Garantía de la calidad y acreditación en la educación superior del África subsahariana

El doble propósito de este artículo es presentar un análisis de la situación de las prácticas relacionadas con la garantía de la calidad en la educación superior del África Subsahariana y, dentro de este contexto, estudiar la repercusión, los retos y la estrategia de futuro de la acreditación en la zona. Se lleva a cabo un análisis general para ofrecer una visión global, aunque también se presentan estudios monográficos específicos sobre países anglófonos y francófonos para una mejor comprensión del tema.Peer Reviewe

The efficacy of blended learning in a Pediatric Spine Deformity management program in Sub-Saharan Africa

Introduction: Our study assessed the efficacy of blended learning, which combines in-person learning and e-learning, in a pediatric scoliosis training program through an international collaborative effort. Methods: The course comprised two parts: the online portion, where participants reviewed educational materials for 3 weeks and met with faculty once/week for discussion, and the in-person session, where participants reviewed cases in a team-based approach and came to a consensus on treatment strategy, followed by discussion with an international expert. All participants completed a needs assessment (NA) and clinical quiz at three points: before the course, after the online session, and after the in-person session, which covered various topics in pediatric spine deformity. Results: Thirty-six surgeons enrolled in the course from 13 College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa countries. The NA assessment scores improved significantly over the course of the surveys from 67.3, to 90.9, to 94.0 (P = 0.02). The clinical quiz scores also improved from 9.91, to 11.9, to 12.3 (P = 0.002). Conclusion: The blended learning approach in a pediatric spine deformity program is effective and feasible and shows a statistically significant change in participants\u27 confidence and knowledge base in these complex pathologies. This approach should be explored further with larger numbers and/or other spinal pathologies

West African Higher Education Reforms

Since the advent of the knowledge economy society, higher education is seen as a major contributor to poverty reduction and sustainable human development. Over the past two decades, many regional organizations have invested in the revitalization and further development of their higher education systems—in order to benefit from the opportunities offered by the knowledge economy. These efforts include the implementation of the Bologna process of construction of a higher education area in Europe and beyond by 2010 and the Higher Education Harmonization Strategy in Africa designed by the African Union. These two initiatives are mainly motivated by the need to move to a new system known as the bachelor-master-doctorate system

Quality Regimes in Africa

Since the advent of the knowledge economy society, quality assurance plays a major role in the development and implementation of qualifications frameworks needed in order to promote academic mobility. This article reviews quality assurance initiatives launched at national, sub-regional and regional levels in Africa. It analyzes the results achieved, challenges and opportunities and maps out future prospects. The article also raises a series of research questions that are required to further improve quality assurance in Africa

Garantía de la calidad y acreditación en la educación superior del África subsahariana

El doble propósito de este artículo es presentar un análisis de la situación de las prácticas relacionadas con la garantía de la calidad en la educación superior del África Subsahariana y, dentro de este contexto, estudiar la repercusión, los retos y la estrategia de futuro de la acreditación en la zona. Se lleva a cabo un análisis general para ofrecer una visión global, aunque también se presentan estudios monográficos específicos sobre países anglófonos y francófonos para una mejor comprensión del tema.Peer Reviewe

Regional co-operation in higher education in Africa

Part 5 and Conclusion missin

Quality Assurance Mechanisms as Tools to Achieve the Continental Education Strategy for Africa

Since its launch in 2016, the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) has witnessed great successes, with African educational stakeholders leveraging on its 13 clusters to ensure the transformation of the continent's education in furtherance of the achievements of the AU Agenda 2063. Organisations such as the Association of African Universities, the International Network for Higher Education in Africa, and the European Union have held conferences to create awareness and find ways to achieve the aspirations of the CESA. Their initiatives have not been without challenges, especially in a key fundamental quality assurance area – academic corruption. This desk review examines the Continental Education Strategy for Africa from a quality assurance lens by establishing the hindrances that academic corruption poses or will pose to the achievement of the strategy within the Africa Higher Education Space (AHES). The study further argues that achieving the desire to use African human resources to achieve the continent's educational aspirations will entail measures that will minimise all forms of academically dishonest practices within the AHES, especially amongst students, since inappropriate teaching methods lead to tendencies of cheating. In curbing this, the review argues for an African-born educational model that assures quality and can reduce academic dishonesty towards the achievement of the CESA

Quality Assurance in Africa: Towards a Continental Higher Education and Research Space

This article is a critical review of quality assurance in higher education in Africa with the purpose of identifying recent results, challenges still to be faced, and actions required to forcefully move towards the construction of an African higher education and research space (AHERS). The article identifies factors responsible for the decline in quality and proposes an integrated and holistic conceptual framework for analysing quality assurance. It reviews the various initiatives implemented in recent years and identifies, among the results, the establishment of new quality assurance agencies, the creation of a regional quality assurance system in East Africa, the strengthening of institutional development capacities, and capacity building in competencies-based curriculum reform. Challenges include the limited human capacity of quality assurance agencies, ineffectiveness in implementing harmonisation strategies, and the lack of tools required to compare qualifications. The article concludes with recommendations on promoting student and staff mobility to help realise the creation of AHERS. Cet article est une critique de l’assurance qualité de l’enseignement supérieur en Afrique. Il a pour objectif d’identifier les récentes études, les défis à relever, et les actions nécessaires pour provoquer la création d’un Espace Africain pour l’Enseignement Supérieur et la Recherche (AHERS). Cet article identifie les facteurs à l’origine du déclin de la qualité et propose un cadre théorique holistique complet pour analyser l’assurance qualité. Il critique les différentes initiatives mises en place ces dernières années et s’attarde plus spécifiquement sur la fondation de nouvelles agences chargées de l’assurance qualité, la création d’un système régional d’assurance qualité en Afrique de l’Est, le renforcement des capacités de développement des institutions, et le développement des capacités nécessaires pour établir une réforme des programmes axée sur les compétences. La capacité humaine limitée des agences d’assurance qualité, l’inefficacité quant à l’implémentation des stratégies d’harmonisation et le manque d’outils pour comparer les diplômes font partie des difficultés majeures. Nous terminons cet article en encourageant la mobilité des étudiants et des professeurs pour provoquer la création d’un Espace Africain pour l’Enseignement Supérieur et la Recherche