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Lessons learned from Agris mundus experience and from

Erasmus Mundus Quality Assessment Study

2008-2009

Quality assurance for joint courses in agricultureA tentative linkage to insular situations…

Science for ImpactCTA workshop, 25 to 27 November 2009

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What is quality assurance for education?

Why can it be recommended specially for joint courses?

On which experiences do we build for our recommendations?

Are these experiences relevant for the situation met in the Pacific?

The components of quality in higher education in agriculture

Quality assurance mechanisms implementation

Quality assurance for joint courses in agricultureA tentative linkage to insular situations…

Science for ImpactCTA workshop, 25 to 27 November 2009

Outline

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Our clients need guarantees!

We also need to manage our institutions for improvement!

A guarantee for the clients

A management tool for improvement

Quality assurance, certification : a common concept for industrial goods

Science for ImpactCTA workshop, 25 to 27 November 2009

We don’t sell fridges!

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• Quality assurance & certification

• A voluntary choice

•A chosen perimeter

Science for ImpactCTA workshop, 25 to 27 November 2009

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• We don’t sell training, we’re a public service, hence QA is not for us!

• QA is a tool to facilitate gradual change, step by step..

• QA is for top class Universities only…

• With QA, external auditors will assess what we do and criticize us…

• Our clients are the students

• Our clients are the private sector companies, NGOs…Science for Impact

CTA workshop, 25 to 27 November 2009

Right or wrong?

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• Quality may be more difficult to achieve!

• need of mutual recognition of the training delivered..

Science for ImpactCTA workshop, 25 to 27 November 2009

Why QA is specially needed in case of joint training?

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A European Master course coordinated at :

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Partners:

• Wageningen University (Nl),

• Copenhagen University (Dk),

• University of Cork (IRL),

• University of Catania (IT),

• Universitad Polytecnica de Madrid (ES),

• Montpellier SupAgro (FR).

Master in Sustainable

Development in Agriculture • M1 in one country

• M2 in a different country

• thesis co-tutored by M1+M2

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4

6

1

6 2

5

33

Agris Mundus – study tracks/flows

Water man: op & design

Safe prodIn horticul

Water man & rural Dev

Food chains& develop

Rural localdevelop

Agric systemLocal develop

Agriculdevelop

Livestock manag

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Are some elements similar to the situation in the Pacific (with regard to quality assurance)?

1. Some may argue that the situation is different

• In Europe, each university seem to reach the critical mass by itself

• Facilities are much higher…

• Students capacities (financial resources) are higher

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Are some elements similar to the situation in the Pacific (with regard to quality assurance)?

2. But ….• Topics of excellence to address the job market are better

achieved in an international context of training

• Logistic facilities may be higher in Europe, but Europe is so far from the tropical field!…

• Most of the students come from developing countries, with limited scholarships…

• Training in cooperation is an excellent introduction to jobs in cooperation….(Intl or multistakeholder….)

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Are some elements similar to the situation in the Pacific (with regard to quality assurance)?

3. Finally ….

• Quality and academic ranking are 2 different things

• Quality assurance is not a privilege of the top ranked universities!

• Oxford or Harvard University can escape from a quality assurance system

• While a professional college may be successful…

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o Student enrolment process that ensures quality intakeStudent enrolment process that ensures quality intake

o Students welcoming services that makes the course Students welcoming services that makes the course

attractive for good studentsattractive for good students

o Relationship with the professional sector that increases Relationship with the professional sector that increases

attractivity and relevance for the jobs marketattractivity and relevance for the jobs market

o Credits recognition between institutions that facilitates Credits recognition between institutions that facilitates

the polling of resourcesthe polling of resources

o Evaluation of the courses by the students and by the Evaluation of the courses by the students and by the

professional sector is a general practiceprofessional sector is a general practice

Possible QA perimetersPossible QA perimetersfor joint coursesfor joint courses

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The Life Cycle Quality Assessment of a training course

Needs for a joint course

market justification (jobs); skills needed

Demand driven vs supply driven

Effective inputs to the course e.g. staff research and teaching skills, relevant curriculum both in terms of pedagogy and in terms of student career value, linkage to the professionnal sector.

Activities and actionse.g. a well-taught course,a good retention rate ofstudents, high satisfactionrates

Objectives in joint action across institutions and countries coherent and compatible

Added Outputs and resultse.g. students attainment,research linkages

Added Impact demonstrable collective added value, definable quality and excellence transferable learningEfficiency on the market (employability)

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Quality assurance mechanisms

• A mechanism to certify that the product you propose does correspond to the quality norms you mention

• A mechanism to step by step improve the quality of the product you propose

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Quality assurance mechanisms

• Aims at proving that your product is known and that its content does correspond to what you announced

Write what you do and do what you write!

-> define what you want to do

-> do what you have defined

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Quality assurance mechanisms

• Aims at proving that your product is known and that its content does correspond to what you announced

Write what you do and do what you write!

-> define what you want to do

-> do what you have defined

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Procedures for QA

• Clearly identify the perimeter to which the QA should apply(f.e. the quality of the professional training and the relationship with industries…)

• Clarify the quality level your target for your product • Write down the procedures at all levels

(the elements that make the quality of your product)

• Have measurable indicators of achievement

• Do monitor them effectively

-> write down what you did

-> proove it

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Quality assurance mechanisms

• Be able to achieve what you target• Communicate widely on your commitments

Target reasonable objectives that can really be achieved!

• Resistance to Q/A : always difficult to be accepted by individuals : progressive strategy is needed

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Quality assurance mechanisms

Certification or internal verification

• Verifies that you have achieved your objectives• Official certification for international norms

(ISO 9001, ISO 14000,…) by registered certificators

• In house verification possible as a first step

• Or cross verification by pairs

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Implementation of Q/A Implementation of Q/A

for a joint coursefor a joint course

o Assessment of the situation in the Assessment of the situation in the

participating universitiesparticipating universities

o Identification of the QA mechanisms that Identification of the QA mechanisms that

the consortium is willing to develop the consortium is willing to develop

o Development of the proceduresDevelopment of the procedures

o MoU between partners to support joint MoU between partners to support joint

implementation of the QA proceduresimplementation of the QA procedures

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www.emqa.eu

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