Editorial

Citation

Dalrymple, J. (2013), "Editorial", Quality Assurance in Education, Vol. 21 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-06-2013-0028

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Quality Assurance in Education, Volume 21, Issue 4

The global financial problems are beginning to ease a little with the American Federal Reserve preparing to wind back the measures that have been termed “quantitative easing”. Whilst this is an indication that the economy in the USA is improving, much of the financial world is scurrying to readjust their investment settings to accommodate the new situation in the USA. The general financial conditions in much of the developed world are impacting on the education systems that provide the educated workforce of the future. The widening of access and the equity agendas that were pursued at the start of the new millennium have, in many cases been scaled back with a return to a focus on “user pays” and greater contributions being required of students to cover the shortfalls in funds that many governments have needed to pass on to institutions as a result of austerity measures. There has also been a significant move towards the dissemination of more information to students, potential students and their families at all levels of the education system. For example, the Australian federal government has now published information about every school in the country on the “My School” web site and there is information about every university in the country on the “My University” web site. This level of openness and transparency has, of course, been enabled by the developments in internet technology and the government’s ability to extract information from educational institutions that are in receipt of government funds. Although there were initially some protestations about the data and information collected and published, both systems have now been accepted by the education sector and used by interested parties.

In an environment where the costs to the consumer are increasing, there is an inescapable imperative to ensure that the quality of provision that makes up the student experience is as high as it can be consistent with the resources available. In many cases, these are the circumstances where innovation thrives. Part of the role of this journal is to disseminate the outcomes of innovative approaches to education to a wide audience to ensure that best practice is known about adopted, adapted and deployed. The papers in this issue present good examples of such dissemination.

In this issue, the first paper by Ellen Jansen, Jacques van der Meer and Marjon Fokkens-Bruinsma, reports on the validation of the course experience questionnaire (CEQ) in the context of university education in Holland. The CEQ was originally developed for use in Australia for the purpose of quality assurance and quality improvement. The application reported here required that the instrument first be translated into the Dutch language and then validated in the new context of the Dutch higher education system. The authors conclude that the CEQ is a valid and reliable instrument when used in the Dutch higher education system.

The second paper, by Ruth Pickford, presents a case study of the use of the national student survey (NSS) in an institution in the UK. The NSS data was analysed to track the quality enhancement of the student experience over a period of several years since the NSS was initiated. The NSS is another instrument used to assess institutional quality through the medium of the student view of their experience as a student. The authors analysed the impact that quality enhancement initiatives had on student satisfaction, recognising that the time constant on the improvement in satisfaction scores may be several years.

The third paper in this issue, by Darwish Yousef, reports on an analysis of the factors that influence the performance of business and management students in quantitative methods courses. The case university is located in the UAE and the profile of the students is analysed in conjunction with their academic performance in the numerate subjects in the business and management disciplines. For those colleagues who have been challenged by the role of teaching quantitative methods to business and management students, this paper provides insights into some of the factors that correlate with high student attainment.

The fourth paper, by Karma El Hassan, provides insights into the use of a model based on the five benchmarks of academic practice linked to student success. The paper presents the case of a university in the Lebanon and the instrument used is the college outcome survey. The purpose of the survey instrument is to collect data that can be used to provide insights into institutional improvement opportunities with a view to enhancing the student experience.

Prabha Ramseook-Munhurrun, and Pushpa Nundlall, in the fifth paper in this issue, focus on service quality in the context of the secondary school system zone in Mauritius. The authors report that some of the dimensions of the SERQUAL model are valid and reliable in this context, but that there are some other new dimensions that emerge as well. The research provides the potential for guidance for school principals and policymakers alike.

The final paper in this issue is by Mahsood Shah, Chenicheri Nair and Lorraine Bennett. The authors report on research into the private tertiary education sector in Australia. The private tertiary education sector in Australia has grown very significantly over the past ten years and the sector is, as yet, under researched. In many cases, the institutions are addressing a niche in the marketplace with career specific courses. It is noteworthy that, at a time when universities in general are increasing class sizes and making, for example, the first year classes a rather impersonal experience, where the teaching is often delivered by sessional staff, rather than fulltime academic staff, many students in the private tertiary sector cited small classes and the more personalised approach to teaching and learning as an attractive feature of the private college.

In this issue, there are a number of examples of innovation in practice, three involving the use of established instruments in new contexts and three examining the enhancement of the student experience in the secondary and tertiary education sectors. The papers come from a variety of jurisdictions and amply demonstrate the keen interest that colleagues across the globe are taking in seeking to improve the student experience and student outcomes in their respective sectors.

We trust that the readership finds the current issue interesting and that the evidence of innovation in the sector at all levels will inspire colleagues to engage with the quality improvement and enhancement agendas for the benefit of staff and students and other stakeholders in the education sector.

John Dalrymple