2005:20 R

How did things turn out? - The National Agency for Higher Education's quality evaluations in 2004

At the same time this year´s evaluations have revealed major problems in one or two areas. One of these is teacher-training, where serious shortcomings have been identified. Here rapid measures are required both from the government and local authorities and from the higher education institutions. The National Agency itself intends to take further action in the form of specific reviews and studies and will, after only two years, undertake a renewed evaluation. The other area is languages. On completion of the 2004 evaluations virtually all programmes in languages had been appraised. The pattern that emerges is that even languages like French and German can now be characterised as small languages, or in other words language subjects with few students and limited educational settings. In 2003, the National Agency for Higher Education already indicated that a national language policy was needed, and this can now be seen to be more urgent. At the same time it can be noted that the higher education institutions are taking initiatives involving collaboration, adopting profiles and concentration where languages are concerned.

The evaluations are having a clear impact in the form of quality development. This is revealed by the action plans required by the National Agency when entitlement to award degrees is called into question. The feed-back conferences that conclude each evaluation also demonstrate this impact, as do the specific studies undertaken. The effects can take different forms: concrete measures, for example, involving the enhancement of teacher qualifications, organisational changes or increased awareness of quality issues. The evaluations also provide the basis for decisions and lead, moreover, to new undertakings, enquiries and decisions. Students at the higher education institutions are affected and also politicians at various levels. Every year the panels of assessors involved in the evaluations have recommended the higher education institutions to adopt profiles, cooperate and concentrate their activities, and this is true this year as well. The report provides examples of cooperation, profiling and concentration for which there are either concrete plans or which have in fact been implemented. During the four years of evaluations the National Agency has recommended the government to adopt certain measures. A number of these recommendation have led to results.

The Bologna Process, in other words joint efforts to ensure that European education will be better coordinated and internationally more competitive, is continuing and its impact is becoming increasingly apparent. This applies both to the degree system and evaluation of higher education. One proposal from the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) contains principles for both the internal quality assurance of the higher education institutions and also external evaluation, together with how the evaluating agencies (such as the National Agency) can assure and develop the quality of their own operations. This proposal suggests that the evaluating agencies should apply for recognition. For some considerable time the National Agency for Higher Education has fulfilled the criteria for accreditation as an evaluating agency, but it is now drafting an official application to ENQA.

A special questionnaire survey shows that the assessors appointed by the National Agency consider that its evaluation model functions well. At special seminars arranged with undergraduate and postgraduate student assessors the same opinion is expressed. Both the seminars and the questionnaire survey provide important information on which to base the design of the quality evaluation system that will succeed the current one in 2007. Another important consideration will be what is happening within the framework of the Bologna Process.

The National Agency for Higher Education has sketched a concept for the future quality evaluation system that has been discussed with both vice-chancellors and those responsible for quality, who have reacted positively. This draft includes audits of the way in which the higher education institutions´ own quality control and quality development systems enhance quality, a smaller number of evaluations of subjects and programmes based on monitoring data, thematic evaluations, appraisals of “particularly eminent educational settings" and assessment of applications for entitlement to award degrees.