Evidence based policy and practice in higher education The Bologna process and graduate career tracking system Budapest, HUNGARY, 17/10/2011 – 21/10/2011 Gábor Halász ELTE University Budapest

The origins… The health sector and the scientific method in medicine Archie Cochrane (1909–1988) and the Cochrane Collaboration

Public responsibility, legal processes and scientific reliability Public authorization and lawsuits (e.g. in drugs and food safety) What is the basis of decisions? What counts as evidence?

Degrees of reliability Standards of evidence: (e.g. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force an NGO in the health sector)

Application in the education sector Should interventions in the education sector be judged the same ways as in other sectors? The evidence based movement in education The OECD project on evidence in education

The evidence based approach: policy priority in the EU 2007 – The theme became a community priority under the German Presidency

The use of data at macro and micro level Macro level: the use of data for national policymakingMacro level: the use of data for national policymaking Micro level: data-based institutional level decision-makingMicro level: data-based institutional level decision-making

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The Cochrane Collaboration The Cochrane Collaboration, established in 1993, is an international network of more than 28,000 dedicated people from over 100 countries. It provides systematic reviews of relevant research based on randomized controlled trials in health care

The evidence based approach in the education sector USA ( NCLB/Ed. Res. Act) –Research based interventions –Standards for research Evidence bases (What Works Clearinghouse – USA; Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Coordinating Centre - UK) Education sector: the soft evidence version (survey data instead of data from randomized trials)

The evidence based approach in the education sector Improving the quality of evidences – trials whenever possible – time-series and longitudinal surveys – combining quantitative and qualitative data Improving the use of evidence – Brokerage agencies – Better analytical capacities

The use of evidence at macro level Regular national surveys in various areas, such as: – Institutional level processes (e.g. study programs, teaching methods) – Labour market outcomes – Students and academics Government level decision-making requirements (feasibility studies and impact assessments) Supporting institutional level data needs

The use of evidence at micro level Institutional commitment to evidence-based management Availability of data (produced or acquired by the institution) Capacity to use data appropriately (organisational intelligence)