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Major drivers

UNESCO/OECD WORK ON GUIDELINES FOR QUALITY PROVISION ------------------ Jan S. Levy, Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research Chair of UNESCO/OECD Guidelines group. Major drivers. More providers – New providers. Need for an educational response.

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Major drivers

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  1. UNESCO/OECD WORK ON GUIDELINES FOR QUALITY PROVISION------------------Jan S. Levy, Norwegian Ministry of Education and ResearchChair of UNESCO/OECD Guidelines group

  2. Major drivers More providers – New providers Need for an educational response Increased demand from learners and societies General globalisation – GATS Reduced transparency – increasing need for guidance

  3. Types of cross-border education activities

  4. Providers and provision • Old and new institutions – innovative for-profit organisations • Partnerships – both traditional academic and new types including commercial elements. • Using all modes of provision – traditional - e-learning – and first of all blended • Cross-border activity puts the notions “foreign” and “domestic” in a haze

  5. The demand side – students and societies • Individual demand • Full degree programmes • Single courses/semesters • Exchange programmes • National development strategies • As a means to growth • As an effect of growth • E-learning as import strategy

  6. Reduced transparency – increased need for guidance • Higher complexity • Speed of change, new provision, increased range of choices • Challenging for the individual learner • But also for societies – especially countries with short domestic academic traditions • Need for capacity building – also in QA • Diploma mills – accreditation mills

  7. Globalisation – GATS • Globalisation: The flow of technology, economy, knowledge, people, values and ideas across international borders. • Either we like it or not – we are profiting from it in our everyday life • GATS is an approach to meet the trade related challenges • Trade in education is there now. We may address it through GATS or chose not to do it. • Eventually, trade will not disappear, but we may throw away a tool for controlling it. • But GATS will nor secure quality provision, neither help the learners and societies to do informed choices

  8. There is a need for an educational response • What should we achieve? • Learners need to be protected from the risks of misinformation, low-quality provision and qualifications of limited validity • Qualifications should be readable and transparent in order to increase their international validity and portability • Qualifications should be recognised internationally with as few difficulties as possible • National quality assurance and accreditation agencies need to intensify their international cooperation in order to increase their mutual understanding

  9. The educational response (2) • Who should take responsibility of the response? • Organisations with high degree of legitimacy in the world of education • Global organisations, encompassing governments and stakeholders • UNESCO and OECD joining forces • Soft laws • Legal instruments

  10. The educational response (3) • How could it be implemented? • Developing guidelines on quality provision in higher education • Higher education institutions • Quality assurance and accreditation agencies • Information centres of recognition • Professional bodies • Governments • Development of reliable information tools for learners/students/institutions • Global Database on nationally approved providers/provision

  11. Ongoing work • Working group open to all OECD/UNESCO members and stakeholders • Three drafting sessions • 5 – 6 April 2004 in Paris • 14 – 15 October 2004 in Tokyo • 17 – 18 January in Paris • Expert groups

  12. For UNESCO – part of the larger Agenda • The action is a direct follow up of the conclusions at the 1st Global Forum, calling for the development of policy framework and guiding principles to meet the challenges from globalisation • Furthermore, UNESCO General Conference last October decided on a Resolution on Higher Education and Globalisation: Promoting quality and access to the knowledge society as a means for sustainable development

  13. Over-ambitious…Or? • Bold steps – or is it just as we see it? • Do we apply different quality control standards to everyday consuming than to education? • Learners/students need information • Even Institutions/countries may lack information • What about a “woolmark”?

  14. Thank you References: • UNESCO Website: http://www.unesco.org/education/amq/guidelines/qualityprovision.html • OECD Website: http://www.oecd.org/edu/internationalisation/guidelines

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