QualityAssuranceinHigherEducationALiteratureReview.pdfVIP

Quality Assurance in Higher Education: A Literature Review ANDREA WILGER National Center for Postsecondary Improvement 508 CERAS School of Education Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-3084 ? 1997 National Center for Postsecondary Improvement The work reported herein was supported in part by the Educational Research and Development Center program, agreement number R309A60001, CFDA 84.309A, as administered by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Education. The findings and opinions expressed in the report do not reflect the position or policies of OERI or the U.S. Department of Education. Publication Number NCPI-6-03. National Center for Postsecondary Improvement Page 1 Introduction Most industrialized countries recognize that in order to sustain and develop the economy, an ever-increasing pool of skilled people is required. Rapid technological developments dictate that workers be adept at lifelong learning and just-in-time learning. In addition, higher education’s knowledge base is constantly expanding, particularly in scientific and technologi- cal disciplines. These factors put colleges and universities under increasing pressure to pro- duce high quality outcomes, both in research and learning. These pressures are exacerbated by the rising costs of higher education. Though tuition rates have slowed in the mid-1990s, many parents and students believe that the cost of a college education is out of their reach. Similarly, state and federal lawmakers continue to be concerned with the cost of attaining a four-year degree. While