Quality in Higher Education

1. Quality in Higher Education It’s the system, stupid! Resisting the lure of marginal change Friday, November 30, 2001

2. Overview Critically examine the current system Conceptualize a replacement system Analyze the two and draw inferences

3. Critically examine the current system How do we determine that a student has demonstrated sufficient competence to be awarded the degree?

4. Critically examine the current system How does the faculty determine the required courses to be included in the degree program?

5. Critically examine the current system How is course content determined?

6. Critically examine the current system What Teaching methods are predominately used?

7. Critically examine the current system What processes and methods do we use to evaluate student performance?

8. Critically examine the current system How do we promote the transfer of knowledge from one course to another?

9. Critically examine the current system How do we use co-curricular activities to enhance student learning?

10. Critically examine the current system What are the implications for faculty development?

11. Current system: Name What is the name of this system? Response (Wait for an answer)

12. Current System: Name? Course-credit-completion Model

13. Current system: C-C-C Model • Circa 1900 • Parallels the Mass Production model • Widest use in U. S. A. • Evidences of Failure widespread

14. Current system: C-C-C Model • Today’s Problems come from yesterday’s solutions (Peter Senge, 1986). • Insanity is continuing to do those things you have always done while expecting different results (Albert Einstein, 1960). • It’s a good idea until you think about it (Dagwood Bumstead).

15. Current system: C-C-C Model What do you think? How good is this model? (Discussion)

16. Replacement System In the last analysis beginning from a fundamentally different point of departure and thinking systematically about [system] alternatives, is what organizing for learning is all about. Peter Ewell

17. Principles to Guide Design Upon what Principles should a new model be based? (Discussion)

18. Sources of System Principles The Continuous Process Improvement Model (CPI) is based on the grounded principles of 1) Alverno College’s “assessment as learning”, 2) Quality management principles [Deming], and 3) Extant learning and organizational behavior theory.

19. System Fundamentals • Student-learning focused (Mission) • Outcomes-driven (System Goals) • Performance-based (Pedagogy) • Assessment & Feedback-integrated

20. 1. Student-Learning Focused • What does this mean? • How do students best learn? • How different from teaching focus? • How does this change students? faculty?

21. 2. Outcomes-driven • What abilities are required for success? • Knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) • Criterion of system design & control • How different from Course-driven Model?

22. 3. Performance-based • Students learn by “making an action out of knowledge” • Shewhart cycle of learning • Faculty focus on learning about learning • How is this different? Desirable?

23. 4. Assessment & Feedback Integrated • Both developmental & comprehensive • Shewhart cycle as learning model • Change to developmental learning of KSAs across courses from independent blocks of content knowledge • How is this different? Desirable

24. Replacement Model Name of this model? The Continuous Process Improvement Model (CPI)

25. Faculty Responsible KSA’s Collaborative Public Customer Feedback CPILearningModel Outcomes and Criteria

26. Curriculum Co-curricular Program Instruction Knowledge Provides Content Link to Performance Active Learning Dynamic Developmental Integrative Inter- disciplinary Student- Centered CPILearningModel Outcomes and Criteria Faculty Responsible KSA’s Collaborative Public Customer Feedback

27. Applications of Knowledge Multiple Modes& Contexts CPILearningModel Outcomes and Criteria Curriculum Co-curricular Program Student Performance Instruction Assessment Knowledge Provides Content Link to Performance Active Learning Faculty Responsible KSA’s Collaborative Public Dynamic Developmental Integrative Inter- disciplinary Student- Centered Explicit Performance Criteria Customer Feedback

28. REPEAT Self Assessment Cognitive Adjustment Feedback to Improve Performance CPILearningModel Outcomes and Criteria Curriculum Co-curricular Program Student Performance Instruction Assessment Knowledge Provides Content Link to Performance Active Learning Faculty Responsible KSA’s Collaborative Public Dynamic Developmental Integrative Inter- disciplinary Student- Centered Applications of Knowledge Multiple Modes& Contexts Explicit Performance Criteria LEARNING Customer Feedback

29. Feedback Feedback Feedback CPILearningModel Outcomes and Criteria Curriculum Co-curricular Program Student Performance Instruction Assessment Knowledge Provides Content Link to Performance Active Learning Faculty Responsible KSA’s Collaborative Public Dynamic Developmental Integrative Inter- disciplinary Student- Centered Applications of Knowledge Multiple Modes& Contexts Explicit Performance Criteria LEARNING REPEAT Customer Feedback Self Assessment Cognitive Adjustment Feedback to Improve Performance

30. Criteria Organizing Principle Curriculum Assessment Teaching Faculty Responsibility Feedback CCC v CPI Courses Outcomes Means Ends Tests Do, FB, Do again Lecture Students Doing Individual Collaborative Little Continuous Analysis: Compare & Contrast

31. Primacy of Paradigm “The obvious is unknowable” (Hegel, 1954) “It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious” (Whitehead, 1925) “When a paradigm has been in place for an extended period, its assumptions become culturally ingrained to the point that the culture continues to be guided by the paradigm’s assumptions despite being unaware of their influence” (Kuhn, 1970)

32. So What? Paradigm shifts demand high dissatisfaction with the existing paradigm and clear vision of a replacement paradigm.

33. Thesis For quality, one must first have a quality system in place. Then one must measure the right things.Robert W. Galvin Every system is perfectly constructed to produce the results that it achieves. Peter Senge

34. So What? The System Always Wins! Why? 85% System error

35. So What? Quality in higher education requires a paradigm shift before quantum or continuous process (learning) improvement can take place. The Continuous Process Improvement Model is one alternative replacement