<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ján  Záhorec</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Alena  Hašková</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Michal  Munk</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Martin  Bílek</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">QUALITY ASSURANCE OF INFORMATICS EDUCATION WITHIN TERTIARY ECONOMY AND MANAGERIAL STUDY FIELDS</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">career profiles</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">curricula innovation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">evaluation of the education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">informatics education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality assurance</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">tertiary education</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2018</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">April/2018</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2017/457-1524597729.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">76</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">One of the key issues of the EU educational policy is quality assurance. The presented research represents a contribution to solving the issue of quality assurance of informatics education on the tertiary level of education in economy and managerial study fields. Within the research current state of informatics education in selected economy and managerial study programmes was analysed based on students` views and opinions. Necessary research data were collected through questionnaire survey respondents, who were students of the relevant study programmes in the Slovak and Czech Republics. The paper presents in more detail results of the questionnaire part which was focused on finding out how the students evaluate informatics education incorporated in their pre-graduate education considering its relevance to their study and career profiles. Another task of the research was to find out whether the students` evaluations depend on their gender and study specializations, and also whether there are some differences in the evaluations done by the students of the same or at least similar study programmes studying either in Slovakia or in the Czech Republic. As the results showed, students of the economy and managerial study programmes do not connect their future career with the information technologies and they do not have ambitions to be employed in the IT area. But at the same time, they are aware of the fact that the knowledge and skills obtained within their informatics preparation are important for their everyday life and future career. On the other hand, they are not satisfied with the quality of the informatics subjects they are taught. So, to assure the quality of their pre-gradual preparation does not mean only to innovate curricula of the informatics preparation but also to deal with the issues of an efficient transfer of these curricula content to students.</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">250-278</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Tatjana   Koķe</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Nora Jansone-Ratinika</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Rudīte Koka</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT ON AN INDIVIDUAL AND AN INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL ON THE WAY TO QUALITY CULTURE IN HIGHER EDUCATION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">formative assessment</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">higher education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality assessment</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality assurance</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality culture</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2017</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">February/2017</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://journals.indexcopernicus.com/abstract.php?icid=1232393</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">75</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Continuous</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Several issues are always on the agenda in higher education, most notably quality assessment methods and whether this methodology has a direct influence on teaching, and the improvement of teaching quality by including effectiveness, efficiency, reliability, responsiveness as well as empathy. On the one hand it is a logical and a justified movement towards the standardisation of quality assessment procedures, but on the other hand, integration of an individualised approach, which would allow assessing one’s performance in essence and providing solutions for different higher education practice specifics, which we can see both in higher education institutions internationally as well as locally.
The purpose of quality assessment is to define must-do and must-have things, so that higher education institutions would integrate emerging tendencies.
Transforming assessment is crucial for the performance of the entire institution, both in planning and in managing the everyday work of the institution, as well as by applying assessment methods to the academic staff and students individually. By acknowledging the results, additional decisions should be made, e.g., what strategies and methods should be used to promote teacher motivation, what should be done to achieve better study results, what do better performing students need, and how to approach those students who are performing poorly. This research aims to explore the formative assessment experience at the Rīga Stradiņš University (hereinafter RSU), which is crucial to nurture quality culture in higher education. The formative approach in quality allows you to build and strengthen the understanding of quality within the organisation showing that quality assessment is quality forming and altogether it is a continuous process.
</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">54-71</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mati   Heidmets</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Birgit Vilgats</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">CONTROL, FREEDOM AND TRUST: SEEKING FOR A HIGHER EDUCATION MODEL IN A POST-COMMUNIST COUNTRY</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">educational change</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">higher education</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality assurance</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2012</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">March/2012</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1408532108.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">40</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Higher education in Estonia as in all post-communist countries has undergone rapid changes during the last 20 years. Soviet-type centralised model was replaced during the 1990s with liberal and sometimes even chaotic self-organisation of the whole sector. From the beginning of the new century, through the use of both financial mechanisms and quality control procedures state regulation has been strengthened. During last years the new paradigm of trust has been frequently discussed, and some first steps taken to introduce this approach, for example the replacement of control-centred curricula accreditation with quality evaluation and institutional accreditation, aimed at supporting the development of university’s strategic management and quality culture.
