Content

  • Jean-Luc Patry
    Issues in critical multiplism in evaluation research: multiplism of theories and analysis of biases More
  • Vincentas Dienys, Kęstutis Pukelis, Pranas Žiliukas
    Institutional assessment of research and studies: inevitable feature pf a modern state or one more bureaucractic whim in Lithuania? More
  • Don F. Westerheijden
    Walking towards a moving target: quality assurance in European higher education More
  • Izabela Savickienė
    Parameters of higher education quality assessment system at universities More
  • Edith J. Cisneros-Cohernour
    Validity and evaluations of teaching in higher education institutions under positivistic paradigm More
  • Kęstutis Pukelis, Nora Pileičikienė
    The quality of higher education: paradigm of study outcomes More
  • Enrique Rivera, Carmen Trigueros, Maite Pavesio, Juan Torres
    Analysis of student participation in university classes: an interdisciplinary experience More
  • Gintautė Žibėnienė
    Assessment of non-university study programme realisation: viewpoint of college graduates' More
  • Vytolis Kučinskas, Alina Paulauskaitė
    Organization culture and its development in private colleges More
  • Vida Škudienė
    Quality of undergraduate management studies in changing university enviroment More

Abstract

Jean-Luc Patry
University of Salzburg

Issues in critical multiplism in evaluation research: multiplism of theories and analysis of biases

Abstract
Quality assurance and evaluation research, like other fields of social research and its applica­tion, are confronted with a series of problems. In the present paper, I want first to give a list of such problems, although necessarily incomplete. It is then claimed that while there is no “per­fect” solution to these problems, critical mul­ti­plism may be a set of approaches which might attenuate the problems or at least make them more visible so that one can deal with them. Critical multiplism is a general methodological frame­work which cannot be fully accounted for here; rather, I want to present some major issues and on their base make some sug­ges­tions about how to conduct social research.

Key words
Discriminant validity, evaluation, evaluation research, convergent validity, critical multiplism, validity, reliability, Pygmalion, bias.

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Vincentas Dienys, Kęstutis Pukelis, Pranas Žiliukas
Methodological Centre for Vocational Education and Training • Vytautas Magnus University • Kaunas Technological University

Institutional assessment of research and studies: inevitable feature pf a modern state or one more bureaucractic whim in Lithuania?

Abstract
A number of small countries face similar problems while organising external assessment of higher education institutions: how to select proper experts, how to prepare them and maintain? How to avoid bias or interest conflict between experts who evaluate the institution and the institution being evaluated? How to reduce the financial costs of institutional assessment that are relatively high for a small country (isn’t it a luxury?), and etc. Therefore, often a question arises if a small country should possess and attempt to maintain appropriate intellectual and organisational resources, necessary for external review of universities, colleges and scientific research institutions? Maybe it would be more purposeful to invite experienced foreign experts to perform assessment? The article presents an attempt to discuss this issue. The authors draw a conclusion that creation and maintenance of such intellectual and organisational resources is indispensable even for such a small country as Lithuania (3.4 mln inhabitants). If Lithuania seeks to be recognised and acquire confidence in higher education quality assurance area, certain appropriate financial and material resources should be allocated for this purpose.

Key words
Accreditation, accountability, system of higher education quality assessment, information about the study (higher education), institutional higher education quality assessment, institutional study (higher education) quality evaluation, college, scientific research institution, higher education quality audit, study (higher education) quality dimensions, study (higher education) quality expert, comparability of study (higher education) quality, benchmarking, study (higher education) quality development, study (higher education) quality assessment criteria, university, internal study (higher education) quality assessment.

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Don F. Westerheijden
Center for Higher Education Policy Studies at Twente University

Walking towards a moving target: quality assurance in European higher education

Abstract
The history of (external) quality assurance schemes in European higher education since ca. 1980 is sketched in this article. The three pioneering countries in Western Europe are taken as models of different developments and contrasted with the rise of accreditation in Central and Eastern Europe after 1989. Using theoretical insights, the dynamics of these developments are sketched, then contrasted with the Bologna Process.

Key words
Accreditation, quality of higher education, evaluation, quality audit, quality assurance, benchmarking, self-selling, stakeholder, customer, assessment.

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Izabela Savickienė
Vytautas Magnus University

Parameters of higher education quality assessment system at universities

Abstract
The article analyses the system of institutional quality assessment at universities and lays foundation to its functional, morphological and processual parameters. It also presents the concept of the system and discusses the distribution of systems into groups, defines information, accountability, improvement and bench­marking functions of higher education quality assessment system at universities. The discussion of morphological parameters of this system presents the assessing sub-system and the assessed sub-system. It also presents the functional environment of the quality assessment system at universities.

