Concept for external quality assurance of an institute's course portfolio

In most manufacturing firms, processes and products undergo continuous and often rigorous quality assurance (QA). Such QA-systems ensure that products adhere to quality standards and specifications. In addition, a firm’s sales numbers are a direct measure of the continuous relevance and attractiveness of the firm’s products.

Universities ‘produce’ courses. Some courses teach fundamentals (e.g. mathematics and physics), while others teach specific methods for application in graduates’ future careers. Ideally, the skillset that students receive from the specific-method-courses should continuously develop. However, courses often run for decades without enacting necessary changes, and when change happens, the reasons are often student dissatisfaction or new instructors. Most universities have elaborate systems for student evaluations, while inputs from employers and the wider society are scarce. Skillsets must develop in concert with employer needs, technological progress, and the wider needs of society.

This paper presents a system for course quality assurance (CQA-system) developed at the center for bachelor of engineering studies at the Technical University of Denmark. The CQA-system is inspired by manufacturing industries, were quality assurance has a long history. The system includes a four-step process for the quality assurance of individual courses, a procedure for selecting courses for review, and principles for organizing the overall effort in an institute’s management infrastructure.