 Analysis of the higher education paradigm change in the research is based on Hargreaves’s Bigger, Tighter, Harder and Flatter model, which describes the large scale educational change taking place in the western world during recent decades. The article studies changes in the Estonian higher education sector and observes possible future developments originating from the EU and Estonian strategies.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">88-95</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Lali   Giorgidze</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">EXPLORING ROLE OF MANAGEMENT IN QUALITY ASSURANCE AT PRIVATE AND STATE UNIVERSITIES OF GEORGIA</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">HEI’s management</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality assurance</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality management</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2012</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">July/2012</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1413726553.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">44</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Today Georgia as never before faces challenges of quality assurance. Despite reforms carried out by the Georgian government aiming at the quality improvement of higher education, many Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) of the country still faces real problems. The concept of “management” is not so widely known, not to say anything about the lack of human resources with theoretical knowledge and experience in education management.
 The purpose of the research was to analyze universities management in general terms and identify how quality-oriented universities’ management is in Georgia. For this purpose quantitative research was carried out. The universities were selected according to their legal status, period of functionality and qualitative experience. By combining certain data we elaborated indicators for the purpose of comparing various aspects of universities. For ensuring validity criteria validity was applied.
 Results of the research show that management is the main pre-requisite for quality assurance. Drawbacks and gaps in university management have also been identified the improvement of which will make a basis for enhancing management quality and establish a management culture at the Universities of Georgia.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">20-28</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Emmily   Mugasia Sitati</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Anne   A. Ngaira</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Clarice   W. Mwita</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Wilson   Amolo</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Maurice   L. Akala</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Willaerd   Ngaira</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">PERCEPTION OF DISTRICT QUALITY ASSURANCE AND STANDARDS OFFICERS ON LEADERSHIP STYLES OF DISTRICT EDUCATION OFFICERS IN KENYA</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">leadership styles</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality assurance</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2012</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">February/2012</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1408437531.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">39</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Leadership in the public sector is a key variable that is expected to propel the achievement of Vision 2030. This is indeed crucial in the Education Sector which forms the basis of the social pillar of Vision 2030. The DEO and the DQASO are line managers with a primary role in policy implementation in the Ministry of Education. The purpose of the study was to investigate the perception of District Quality Assurance and Standards Officers towards the leadership styles of District Education Officers. The study established the characteristics of DQASOs, the leadership styles of the DEOs and identified the perceived challenges of DQASOs in Kenya. The study was guided by the Learning Organization theory of Peter Senge 1990 which emphasizes the need for involvement in decision making of those who carry out decisions for greater understanding and commitment. 
 Descriptive survey design was used and the study sample included a total of 29(10%) District Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (DQASOs) drawn from a population of 287 DQASOs from the 287 Districts in Kenya. The researchers made use of DQASOs who were attending the tenth 2011 Senior Management Course drawn from across Kenya as respondents. A questionnaire for DQASOs was designed to facilitate data collection. The study established that autocratic leadership style was dominant in most District Education offices with little consultation, teamwork and communication since the DEOs unilaterally made decisions and rarely accepted advice and criticism from members of staff. The DEOs’ personal traits greatly influenced their leadership styles. The DEOs were perceived to be unsupportive and rarely provided a conducive environment that motivated the staff. Most DEOs were not committed to supporting quality assurance and standards programmes in most Districts. The study recommended that the DEOs should integrate and employ varied leadership styles in management of education and delink their personal traits from office management. Clear communication channels between DEOs and staff should be established involve senior staff members in decision making. The DEOs should support Quality Assurance and Standards Programs in the Districts and provide a conducive environment for staff motivation.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">105-118</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Khaled  Almadani</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Norman  Reid</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Susan  Rodrigues</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">QUALITY ASSURANCE: A PRESSING PROBLEM FOR EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">national assessment</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">nature of learning</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality assurance</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2011</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">July/2011</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1406541339.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">32</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Quality assurance in secondary schools (ages about 12-18) and in higher education has been a growth industry for many years, with all kinds of agencies being funded. With apparently endless growth in education at all levels, with insistent demands on more resources, the political pressures in ensuring value for money have increased.
