The necessity for quality assurance in higher tertiary education
- By Auwalu Umar
When Dr. Violet Makuku, the facilitator for a three-day training workshop in Accra in Ghana last month, asserted that “quality assurance starts with you” and “quality assurance starts with me”, it simply means that quality assurance is everybody’s business. The workshop titled ‘ Quality Assurance in Higher and Tertiary Education Management, Blended Teaching, Learning and Research ,’ addressed critical elements necessary to develop and maintain a quality-driven culture within the academic institutions.
The workshop was put together by the Global Quality Assurance Association (GQAA) which recognises that the ongoing evolution of educational standards requires a robust approach to quality assurance that goes beyond mere policing and compliance. It was specifically organised for tertiary education leaders, quality assurance officers, and administrative personnel.
From Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria attended the training workshop. The participation of the University was facilitated by Africa Centre of Excellence on New Pedagogies in Engineering Education (ACENPEE) and Africa Centre of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology (ACENTDFB). Indeed, it was a transformative experience for all professionals dedicated to enhancing the quality of educational practices, blended teaching and learning, as well as research outcomes.
Dr. Violet Makuku, a Zimbabwean and a Director, Global Quality Assurance Association (GQAA), has deep understanding of quality assurance in higher education. She took participants all through to gain insights into how effective quality assurance could enhance higher and tertiary institutions’ overall impact and reputation. Significantly, this is by learning to integrate quality assurance into all facets of institutional management in order to achieve total quality management for transformation.
As an educationist and quality assurance specialist whose Ph.D thesis was on the role of quality assurance in university education curriculum using a Zimbabwean State University as a case study, Makuku talked on the global understanding of quality and quality assurance for maximum benefit and what compromises quality. Speaking on the strength of Henry Ford’s postulation that “quality is doing right when no one is looking”, Makuku explained the clear distinction between quality assurance and quality control using Edward Denni’s Circle. She strongly argued that “if you do your quality assurance very well, the need for quality would not be there”.
Makuku, who worked at continental level for at least seven years with Africa’s Quality Assurance in Higher Education Institutions under the African Union Commission’s brainchild project – ‘ The Harmonisation of African Higher Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation ,’ also spoke on building the quality culture and continuous improvement citing a robust quality management system as a strong tool for achieving quality assurance.
Participants at the training workshop equally discussed leadership and management for which the facilitator stressed the need for effective stakeholder engagement towards achieving total quality management. On key pillars of good leadership, the need for a conducive working environment both physical and emotional was also stressed.
Building capacity for low-level personnel is quite essential for achieving quality assurance. Makuku was quick to stress the need for training and retraining of those tagged as ‘support staff,’ including even drivers, office assistants, security personnel and cleaners for value-addition in the service delivery.
As a specialist on quality assurance having been widely involved in university quality assurance activities, including research and designing of university quality assurance courses, modules, and tools in many African countries, Makuku urged African universities to turn a new leaf by integrating quality assurance into all facets of institutional operations in order to achieve total quality management for transformation. This is by building a strong quality assurance culture through the establishment of a full-fledged Directorate of Quality Assurance that could efficiently entrench deep quality culture in the service delivery of higher institutions.
Undoubtedly, research plays a critical role in the success and standing of any higher and tertiary education institution. The workshop discussed research and innovation in respect of publications and research journals, registration of intellectual property, and university-industry linkages. It also addressed effective quality assurance strategies for ensuring integrity, originality, and impact of research, as well as its relevance in political, socio-economic development of individual countries and the continent at large.
The facilitator further took participants through education and learning in the 21st Century citing various strategies for ensuring that blended teaching and learning practices meet evolving academic standards while fostering a culture of excellence and innovation. Issues such as effective communication, documentation in leadership and management, key performance indicators (KPIs), monitoring and evaluation, disaster and risk strategies for leaders and managers, as well as sustainability and succession were discussed as hands-on experience for participants to address their respective institutions needs.
The use of ICT and artificial intelligence (AI) is the in-thing today. The facilitator talked on the necessity for higher tertiary education to embrace ICT, AI and digitalisation for efficient and cost-effective leadership and management while speaking on artificial intelligence and its impact as well as the need to rethink about the nature of students tasks, assessment methods and tools.
High point of the workshop was the encomium on Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria for adding value to the three-day event with the presence of its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kabiru Bala; Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Raymond B. Bako; and Bursar, Malam Mohammed Bello Aminu Gurin, who guided discussions throughout the training. Consequently, the Vice-Chancellor was awarded a trophy for selecting personnel at different levels and from different sections of his university to attend the workshop. Another trophy was presented to ABU’s Ag. Chief Internal Auditor, Mrs. Fatima Ibrahim, for actively participating throughout the training.
Ahmadu Bello University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Raymond B. Bako, who gave a vote of thanks at the conclusion of the workshop, described the training as a hands-on experience, which according to him, would enable all participants to apply immediately for fostering a continuous improvement cycle in their respective institutions’ quality assurance processes. Prof. Bako, who is also a Centre Leader, Africa Centre of Excellence on New Pedagogies in Engineering Education (ACENPEE), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, emphasised the usefulness of the training workshop and thanked the facilitator immensely for her brilliant presentation which allowed for group discussions and brainstorming sessions.
• Umar is Director, Public Affairs Directorate, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
