How to make quality assurance processes more meaningful to teaching staff – a proposal from the field of music
Abstract
This paper addresses a challenge that is often referred to in quality assurance processes: the involvement in these processes of teaching staff. The authors suggest that this challenge can be approached effectively by creating a common language based on a concept of quality culture, which addresses both (artistic) standards and educational quality. Furthermore, an understanding of a diversity of disciplines and the need for a diversity of quality assurance tools supporting this understanding are described as essential elements to increase the relevance of quality assurance processes to teachers.
The paper describes the work done in the field of higher music education in this regard, ranging from the development and use of European-level subject-specific standards, procedures and frameworks, to the new and experimental ‘critical friend’ approach, which can be used alongside more traditional models of external review and which could also be useful to other academic disciplines.
This paper was presented at EQAF and reflects the views of the named authors only.
