DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING UNIVERSITY-WIDE OUTCOME-BASED ASSESSMENT AND QUALITY ASSURANCE: SUCCESS AND LESSONS LEARNED

This paper presents the methodology and assessment model used for establishing a process for quality assurance (QA) at a medium sized (around 20,000 students) higher education institute. The experience gained from design and implementing this outcome-based university-wide process are outlined. This includes alignment of the QA processes with national, institutional, and international (accreditation) requirements within a variety of disciplines and colleges. It also includes involvement of key stakeholders and generalization to cover all academic programs and specializations offered by the higher education institute.

Furthermore, techniques used by the quality assurance staff for supporting the process and increasing its adoption by the staff are outlined. These include methods adopted from fields such as change management, knowledge management, and information technology. Involvement of the stakeholders and adoption by the teaching staff are key success factors for any QA process.

The original process was designed in 2008, and implementation started from 2009 onwards. The paper attempts to identify the success factors that enabled the adoption and successful implementation of the process. However, the study also presents the areas of improvement identified through the application of the assessment model and the lessons learned from the institution wide implementation of the process. Major factors are identified for both the success and failure of the process.