The development and evaluation of computer generated material for 43.220 Information and Communications : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Technology - Information Engineering at Massey University

The information age is upon us. Technological advances, particularly in communications, have facilitated the conveyance of accurate and updatable information in vast quantities. Educational institutions have recognized the potential of such technology to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their organizations. Institutions that depend almost entirely on technological knowledge transfer already exist and those who are not investigating how it may best be used in their university are likely to be left behind [1]. The impact of technology on education has been the subject of much speculation [2,3,4]. What is becoming apparent is that views of education are changing from that of 'option' to 'commodity' [5]. This has lead to an increasing demand for a varied education and an even greater burden for educators, given that there has been little change in the modes of delivery [1]. Therefore, in education, it has been argued that "more must be accomplished with less. Automation through the successful application of powerful new technologies is undoubtedly one of the key enablers" [6, p. 59). The Department of Production Technology at Massey University has been investigating how current technologies may best be utilized to facilitate multicampus teaching. Massey University, with its main campus at Palmerston North, now has a new campus situated approximately 600 kilometres north at Albany where the Department of Production Technology intends to offer one of its courses in the near future. Instead of duplicating many facilities, resources and staff at Albany an alternative is to have the courses remotely delivered. This has lead to the establishment of two systems whose objectives are to increase flexibility in delivery modes without decreasing the quality of education delivered

A critical systems view of quality assurance in New Zealand universities : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philososphy in Education at Massey University, New Zealand

The present study uses a critical systems approach to explore quality assurance in New Zealand universities. It combines information from the international and New Zealand literature with findings from a case study university to investigate perceptions of quality and quality assurance at different levels of the New Zealand university system. The research shows that existing approaches to quality assurance have not followed the principles of quality management to improve the core productive enterprise of the organisation. Instead, the approaches have been advanced in agencies outside universities to the point where they now exist in and of themselves, and for purposes that are no longer transparent to those involved or affected by them. The research addresses a perceived gap in terms of defining academic quality in a manner that acknowledges the purposes of universities and their complexity. Current approaches to quality assurance emphasise financial and activity-based accountability which arguably have little to do with improving the quality of teaching, learning and research. By shifting the focus from ‘defining quality’ to articulating the relationship between quality assurance, accountability and quality improvement, standardised approaches such as audit, accreditation and performance reporting can be incorporated alongside the more flexible and adaptive approaches required for the improvement of teaching, learning and research within universities. Insights regarding a clearer pathway for the application of quality assurance in New Zealand universities are outlined. Main issues to be addressed if the quality assurance system is to be improved are related to its purposes, roles and functions, evaluation methodologies and terminology. In particular, there is a need for explicit acknowledgment of the essential role played by the discipline, and the functions of universities and their staff must be better articulated and understood. Improvement of the quality assurance system is also reliant on acceptance of the work already undertaken and its ‘messiness’. Improving teaching, learning and research is not a linear, standardised or tidy business. It is a complex process of developing individual and collective capabilities, taking risks, learning from failure and striving to continuously extend success