Towards higher education quality assessment framework for students satisfaction evaluation

This paper presents the framework of higher education quality assessment. The estimates of education quality can be used by the chiefs of higher education establishments (HEE) to take management decisions. The suggested approach is based on SERVQUAL method, supposing that education quality is the quality of provided service. Within the elaborated framework students fill in the questionnaire, their answers reflect the gap between perceived and expected education quality. The survey results are processed with the help of Rasch model. This approach was tested at the Information and management faculty of National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute"

Investigating the Service Quality Dimensions and their Impact on University Students’ Satisfaction in a Private Higher Education Institution in Lebanon

Quality is a key word in every context, as it is the major factor leading to high performance delivery of services, and a major condition to attain customer satisfaction. Within a challenging and very competitive academic field and taking into account the large multitude of services provided by different types of higher education institutions, identifying the key dimensions of service quality in the Lebanese higher education is a priority for different higher education institutions in Lebanon, to enhance their overall services and maintain a leading position in attracting top students. This study is the first of its kind in the Lebanese Higher Education sector, aiming to design, develop, implement and assess a conceptual framework of a service quality model for service quality evaluation in the Lebanese Higher Education. In addition, the study aims to determine the most important service quality dimensions from a students’ perspective. The framework proposed is based on the initial service quality model developed by Parasuraman et al. (1985), while considering the three qualities highlighted in Gronroos (1983) and Lehtinen and Lehtinen (1982) models: Physical Quality (Campus Physical Facilities), Interactive Quality (Interactions with Staff, Administration and other Students on Campus) and Corporative Quality (University Image and Reputation). The framework also aligns well with the Importance-Performance (IPA) model. The final attained model consists of seven major service quality dimensions: Quality of Education, Quality of Students Services Support, Campus Physical Facilities, University Image and Reputation, Students Social Life on Campus, Interaction with Faculty and Interaction with Administrative Staff. A case study of a private Lebanese university is considered aiming to implement the developed service quality model conceptual framework and evaluate the quality of various services. The Lebanese international University (LIU) has 9 campuses across the Lebanese districts, allowing a wide implementation of the framework and provides a good basis for data collection and analysis. To characterize and communicate the developed framework, a questionnaire was developed to collect data from students and help in assessing and analysing gaps between level of importance and their perception of the performance for each dimension. 1,223 questionnaires were distributed using proportionate stratified random sampling, 107 returned questionnaires or failed to complete and return the respective questionnaire. Thus, a total of 1,116 questionnaires were employed in the assessment and analysis. Based on the data collected and the students’ feedback, an overall analysis and evaluation process was performed. A holistic comparison is carried out for various demographic variables against the seven dimensions of service quality. An Importance-Performance matrix was used to identify prioritized areas where LIU needs to act and allocate its resources. Multiple approaches have been employed and conducted to aid the analysis and assessment in this study including descriptive statistical analysis, one-way analysis of variances (ANOVA), Levene’s Test, regression analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Structural Equation Model (SEM). In addition, regression analysis is used to test the hypothesis and to determine the existence of relationships between various service quality dimensions, students’ satisfaction and student’s loyalty. Finally, IBM SPSS AMOS is employed to generate the output using CFA and SEM techniques. The analysis shows that the critical attributes which need direct LIU attention are offering comfortable accommodation, good internet services, offering affordable accommodation, modern sports facilities, safe accommodation and parking areas for students. The reported results confirmed all the hypotheses defined at the beginning of the investigation except for Campus Physical Facilities. In this regard, it highlighted a positive significant relation between the various dimensions considered and the students’ satisfaction except for the independent variable Campus Physical Facilities which had a negative non- significant relation. The reasons for this negative non-significant relation were attributed to the economic situation, past students’ experiences and current LIU facilities status. Finally, a model for students’ satisfaction was developed using the unstandardized regression weight of each of the seven dimensions proposed in this study. This study, through the service quality model conceptual framework and yields a multitude of positive impacts and benefits for the considered Lebanese International University on one hand and for the whole Lebanese Higher Education Sector on the other hand. On a holistic level, the current investigation will help improving the overall performance of the Lebanese Higher Education as quality services is at the heart of every single academic institution performance. In general, a systematic service quality assessment tool will lead to better services quality and thus higher university performance and consequently higher students’ satisfaction rates. This will help in maintaining the leading position of the Lebanese Higher Education sector in the region. The current work is a step forward towards improving the overall performance of the Lebanese Higher Education sector through developing the first of its kind conceptual framework for a service quality model for service quality evaluation in the Lebanese Higher Education. From a holistic perspective, a reliable and systematic service quality assessment tool is a major condition to attain better services quality, and thus higher university performance and consequently higher students’ satisfaction rates. The current investigation is a step forward towards maintaining the leading position of the Lebanese Higher Education sector in the region

