International Conference on Enhancement and Innovation in Higher Education Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow 9-11 June 2015 Welcome

Joakim Palestro, Ulrika Thafvelin Presentation Joakim Palestro, Senior Adviser, Chancellors Office, Swedish Higher Education Authority Ulrika Thafvelin, Project Manager, Department of Quality Assurance, Swedish Higher Education Authority Together we have 20 years of experience working with quality assurance in higher education, both national and international.

The Swedish External quality assurance (EQA) system in transiton

Higher education in Sweden - facts Majority HEI state run Higher Education Act: ”All education must be founded on research” Wide definition – variety of profiles Research – mainly within HEI Public funding: 85% No tuition fees, except for students outside EES

Higher education in Sweden - numbers employees (57% academics) 3 large independent universities 31 public sector universities and university colleges FTEs students on Bachelor and Master level registered students (60% female, 40% male) Incoming students: Outgoing students: doctoral students

External Quality Assurance (EQA) - background 1990s Institutional audits (prerequisite/process ) 2000s Programme evaluation (process) Learning outcome (result)

External Quality Assurance (EQA) - background 1990s Institutional audits prerequisite/process 2000s Programme evaluation (process) Learning outcome (result) Increased autonomy Increase focus on excellence and employability Efficiency in higher education

Focus – national qualification descriptors (objectives) Objective 1Scientific level Objective 2Methodology Objective 3Written presentation Objective 4Analytical skills Objective 5Ethics

Documentation assessed by panel Webinars

Assessment of Individual projects - example Instituion XComputer Science - Master degree Individual projektPeerObjective1Objective 2Objective 3Objective 4Objective 5 AMr X11111 BMrs Y12222 CMrs Z12221 DMr Å11111 EMrs Ä22222 FMr Ö33333 GMr X12221 JMrs Y22211 KMrs Z22212 LMr Å12112 MMrs Ä32232 NMr Ö12221 OMr X11122 PMrs Y11121 QMrs Z12122

Outcome after assement of more then 2000 programme

Follow-up procedures One year to improve If not: entitlement to award a degree is revoked HEI cancel admission

Examples of quality enhancement procedures Revised curriculum and courses Introduction of new courses Training in writing skills improved Formalising internal routines for assessing projects Employing new professors Cancel admission

Lessons learned Increased knowledge and awareness of national qualification descriptions By looking at the results – HEI have improved their internal processes (quality assurance) A lot of stakeholders involved-at all levels of University ( 1300 experts) Sharp system with immediate actions for the benefit of the students learning experience Processes were not assessed as intended International criticism Reports lacked recommendations for improvement Labour market input to low A small error could generate ”inadequate quality”

External Quality Assurance (EQA) - Future 1990s Institutional audits (prerequisite/ process ) 2000s Programme evaluation (process) Learning outcome (result) Combinations of all, some optional, some mandatory? Possible ? without creating…..

External Quality Assurance (EQA) – building something new that could be used in two ways: control and enhancement 1990s Enhancement 2000s Enhancement/ control Control Control/ Enhancement How do we go on? Is it even possible to aim for enhancement as well as control?

Thank you for listening!