| Tesis Doctorales de la Universidad de Alcalá |
| UNDERSTANDING QUALITY PERCEPTIONS IN HIGHER EDUCATION:A SISTEMATIC REVIEW OF QUALITY VARIABLES AND FACTORS FOR LEARNER CENTRIC CURRICULA DESIGN | | Autor/a | Varouchas , Emmanouil | | Departamento | Ciencias de la Computación | | Director/a | Sicilia Urbán, Miguel Ángel | | Codirector/a | Sánchez Alonso, Salvador | | Fecha de defensa | 15/05/2019 | | Calificación | Sobresaliente | | Programa | Comunicación, Información y Tecnología en la Sociedad en Red (RD 99/2011) | | Mención internacional | No | | Resumen | The provision of high quality undergraduate and postgraduate programs worldwide
requires a holistic, deep understanding of variables and factors that contribute to the
value perceptions of students, faculty and administrators. In the literature related to
quality assessment there is a critical gap in research works related to the convergence
of students and administrators¿ perceptions.
This study involves in-depth literature review analysis of variables related to quality in
higher education which includes the presentation of a 3-tier initial research model for
the methodological framework of quality integration in higher education.
This research also intends to provide a holistic discussion on Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs) related to quality in higher education using two research tools. The
first one is related to a structured agenda for a qualitative interview targeted at higher
education administrators. The second is related to a quantitative research model that
analyzes the relations of various quality factors.
Finally, a last round of qualitative interviews with higher education administrators and
professors is used as a promising vehicle for advancing towards the formulation of KPIs
based on their understanding of the different independent dimensions of the quality
construct.
The KPIs outcome provide valuable insights into improving teaching, learning
assessment and eventually lead to sustainable curricula. Research findings outline the
significance of time invested for designing and updating a course, indicate that
technology enhanced learning solutions are perceived as key quality drivers, and point
out the need to align courses with industry requirements and real-world problems.
Additionally, findings indicate that the quality and impact of teaching and learning is
promoted by the multi/inter disciplinary character of a course, the engagement of
students in interactive discussions and student research as part of summative
assessment.
The main contribution of this research is an analytic discussion of perceptions of higher
education administrators and professors about quality, leading to significant enrichment
of the relevant literature. A set of innovative generic KPIs that can be used in
multidimensional quality assessment in higher education is eventually proposed |
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