Key words
Functional parameters, morphological parameters, process parameters, system, higher education quality at universities, assessment.

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Edith J. Cisneros-Cohernour
Universidad Autónoma de Yucatan

Validity and evaluations of teaching in higher education institutions under positivistic paradigm

Abstract
This paper focuses on the validity of the research conducted under the leading paradigm in the evaluation of teaching in higher education. Messick’s framework on validity is used to identify the strengths and limitations of the research, mostly centered on the study of student ratings of instruction. Critical issues that need to be addressed by future studies in this area are also identified.

Key words
Validity, faculty evaluation, college teaching, higher education, evaluation, assessment, teaching, instruction, reliability, evaluation instrument, assessment instrument, generalizibility.

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Kęstutis Pukelis, Nora Pileičikienė
Vytautas Magnus University

The quality of higher education: paradigm of study outcomes

Abstract
Study outcomes are an immensely important parameter of higher edu­ca­tion quality. They reflect the relationship between studies and labour mar­ket needs; determine the framework and internal logics of study prog­ramme curriculum: sequence of study objectives, their particularity, study content, methods, student achievement assessment criteria and methodology, material, intellectual, time and financial resources ne­ces­sary for studies. Study outcomes facilitate the description of the study programme, its internal and external evaluation, serve the maintenance of standards and quality system, and are important in implementing an easily comparable qualification and diploma recognition system in the European higher education area. This article is intended to reveal the im­portance of study outcomes for study quality in a more comprehen­sible way and to substantiate the main aspects of quality assessment of higher education in study outcomes paradigm.

Key words
Teacher qualification in the subject area, teacher qualification in didactical area, teacher qualification in the scientific area, competency, qualification, competence, study achievements, social partnership, study subject/module, study subject/module curriculum, quality of higher education, study programme, study programme curriculum, study programme supervisor, study outcomes, curriculum.

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Enrique Rivera, Carmen Trigueros, Maite Pavesio, Juan Torres
University of Granada

Analysis of student participation in university classes: an interdisciplinary experience

Abstract
The interest to improve the quality of teaching in higher education has led to the involvement of a group of faculty members at the University of Granada Faculty of Education in an Action-Research (A-R) experience titled “Towards a model of collaborative lecture throughout the analysis of their educational tasks.” This has been an interdisciplinary experience because faculties from the Curriculum & Instruction, Body Expression and Music Education Departments have been involved on this project.
In this paper our interest is concentrated on the students’ participation in class. We consider participation an essential ingredient for teaching which determines the communication between faculties and students and lead the teaching-learning process in a collaborative way. As in the A-R project, at the end we raise proposals to improve our teaching.

Key words
Collaborative lecturer, students’ participation, action-research.

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Gintautė Žibėnienė
Vilnius College

Assessment of non-university study programme realisation: viewpoint of college graduates'

Abstract
The article presents the generalised findings of the research into the Lithuanian college graduates’ viewpoint towards the realisation of non-university study programmes. The graduates’ opinion research revealed their viewpoint towards: 1) the curriculum of the study programme, 2) the subject content and its teaching quality, 3) practical training and professional activity practice, 4) creation of material conditions for the study programme realisation, 5) teacher activity.

Key words
Non-university study programme, indicator, study quality assurance, participants of study quality assessment, study programme evaluation, study programme assessment, assessors, assessment group, experts.

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Vytolis Kučinskas, Alina Paulauskaitė
Klaipėda University, Klaipėda Business College

Organization culture and its development in private colleges

Abstract
The article is intended to discuss the features, structure, functions and developmental peculiarities of organizational culture in private colleges. A summary and conclusions of empirical research into organizational culture in private colleges are presented.

Key words
College, culture, organization, organization culture, social system, study quality, study quality dimensions, study quality assessment criteria, values, total study quality management.

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Vida Škudienė
ISM University of Management and Economics

Quality of undergraduate management studies in changing university enviroment

Abstract
The environment for teaching management in Baltic States’ universities has undergone profound changes. The factors involved are: greater interaction between classroom teaching and the “real world”, market expansion, internationalization, and increasingly diverse students. The author reports on the survey findings from the three management higher education institutions: ISM University of management and economics (Lithuania), Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy (Latvia), and Estonian Business School (Estonia). The responses of undergraduate management educators indicate that, despite clear indications of greater attention and increased interest in the quality of university teaching in the past decade, lecture and classroom discussion are the dominant instructional techniques. Many of the respondents indicated that they had changed their instructional techniques in the direction of innovative teaching projects, and almost a third of the respondents have taken a course to improve teaching quality.

Key words
Teaching quality, undergraduate studies, paradigm shift, management programmes.

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