Flatiron's graduates are receiving a quality education according to several measures, including technical Web development skills, team work, and other professional skills.
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Faculty as Curators Johnstone discussed how the current transformation of higher education relies heavily on technologies that were not available when the majority of higher education institutions were founded. She encouraged institutions to create teams of subject-matter experts and researchers who work with learning scientists and technology experts to create optimal learning environments.
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Resources that might be readily available on campuses, for example, instructional designers, could support faculty who both recognize the need to modify their courses and are willing to make those changes. INSTRUCTION OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM Several participants spoke about the need for a quality undergraduate education to include connecting students with real-world problems, including providing them with experiences in organizations and businesses in the community.
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A ROLE FOR THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS Several participants believe that the United States' accreditation process can play a significant role in improving the quality of undergraduate education. Slack stated that the accreditation system is very valuable and that she thought the attention paid to it during the current reauthorization cycle will assist in shifting the process away from an inputs-driven model to one that considers student learning outcomes in light of an institution's mission.
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, suggested that the role of professional organizations in the accreditation process in their own disciplines could be strengthened. For example, the involvement of professional organizations in the accreditation of electrical and computer engineering programs has helped to define student outcomes that are more practical in the private sector.
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