The document discusses maintaining quality in higher education. It addresses four questions: 1) How can institutions reconcile larger student intakes with maintaining academic standards? 2) How can quality be maintained with limited resources? 3) How can quality assurance mechanisms verify quality while respecting institutional autonomy? 4) What strategies can enhance student learning and engagement? It then describes Lahti University of Applied Sciences' quality system, which includes process modeling and evaluation, internal and external assessments, feedback, benchmarking, and a quality manual to promote good learning.

1. How can higher education maintain and
improve quality?
Attaining and Sustaining Mass Higher Education
17-19 September 2012
OECD Headquarters, Paris, France
Dr. Outi Kallioinen
Lahti University of Applied Sciences

2. 1. How can larger intakes and greater diversity in the student
body be reconciled with maintaining challenging courses and
academic standards?
2. How can countries and institutions maintain and enhance
quality when constrained by limited resources?
3. How can quality assurance, accreditation, financing or other
mechanisms verify quality and drive improvement while
respecting institutional autonomy?
4. What institutional strategies can be most effective to enhance
quality, improve the student learning experience and keep
students engaged?

3. Quality System in Lahti University of Applied Sciences

4. Quality tools
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Process modelling, evaluation and development
Internal assessments
Feedback questionnaires
Feedback days
Development conversations with personell
External assessments (e.g. centres of excellence by the FINHEEC)
Benchmarking (to disseminate good practices)
Continuous dialogue and cooperation with different actors
Communication tools
QUALITY MANUAL/ASSESSMENT PLAN

5. THE AIM OF QUALITY SYSTEM IS TO PROMOTE GOOD
LEARNING

6. 6
Preliminary description of FUAS Quality System
PLAN
FUAS Vision 2020
FUAS Strategy 2011-2015
FUAS Action Plan 2010-2012
FUAS Alliance agreement
ACT
Strategic development
Development of Education
RDI development
Development of Support Services
Development of Quality System
DO
Strategy and management process
Education process
RDI-process
Support Services
CHECK
Perspectives and measurement targets/FUASstrategic indicators:
International prestige and competiveness
Regional impact
Comprehensive education and RDI services
Shared operating culture
Other monitoring and evaluation of information:
Student and stakeholder feedback
International and other evaluation
Cross-evaluations
Maintenance manual
February 12, 2014

7. The Theme Evaluation of Degree Programmes cross-evaluation
In 2009 - 2010
Evaluation targets:
- Teaching methods and developing
- RD-work
- Progress/advancement of studies
The process:
1) Self-evaluation
2) Evaluation of another degree programme
3) Benchmarking session
4) Reporting
5) Utilizing the results

8. Curriculum - process and development
• The process is modelled: Who ? What? When?
> common commission (idea of learning, competence based
curriculum, focus areas of developing, timing)
• Development:
- Process evaluation
- New challenges (new strategies in LUAS, cooperating in
FUAS etc.)