12 November 2015 | EQAF Paper

Big (and small) data meets quality assurance

Anna Prades, Maribel Quirós, Maria Giné and Lorena Bernáldez

Abstract

Evidence, both quantitative and qualitative, is at the core of every assessment process. New technology has given us an unprecedented opportunity to tackle both structured and unstructured data, yet barriers remain that restrict our ability to take advantage of this scenario. As a result, data often falls short of triggering change.


One reason for this is the over-abundance of information. In this paper, we present and discuss a case study for the assessment of research and teaching quality in university departments. The study illustrates how AQU Catalunya is changing the way it presents quantitative data, benchmarking clusters of indicators to foster debate about the results. Finally, we look to the future, discussing what resources will be required if we wish to explore every opportunity the new data era can offer to quality assurance.

 

This paper was presented at EQAF and reflects the views of the named authors only.

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