UNESCO: Paris: June 2004 Second Global Forum on International Quality Assurance, Accreditation and the Recognition of Qualifications Widening Access to Quality Higher Education

UNESCO: Paris: June 2004 Or Providing better learning experiences and recognised qualifications for more and different groups of learners but usually with the same or less money

UNESCO: Paris: June 2004 Our learning experiences have been…… ‘e’-learning paper based learning face-to-face lectures, tutorials, seminars informal learning opportunities– coffee breaks, lunch and cocktails institutional, national, regional, intra- regional and international dimensions

UNESCO: Paris: June 2004 Access and quality: coping with volume and diversity Access is meaningless if it is without quality Achieving equity in access – widening participation and addressing issues of: –Gender –Economic exclusion –Ethnicity –Geography –Poor secondary education

UNESCO: Paris: June 2004 Access and quality: challenges for teaching and learning Respect for cultural identity and accommodating diversity is not simply an international issue Increasing access is more than simply creating more places: it depends also on new initiatives by traditional providers and by new providers

UNESCO: Paris: June 2004 Access to higher education In developed as well as less developed economies widening participation (access) is an imperative. Are there lessons to learn and to be shared across regions and countries? In less developed countries is the primary access imperative the increase in participation?

UNESCO: Paris: June 2004 Quality Assurance: evolutionary process Many times the question ‘what is quality?’ has been asked. There is no single answer but clearly a need to share knowledge and experience on the new development of reference points for quality and academic standards – the focus on outcomes Moving to the ‘evidence-based’ approach: a starting point for some new systems, a developmental phase for some existing systems

UNESCO: Paris: June 2004 Quality assurance From regulation - to assurance - and also improvement –Disaggregating licensing from assurance and improvement functions –Fostering climate for change and innovation and adaptation –Promulgating good practice, identifying and addressing failure –Engaging all stakeholders

UNESCO: Paris: June 2004 Capacity building is culturally specific but –Development of management information systems (this is something that is true at all levels) – how can you make strategic decisions without evidence? How do you know that strategies/conventions/international agreements are working? –Impact assessment of and by transnational providers. Huge area for research – where do the learners go? What do they do? How are their qualifications recognised and by whom?

UNESCO: Paris: June 2004 Capacity building (1) Priorities –Countries need to develop their own strategies for the development of higher education including access and quality Strategies for quality and QA –Sharing good practice between practitioners –Piloting projects –Linking quality to other aspects of higher education eg teaching, learning and assessment –Exploring financial incentives and rewards –Participation in networks

UNESCO: Paris: June 2004 Capacity building (2) Developing information tools on quality education provision: –empowering learners to deal with ‘the tyranny of choice’, to make sense of diversity –but who is reaching out to ‘new’ learners –understanding what information is useful to meet the different needs Facilitating reflection on lessons learnt: –Moving from description of process to analysis of impact, trends and outcomes –Fostering a community of reflective practitioners

UNESCO: Paris: June 2004 Common elements Data collection - good information systems Research – evidence-based strategies Enhancing public awareness – identifying the different ‘publics’ Staff development, mentoring and training Relevance is as important as quality Engagement Developing good governance: equitable and transparent standards in public life.

UNESCO: Paris: June 2004 Outcomes for UNESCO Advice for consideration in the context of the OECD/UNESCO guidelines for quality provision in crossborder education and the proposed portal/database for recognised institutions Encouragement to support communities of practitioners Continued support for the objectives of the Global Forum and its Action Plan.

UNESCO: Paris: June 2004 Sustainability Avoid short termism; need to develop a longer term perspective – a message to UNESCO and other IGOs. International project funding is often ‘short-term’ and pump-priming rather than continuing Needs analysis to take account of needs of recipients (not simply funders’ strategies)