 This study looks at what is meant by quality assurance, challenges some of the current procedures and points to some better ways forward for the 21st century. Specifically, it argues that quality assurance must focus on the key goals for education at each stage with the learner always at the focus of all procedures to assess quality. Finally, the study illustrates this approach by considering what 793 secondary students thought of their experiences at the point when they were almost completing their education journey in secondary schools in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
 The research aim is to show how focussing on the actual learners can identify key issues that need addressed to enrich education provision. These issues include the emphasising understanding and not memorisation, the need for more groupwork and dialogue, restoring the visual-spatial aspects of learning, re-thinking curriculum balance, and re-examining national examination systems.
 The most fundamental question of all is whether quality assurance has improved quality - a key issue for the 21st century?</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">9-22</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Andrea Bernhard</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">TWO EUROPEAN RESPONSES TO ASSURE QUALITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">comparative research</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">European Higher Education Area</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality assurance</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2010</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">April/2010</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1400134056.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">20</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Looking at the “European Higher Education Area” in terms of their different quality assurance systems one can clearly identify a great diversity. This situation reflects the creativity of all countries to establish a system compatible with their own cultural, economic and social background. This article shall highlight examples of two European countries, Germany and the United Kingdom, and their efforts to develop a comprehensive quality assurance system. A systematic and historical approach of these two nations will be based on literature research, scientific studies and personal experience. The article will provide a general perspective on two different national quality assurance systems as well as their current political discussions drawn from an Austrian perspective. The external view but nonetheless European perspective shall maintain a more objective review and assessment of these countries. Although there are diversified quality assurance systems all over Europe, there is a need and a will to cooperate between this diversity while still keeping the individuality of the own country. Thus, I am interested in the development, the challenges as well as problems of these systems and possible ways for improvement.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">36-43</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Andrea Bernhard</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">AN INSTITUTIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION. THE EXAMPLE OF THE AUSTRIAN ACCREDITATION COUNCIL (ÖAR)</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">accreditation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality assurance</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2008</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">October/2008</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392284112.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">8</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The ongoing necessity of quality and quality assurance in the whole Bologna process remains one of the main issues for European policy makers. The aim to create comparable systems to guarantee quality within higher education systems are the reasons for national developments and their eagerness to reform. The situation in Austria is in the centre of discussion and shall exemplify one way to cope with international developments and the need to establish a comprehensive quality assurance system. The main purpose of this paper is to provide a deeper insight into the work and problems of the Austrian Accreditation Council (ÖAR), a quality assurance agency which is responsible for re-/accreditation and supervision of Austrian private universities. As the author was a former scientific staff member at the office of the ÖAR, the paper looks behind the scenes of higher education policies and will strengthen the insistent demand for further reforms. In spite of the short history the ÖAR can be considered as one of the main national key players in the field of quality assurance as well as an internationally accepted quality assurance agency.

</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">17-24</style></section></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Birgit Vilgats</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">QUALITY CONCEPTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION LEGISLATION: THE ESTONIAN NATIONAL PROFILE</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Problems of Education in the 21st Century </style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">development of quality-related legislation</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">quality assurance</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2008</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">October/2008</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">http://oaji.net/articles/2014/457-1392284828.pdf</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">8</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The main goal of this paper is to analyse the concept of “quality“ which is used quite often in texts of legislation of public universities. The paper provides an analytical overview of the development of Estonian higher education and related legislation focussing particulalrly quality assurance within public universities following the regaining of independence and accession to the European Union. The paper presents results of empirical data collected through analysis of the following documents – Universities Act; Standard of Higher Education; Regulation of the Government of the Republic “Procedure for Accreditation of Universities, Institutions of Professional Higher Education and their Curricula and Requirements for Accreditation”; Estonian Higher Education Strategy for 2006-2015. The paper’s main conclusions include that the concept of quality of higher education remains undefined in legislative acts of public universities, which, in turn makes it complicated for them to meet quality-related expectations. It can be further maintained that, at the state level, concepts of quality in higher education refer to the conformity to requirements/standards and value for money. In the context of a multitude of different approaches and stakeholders the process of establishment of a public university quality assurance system in this manner is too narrowly focussed. The conceptualisation of quality should be widened and clarified at the state level as to what universities are expected to do when creating their internal quality assurance systems.</style></abstract><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Original article</style></work-type><section><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">153-161</style></section></record></records></xml>