Enhancing Education Quality Assurance Using information Systems: QAAS System Z.Alzoabi 1, F. Diko 1, M. Alnoukari 2 1 Arab International University, Damascus, Syria. 2 Arab Academy for Banking and Financial Sciences, Damascus, Syria

Plan Introduction What is Quality Assurance in Higher Education? How to achieve Quality? Quality Assurance Automated System (QAAS) Performance Indicators Results Conclusion and Future Works

Introduction Quality assurance has the focus of all higher education institutes since one decade. This has been forced by different forces such as: Growing awareness of the need of quality assurance systems in different disciplines. Pressure from government entities towards standardization. Customer demand for better performance. The need for more organizational efficiency and excellence

Introduction (Cont.) There was always some problems in automating quality concepts-specially in HE because: First, the concept of quality assurance in educational systems is rather new and has not matured enough. Second, the concept of quality assurance in educational systems seemed to be difficult to computerize. For example how can we computerize aspects related to assuring quality of the content of a program using information systems? How can we assure quality in the way teachers are teaching their classes with the help of information systems

What Quality Assurance in Higher Education? all planned and systematic actions required to provide adequate confidence that students are receiving the content that enhances employability, receiving lectures in student- centered manner that enhances students skills, knowledge, and competences, and assessed fairly.

How to Achieve Quality? Identify goals of the study programs Collect relevant data that helps in assessing the three pillars of higher education system. Construct performance indicators that help in assessing every pillar. Computerize data entry in order to achieve consistency, efficiency, and standardization.

QAAS System The system allows teachers to do the following: Enter the study plan of a specific course with every chapter to be covered in every week or class. Enter the text book used throughout the course. Enter all references- including electronic- used for every chapter or topic to be covered in every chapter. Enter the methodologies that will be used for every chapter. Specify the outcomes of the course.

QAAS System (Cont.) In every class, the system allows the instructor to enter the following: Attendance Chapter to be covered in every class. Methodology used: lecture, seminar, team work, field study etc.

QAAS System (Cont.) The system then provides the management with many reports such as: Plan completion (how many chapters covered divided by the chapters planned). Punctuality of teachers (the time the attendance is taken is recorded). Performance of the students in the subject as compared to their general performance in the previous semesters (to be explained in the following sections). Absence ratios. Performance indicator of the teacher in terms of student feedback

Performance Indicators PI= (S.F*(1-DR)) /(4- G.P.A diff ) P.I: Performance Indicator. S.F: Student Feedback. P.C: Plan Completion.

Results

Conclusion & Future Work Our trial is in its infancy. We are trying to achieve: More concrete performance indicators as the current ones mature gradually. Utilize data mining concepts to make use of the vast data and hidden trends and utilized them in assuring quality.