QualityQuality ManagementManagement vsvs QualityQualityControl: Control:

LastLast DevelopmentsDevelopments InIn Estonian Estonian HigherHigher EducationEducation

EUA Munich 2006

Heli Mattisen

Quality control and/or quality management

� Main tools for quality control: a set of external and internal rules, requirements, standards

� Main tools for quality management: strategic planning, feedback, self evaluation, quality culture

Developmental stages of quality management Developmental stages of quality management in higher educationin higher education (EFQM)(EFQM)

� Activity-oriented

� Process-oriented

� System-oriented

� Chain-oriented

� Total quality management

Quality assurance system in Estonian higher Quality assurance system in Estonian higher education 2006education 2006

3 levels of quality assurance in Estonia� External: principles and rules, determined and managed

by a regulatory authority from outside (state)� Internal: principles and rules, determined and managed by

the institution (HEI)� Inter-institutional: common principles and rules, agreed

by certain institutions and managed by an inter-institutional quality board

Developments in Estonian Developments in Estonian hhigherigher eeducationducation19911991--20062006 (1)(1)

� 1991, after regaining the independence, there were 6 public universities in Estonia and 2 small private universities.

� 2001/2002 there were 49 higher education institutions in Estonia (population 1,4 million)

� In 2005 number of higher education diminished to 39

� 1995 the University Act and in 1996 Standard of Higher Education were enacted.

Developments in Estonian Developments in Estonian hhigherigher eeducationducation19911991--20062006 (2)(2)� 1997 the Estonian Higher Education Accreditation

Centre was established and the Higher Education Quality Assessment Council was appointed.

� In 1997 first round of curricula accreditation started.� 1997-2005, altogether 721 study programmes were

accredited, to 3,5% didn’t met the requirements and were granted non-accredidation

� During 1994-2005 number of students has increased 2,7 times from 25489 in 1994 to 68287 in 2005.

External quality assurance in Estonian higher External quality assurance in Estonian higher educationeducation (1)(1)

External quality regulations in Estonia: • Universities Act (1995)• Standard of Higher Education (1996)• Estonian Government’s regulation about

institutional and curricula accreditation (2003)• Strategy of Higher Education (2006)Estonian Higher Education Accreditation Centre and

Higher Education Quality Assessment Councilare in the domain of the Ministry of Education and Research.

External quality assurance in Estonian higher External quality assurance in Estonian higher educationeducation (2)(2)Problems:� Standards are highly formalized (50% of teaching

staff with at least 51% workload in the HEI)� Curricula accreditation is defined as a developing

action, realized as a decision-making process about the conformity to the highly formalized standards

� The Estonian HEQA Council doesn’t meet the standard of ENQA (not to be influenced by third parties like other universities, ministries and other stakeholders)

InterInter--institutionalinstitutional qualityquality assurance in Estoniaassurance in Estonia

2003� The Quality Agreement between Estonian

public universities on curricula, academic position and academic degrees was signed by the rectors.

� The working group was called together to define quality indicators and elaborate quality handbook for universities.

TheThe QualityQuality Agreement of public universities Agreement of public universities (1)(1)

“Desirous of strengthening the competitiveness ofEstonian education in Europe and the world, considering high quality university education as the main precondition for the development of Estonia, and supporting the development on an integrated university area in Estonia, … (the parties) consider joint operation in assuring the quality of university education very important, including the establishment of common academic standards.”

TheThe QualityQuality Agreement of public universities Agreement of public universities (2)(2)Aims:� Bring more transparency into the system of

academic degrees� Agree rules and procedures in quality assurance� Make academic positions comparable� Create more trust to each other’s achievements� Draw a distinction between universities and “non-

universitiesSince 2005 all public universities complete annual

quality report which is based on QualityAgreement.

InternalInternal QualityQuality AssuranceAssurance (1)(1)

• Under the guidance of the Rectors' Conference, representatives of public universities created a manual called Unified Quality Management System for Estonian Public Universities which has to serve as a base for internal quality management in universities.

• Further cooperation in the field of quality continuesby the project funded by the European Social Fund called Increasing the competition capacity of university graduates through the development of the quality of study activities.

InternalInternal QualityQuality AssuranceAssurance (2)(2)

• Under the guidance of the Rectors' Conference, representatives of public universities created a manual called Unified Quality Management System for Estonian Public Universities which has to serve as a base for internal quality management in universities.

• Further cooperation in the field of quality continuesby the project funded by the European Social Fund called Increasing the competition capacity of university graduates through the development of the quality of study activities.

InternalInternal QualityQuality AssuranceAssurance (3)(3)

• Institutional self-regulations of Tallinn University: The Regulation of Studies, Curricula Statue, Regulation of Doctoral studies and theses, etc.

• Main requirements for quality are stated in quality manual, which has at the moment the status of a proposal and should be accepted by the university board (Senate) in autumn semester 2006.

Internal Quality Assurance (4)Internal Quality Assurance (4)

• During the process of internal discussions, the quality manual has lost a lot of his normativeapproach.

• More emphasis on the lowest level in EFQM –activity-oriented level, based on the individual responsibility for quality.

• Continuous improvement and quality culture as key words.

Quality in education is more than qualityQuality in education is more than quality