Quality assurance in the Bologna Process (EHEA) relies on qualifications frameworks to articulate the expected end points of higher education studies. Higher education institutions and quality assurance agencies use the learning outcomes as articulated in NFQs to enter into dialogue with their stakeholders.

1. Quality assurance and qualifications
frameworks: achieving learning
outcomes
Bryan Maguire
Quality and Qualifications Ireland
Conference on National Qualifications Framework
Astana, June 8-9, 2015

2. Quality assurance
• European standards and guidelines
• Quality assurance agencies
• Qualifications frameworks
• Irish experience

3.  We cannot wander at pleasure among the educational
systems of the world, like a child strolling through a
garden, and pick off a flower from one bush and some
leaves from another, and then expect if we stick what
we have gathered into the soil at home, we shall get a
living plant. A national system of education is a living
thing, the outcome of forgotten struggles and
difficulties, and “battles of long ago”. It has in it some of
the secret workings of national life.
– Michael Sadler

4. Bologna
Ministerial
Statements
• “To consolidate the EHEA, meaningful
implementation of learning outcomes is needed.
The development, understanding and practical
use of learning outcomes is crucial to the success
of ECTS, the Diploma Supplement, recognition,
qualifications frameworks and quality assurance
– all of which are interdependent.”
Bucharest
Communiqué, April
2012
• “Enhancing the quality and relevance of
learning and teaching is the main mission of the
EHEA.” Yerevan
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5. Стандарты и рекомендации для гарантии качества в
Европейском пространстве высшего образования (ESG)
Переработанное издание
• Европейская ассоциация гарантии качества высшего
образования
• Европейский союз студентов
• Европейская ассоциация университетов
• Европейская ассоциация учреждений высшего образования
• Международное образование
• BUSINESSEUROPE
• Европейский реестр агентств гарантии качества в высшем
образовании
• http://www.enqa.eu/index.php/home/esg/

6. Three layers of ESG
• Internal quality assurance
• External quality assurance
• External quality assurance agencies
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7. Internal quality assurance
• Policy for
institutional
quality assurance
• Design and approval
of programmes (NFQ)
• Student-centred
learning, teaching and
assessment
• Student admission,
progression,
recognition and
certification
• Teaching staff
• Learning
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8. External quality assurance
• Use of internal
quality
assurance
procedures
• Designing
methodologies
fit for
purpose
• Implementing
processes
• Peer review 8

9. Quality assurance agencies
• Activities policy
and processes
for QA
• Official status
• Independence
• Thematic
analysis
• Resources
• Internal QA and
professional
conduct
• Cyclical
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10. External QA
• Accreditation of programmes or
• Accreditation/audit of institutions
or
• Combination of both
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11. Qualifications Frameworks
• Based on learning outcomes
• National qualifications frameworks
are being developed in all countries
• Tuning project has worked on
learning outcomes for disciplines
within QF-EHEA
• Integrating QA and QFs is
increasingly important agenda

12. Quality and Qualifications
Ireland• “an integrated agency for quality and qualifications in
Ireland”
• Established November 2012
• Amalgamation of
– National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (est. 2001)
– Further Education and Training Awards Council (2001
from National Council for Vocational Awards - 1991)
– Higher Education and Training Awards Council (2001
from National Council for Education Awards – 1972)
– Irish Universities Quality Board (2003)

13. QQI roles
• Custodian of National Framework of
Qualifications
• Qualifications Recognition (NARIC)
• Quality assurance guidelines for all
education and training outside schools
• Quality assurance of all HEIs at
institutional level
• Quality assurance of private HE at
programme level

14. Irish agency guidelines
• Programme design
• Learner assessment strategies

15. Programme design - Universities
• College/faculty and university procedures
ensure that the design of new
programmes is of a high standard,
support alignment to the intended NFQ
level and compliance with national and
international standards for professional
and legal recognition of graduates, and
incorporate all relevant elements and
provisions, and, as appropriate, allows
for multiple options – IUQB 2012

16. Programme Design – Professional
Higher Education
• Programme learning outcomes articulated and
mapped to appropriate award-type descriptor
• Module learning outcomes designed to
collectively deliver the programme learning
outcomes
• Credit allocated to award (and modules) within
range agreed for award-type
• Appropriate teaching, learning and assessment
methodology designed
• Name of award reflects appropriate award-type
– HETAC 2010

17. Assessment strategies
• “Programme assessment strategies should be produced for
each programme and module assessment strategies for
each of its constituent modules
– Link a programme’s assessment instruments (summative and
formative, including continuous assessment and repeat
assessment) to the minimum intended programme learning
outcomes as well as any intended module and stage learning
outcomes
– Describe and provide a rationale for the choice of assessment
tasks, criteria and procedures. It should also address their
fairness and consistency, specifically their validity, reliability
and authenticity
– Describe any special regulations
– Regulate, build upon and integrate the module assessment
strategies and (where used) stage assessment strategies)”
• HETAC 2008

18. Assessment strategies
– Provide contingent strategy for cases where learners claim
exemption from modules, including for the recognition of prior
learning
– Match the programme’s assessment instruments to the
requirement of the instituional grading system
– Ensure that the programme’s continuous assessment
workload is appropriately balanced
– Relate to the programme’s teaching and learning strategy
– Should be plainly written and communicated at the start of a
programme to learners and all those involved with teaching
and assessment
– A clear assessment strategy can complement a statement of
intended learning outcomes and aid its interpretation
• HETAC 2008

19. External QA - institution
• Institutional review
– Holistic assessment#
– Externality required
– Relies on (and checks) institutional
capacity for programme level QA
– Greater autonomy, closer to learners,
may be more cost effective
– In some instance authority to
valiadate may be revoked or
conditioned

20. External QA - programme
• Programme validation/accreditation
– Independent
– More consistent across HEIs?
– More developmental?
– More trusted, especially for less
established institutions
– Demanding on the agency

21. QQI’s work in hand on QA
• New QA guidelines for diverse providers
• “Review of reviews” published 2013
• Draft policy for new cycle of institutional
review to be published June 2015
• National database of programmes and
awards in development
• New policies on transition and
permeability between VET and HE

22. • www.qqi.ie
• bmaguire@qqi.ie
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