Dear Content Contributor,

As we progress towards attaining a world-class status in FUNAAB, the issue of efficiency and effectiveness in our teaching, learning, and research and extension services can be enhanced through genuine Quality Assurance (QA) strategies. In this series, I would like to discuss QA Readiness in our University.

What is Quality Assurance (QA)?

Quality Assurance in Higher Education (HE) is the systematic review of educational programmes to ensure that acceptable standards of education, scholarship and infrastructure are maintained. This refers to the way we evaluate and assess the quality of higher education. In higher education, QA is divided into: External Quality Assurance (EQA) and Internal Quality Assurance (IQA). EQA activities are conducted by National Quality Assurance Agencies such as the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Nigeria while IQA is the continuous improvement strategies that enable Universities and other HE institutions develop, control, review and redefine their actions until they attain the anticipated goals. However, most of our previous Weekly Tips are centered on the various strategies and best practices in which QA is carried out within the HE environment, like FUNAAB.

For sustaining this QA initiative, we need to once again ask ourselves the following questions:

1. How can we develop, validate and use feedback tools (e.g questionnaires) among the teachers and learners for a genuine Quality Assurance system?

2. How relevant is Quality Assurance in our teaching, learning and research activities?

3.  How can we establish and run an effective and efficient Quality Assurance Unit in our various Departments and Colleges in the University, since Heads of Departments, Deans and Directors could be the Chief Quality Assurance Officer in their offices?

4. How can the ranking of units support or justify our QA Readiness?

For an easy understanding of the questions raised above, let us read through the “Guide on Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Africa”, edited by Juma Shabani and Peter A. Okebukola, and published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Bamako Office, Mali. Read More

However, as we look into the teaching component of QA, we need to quickly look into administrative and technical support services within the University system for a complete and genuine Quality Assurance initiative as there must be  a synergy between the two components of Teaching and Non-teaching. In these Departments, Service Improvement Plans (SIP) and Quick fixes strategies have to be put in place, e.g as support services in our various classrooms and laboratories, where electricity supply and quick fixes have become a great challenge. READ MORE

You can read our previous Weekly Tips HERE

Thank you.

Dr. O. Folorunso
Director, Centre for Innovation and Strategy in Learning and Teaching

Last Updated on July 22, 2015 by admin