Quality Assurance in Higher Education
QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Dr.R.Sivakumar
Assistant Professor of Education
Annamalai University
Introduction Higher Education Institutions are frequently the focus of attention since they represent valuable resources for any country. They produce the educated men and women that often become the social, political, technological, economic, and religious leaders of the country. Because of the changes that have occurred in the restructuring of the education system as well s the wide-reaching transformation in education policy and practice in India, the above-mentioned concepts are frequently heard in discussions among educationists. Quality Assurance has become imperative for those who are concerned about the future of education in India. Without knowing what quality means, however, it is not possible to give serious consideration to Quality Assurance. Hence a short overview of a few notations of quality is offered.
What is Quality? The abstract notion of quality cannot be framed by means of a single definition or description. It is not neutral or self-evident. Quality is highly contested since people in different contexts have different understandings of what quality is a multi-faceted concept, comprising many aspects that are applicable at different levels. The meaning of the term ‘quality’ is best conveyed by the Greek word Peoteta which was used by Plato and Aristotle to single out certain characteristics that were considered to be distinctive of a thing-distinguishing it from other types. The term is also related to specific attributes of people-usually ‘good qualities’. Within this frame work, quality becomes a multi-value concept depending on the situation and also a multi-level concept involving different frames of reference in which it can be analyzed. Quality is a matter of negotiating among all parties concerned since quality will be specified by the outcomes of such negations about the expected requirements
Dr.R.Sivakumar
Assistant Professor of Education
Annamalai University
Introduction Higher Education Institutions are frequently the focus of attention since they represent valuable resources for any country. They produce the educated men and women that often become the social, political, technological, economic, and religious leaders of the country. Because of the changes that have occurred in the restructuring of the education system as well s the wide-reaching transformation in education policy and practice in India, the above-mentioned concepts are frequently heard in discussions among educationists. Quality Assurance has become imperative for those who are concerned about the future of education in India. Without knowing what quality means, however, it is not possible to give serious consideration to Quality Assurance. Hence a short overview of a few notations of quality is offered.
What is Quality? The abstract notion of quality cannot be framed by means of a single definition or description. It is not neutral or self-evident. Quality is highly contested since people in different contexts have different understandings of what quality is a multi-faceted concept, comprising many aspects that are applicable at different levels. The meaning of the term ‘quality’ is best conveyed by the Greek word Peoteta which was used by Plato and Aristotle to single out certain characteristics that were considered to be distinctive of a thing-distinguishing it from other types. The term is also related to specific attributes of people-usually ‘good qualities’. Within this frame work, quality becomes a multi-value concept depending on the situation and also a multi-level concept involving different frames of reference in which it can be analyzed. Quality is a matter of negotiating among all parties concerned since quality will be specified by the outcomes of such negations about the expected requirements