The Online Faculty Development and Assessment System

This article evaluates the role of the Online Faculty Development and Assessment System (OFDAS), created at universities in the Canary Islands, Spain, in staff development. The evaluation indicates that the system helped staff in learning to teach curriculum and teaching capacities. The tasks, online resources and opportunities for discussions provided within the learning environment created for the system helped shape their attitudes towards learning curriculum and teaching capacities and enabled them to share their concerns about students’ classroom learning environment assessment

Establishing a student satisfaction index - A Malaysian case study

The paper provides an insight on student satisfaction in a higher education institution (HEI) within the context of a quasi-government environment. Students’ opinions about factors related to academic life are sought in the form of a satisfaction feedback questionnaire. This survey aims to investigate issues viewed as important to students by seeking their opinion on a number of factors related to teaching, assessment and support provided by the HEI and its courses. A new model that is based on SERVQUAL framework is proposed that suited the quasi-government environment. The case study was conducted at a quasi-government HEI located in Pahang on the East Coast of Malaysia. Based on the results of this comprehensive study, it is clear that many of the physical aspects of the HEI services were viewed as important relating to student satisfaction. Student feedback confirms that they do receive high quality teaching from staff with high levels of expertise in their various academic disciplines. The lecture and tutorial are considered as the core service provided by the HEI. Students are prepared to tolerate largely deficiencies in the physical aspects of the facilities as long as the teaching they receive is perceived to be at the acceptable level. The concept of the service-product bundle is a valid and reliable tool for the design of a satisfaction survey and segments a HEI's service offering in such a way as to allow management to target resources at those areas that are perceived to be low satisfaction and high importance. This research model can be utilized in most HEIs establishments

Failure is an option:an innovative engineering curriculum

PurposeAdvancements and innovation in engineering design are based on learning from previous failures but students are encouraged to ‘succeed’ first time and hence can avoid learning from failure in practice. The purpose of the study was to design and evaluate a curriculum to help engineering design students to learn from failure.Design/Methodology/ApproachA new curriculum design provided a case study for evaluating the effects of incorporating learning from failure within a civil engineering course. An analysis of the changes in course output was undertaken in relation to graduate destination data covering 2006 to 2016 and student satisfaction from 2012 to 2017 and a number of challenges and solutions for curriculum designers were identified.FindingsThe design and delivery of an innovative curriculum, within typical constraints, can provide opportunities for students to develop resilience to failure as an integral part of their learning in order to think creatively and develop novel engineering solutions. The key issues identified were: the selection of appropriate teaching methods, creating an environment for exploratory learning, group and team assessments with competitive elements where practicable, and providing students with many different pedagogical approaches to produce a quality learning experience.OriginalityThis case study demonstrates how to design and implement an innovative curriculum that can produce positive benefits of learning from failure. This model can be applied to other disciplines such as building surveying and construction management. This approach underpins the development of skills necessary in the educational experience to develop as a professional building pathologist

Innovation failure in the eye of the beholder: Towards a theory of innovation shaped by competing agendas within higher education

This paper examines a case of perceived innovation failure in higher education, a service dominated by conflicting institutional logics of professionalism and markets. Through a mixed methodology investigating student attitudes to, and behaviour around, technological innovation, the paper makes a contribution to the public service innovation literature by focusing on duality in innovation outcomes. This is suggestive of an innovation typology in public services: professionalism-driven and consumerism-driven innovation

Curriculum renewal for interprofessional education in health

In this preface we comment on four matters that we think bode well for the future of interprofessional education in Australia. First, there is a growing articulation, nationally and globally, as to the importance of interprofessional education and its contribution to the development of interprofessional and collaborative health practices. These practices are increasingly recognised as central to delivering effective, efficient, safe and sustainable health services. Second, there is a rapidly growing interest and institutional engagement with interprofessional education as part of pre-registration health professional education. This has changed substantially in recent years. Whilst beyond the scope of our current studies, the need for similar developments in continuing professional development (CPD) for health professionals was a consistent topic in our stakeholder consultations. Third, we observe what might be termed a threshold effect occurring in the area of interprofessional education. Projects that address matters relating to IPE are now far more numerous, visible and discussed in terms of their aggregate outcomes. The impact of this momentum is visible across the higher education sector. Finally, we believe that effective collaboration is a critical mediating process through which the rich resources of disciplinary knowledge and capability are joined to add value to existing health service provision. We trust the conceptual and practical contributions and resources presented and discussed in this report contribute to these developments.Office of Learning and Teaching Australi