<p><font color="#33711E"><strong>Day 3 – Session 6C: Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education</strong></font></p>

Queen's Park 5, 13:30 - 15:00

13:30 – 13:50

6.C.1. Challenges Ahead for EACTS: Implementation and Dissemination of a New Credit Transfer System

M. Ismail, S. A. Russly, A. Muchtar, N. Nik Mohamed, and R. A. Rahmat, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

A. Hunger, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

K. Ramli, University of Indonesia R. Menozzi, University of Parma, Italy

The European-ASEAN Credit Transfer System (EACTS) was initiated among four universities in the European and ASEAN regions, namely University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, University of Parma in Italy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and Universitas Indonesia. The aim of the project is to develop and establish a Credit Transfer System for the implementation of joint venture initiatives between EU and ASEAN countries on engineering education programmes so as to facilitate the implementation of trans-national student mobility. The project is currently in its implementation phase, and dissemination is one of the main challenges. This paper provides an overview of the challenges in implementing the EACTS by the existing consortium partners and disseminating the results to new partners within the European and ASEAN region. The challenges involve various stakeholders, including educational authorities, universities accreditation boards for quality assurance and access to professional boards. Challenges for academics lie mostly in harmonizing academic programme outcomes and subject contents. The main challenge, however, is to inform and convince the students and provide facilities and support for their mobility. In order to resolve this issue, seminars are organized and tools such as the "Information Package" are developed or enhanced to assist the students for exchange and double degree programmes.

Download the paper (pdf, 90kb) and presentation (pdf, 640kb)

13:50 - 14:10

6.C.2. A Study to Develop a Framework for University Performance Indicators on Community Participatory Development

Suwanna Eamsukkawat

Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment, Thailand

This paper reports on a study which aimed to initiate a set of performance indicators to measure the success or effectiveness of a university's community participatory development activities. In the study, the processes, impact, level of participation, and outcomes of community participatory development were analysed. Ten community participatory development cases (conducted in Thailand between 2001 and 2005) were selected as samples for the study. This paper discusses the common objectives of community development programmes and the seven levels of community participation that were identified in the study. The paper also describes the outcomes of community participatory development identified in the study. These include: increasing a community's productivity in terms of income; improving the quality of life of people in the community (in terms of health, education and culture); justifying community members' right to access the community's resources and information; and developing individuals' self reliance and communities' problem-solving abilities. The framework for the University's Performance Indicators on Community Participatory Development, as outlined in the paper, has three dimensions: student involvement in community participation; community-university partnerships; and the outcomes of community participatory development.

Download the paper (pdf, 50kb) and presentation (pdf, 70kb)

14:10 - 14:30

6.C.3. Quality Assurance of Service-Learning Components in Academic Programmes: A Necessity for Sustainable Development

K.J. Mammen, Walter Sisulu University, South Africa

Service-learning is a form of knowledge-based community service. It affords an opportunity for knowledge transfer in a two-way process: not only can the community learn and benefit from knowledge from the university but also, university students and academics can gain insights into rich indigenous knowledge and gain many life skills. Universities do not offer academic programmes for service-learning per-se, but only service-learning modules as components of academic programmes. Quality assurance of service-learning modules is essential to attract both academics and students to service-learning as acceptable components of academic programmes, to ensure the components' adequate relevance and resonance to those programmes, and to attract continued funding for service-learning initiatives. Assessments (measurements) which lead to evaluations (judgements) are necessary in order to facilitate review, assure the quality of service-learning modules, and to catalyse their development and sustenance. This paper examines some factors regarding quality assurance of service-learning components in university-affiliated academic programmes which could ensure their sustainability. The focus is on the minimum imperatives that are to be examined in order to assess and finally evaluate service-learning programmes from a quality assurance perspective.

Download the paper (pdf, 120kb) and presentation (pdf, 140kb)