“desarrollo de un marco referencial

Knowing that the Rule 14 issued by the National Constituent Assembly on July 22, 2008, establishes the obligation of the National Assessment and Accreditation (CONEA in Spanish) to develop a technical report on the level of the institutional performance of Higher Education Establishments to ensure their quality, promoting their depuration and improvement. Within the Evaluation Structure of the Ecuadorian University by the CONEA for the Students and Environment of Learning criteria, the emphasis is on new pedagogical models, the dimension of the learning environment or academic support including issues such as access to information, availability of information, computer labs and socalled ICT. The result from this study prepares a proposal for a viable framework model to solve the needs of Higher Education Institutions (IES in Spanish) or social groups that are incorporating the Information Technology and Communication in their Educational Models

Quality Assurance in E-learning: A Proposal from Accessibility to Sustainability

Given the importance of developing and offering accessible education for all, indispensable aspects of education for sustainable development (ESD) are needed. This study addresses that need by proposing a quality self-assessment for virtual education from an accessibility perspective. This proposal is based on previous literature about quality assurance in e-learning that considered accessibility and its application in the field of higher education. The bibliographic review was conducted by following Multivocal Literature Review (MLR) guidelines. The initial search returned 999 items from 5 academic databases and 32,200 professional sources from Google. After reviewing the sources, 37 of them were included. Then, the accessibility criteria were identified and integrated into an evaluation model. Such a model is divided into four dimensions: (1) organization, (2) student body, (3) teaching, and (4) infrastructure. The model also includes a set of standards (16), requirements (48), and evidence (63) that apply to each dimension. Moreover, self-assessment guidelines for accessible virtual education were proposed. They included a conceptual and theoretical framework, a self-assessment model, and a methodology for applying the model. The methodology included five phases: planning, model tuning or refinement of the model, evaluation, results, and continuous improvement. As future work, the implementation and validation of the guidelines will be carried out.publishedVersio

Linking the double helix of learning and work to the triple helix of university – industry – government in the Europe of knowledge

The present paper presents results of research in progress. Its purpose is to highlight the relevance of the helix logic for the understanding and speeding up of the processes of innovation and learning in the knowledge based society with a particular emphasis on the European higher education and research area, more specifically Romania. Two representative models are presented and considered promising for their applications in education and research strategizing: the „Double Helix” of Learning and Work and, respectively, the „Triple Helix” of University-Industry-Government. The paper is based on (1) the authors' experience in Romanian higher education, from various university management positions to government positions related to higher education and (2) the author’s experience of dealing with the business environment during the transition, experience encompassing areas from policy generation and implementation to evaluation of projects and research. This experience is captured by a critical exploration of the realities addressed in the paper and turned into an academic piece of qualitative research by using the conceptual artefacts approach. The specific difference the paper presents consists of providing a common framework for analysis for the two models which are based on the same logic, but were developed in different contexts both from a conceptual and an operational point of view. The paper also puts forward the hypothesis of the convergence of the two models with arguments that contribute to including the issues presented on the research agenda of the sociology of science and the theory of the policies fostering learning and innovation. The conceptual limits of the Triple Helix model are underlined, as well as the distortions that might appear during the implementation under real conditions of the partnership for innovation among universities, industry and government. Some elements of qualitative diagnosis of the degree of Romania’s readiness for the adoption of the Triple Helix model are also presented. The paper puts forward the proposition for the convergence of the two models for further international research and study with the very practical view of finding means to render this proposal operational at both institutional and strategic levels.double helix of learning and work; the triple helix of university – industry – government; emerging economies; university governance; higher education quality; triple helix of university – industry – government.

Assessment of research quality in higher education: contribution for an institutional framework

The past twenty years have seen a remarkable rise in the measurement of the impact/cost-benefit and value-for money of research outcomes. The implications for knowledge construction, higher education institutions and researchers are massive. This paper presents a proposal for addressing the question —how can institutions evaluate and monitor the quality of research in order to promote research excellence? The present study combines a strong documental analysis of major reference frameworks that are/were used across European higher education institutions with data analysis of a case study developed in the UK about the perceptions and recommendations of the main intervenients in the last Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). The dimensions and indicators identified in this study will contribute for the design of the Institutional Research Quality Assessment Framework that will be used in a research centre at the University of Aveiro. We provide examples of processes and practices of how institutions can develop internal evaluation exercises. We argue for an integrated/integrative approach where the basic principles of quality are identified, openly discussed and developed in order to reinforce the identity and promote the empowerment and engagement of researchers in the process of research assessment

Implementing Internationalization in Ontario in a Public-Private Partnership

Abstract The goal of Canada’s International Education Strategy: Harnessing our Knowledge Advantage to Drive Innovation and Prosperity (Global Affairs Canada, 2014) is to target the best and brightest international students to study in the country’s higher education institutions, mutually benefiting the student and the country’s economy. However, internationalization has created a new reality, with students graduating ill-equipped for the global society and a demand for approaches that embrace the complexities of diversity and changing environments (Dailey-Hebert & Dennis, 2015). Absent from the internationalization agenda are the considerations of impact on students and what they need in an organization’s culture to be most successful in their “abroad” learning. Evaluation of how internationalization is implemented is a gap and missing from the internationalization discourse is how faculty and staff can be equipped in their roles as implementers of internationalization. Change is needed in higher education institutions, and it requires leadership and an awareness of the organization’s culture and context. The Problem of Practice (POP) in this Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) is the lack of an organizational culture focus in supporting international students in an Ontario higher education institution. Using the experience of a partnership between a public community college and a private for-profit college, this OIP will outline a proposal for a change plan for the public-private partnership to develop a culturally competent organizational culture. This OIP will also be framed by the distributed leadership approach, the organized anarchy perspective, and the competing values framework to understand the organization and facilitate the change. Keywords: Competing Values Framework, Distributed Leadership, Internationalization, Organized Anarchy, Organizational Culture, Public-private Partnershi

Responses to Ofsted’s consultation on further education and skills inspections from September 2012 : an evaluation report

"Beginning in September 2011, Ofsted consulted widely on proposals for new inspection arrangements for the further education and skills system. This included a published consultation document and a formal three-month consultation process. This evaluation report summarises the responses we received on our proposals for further education and skills inspections from September 2012" - front cover