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Unit 8: Quality of Education: Concept, Parameters, Status and Prospects with Focus on Objectives....

that allows for a determination of whether or not standards are being met. Indicators identify Notes
performance trends and signal areas in needs for action and/or enable comparison of actual
performance with established objectives. They are also used to translate theoretical aspects of
quality, a process known as operationalization. An indicator must be distinguished from a
which is the level of acceptable performance in terms of a specific numeric criterion. Another
distinction is made between the different types of indicators: (i) indicators of economy (following
and respecting budgets); (ii) indicators of efficiency (actual productivity or output per input
unit); and (iii) indicators of effectiveness (degree of attainment of objectives). A third and
relatively consequent distinction is made between: (i) context indicators, that relate to the
specific environment of a higher education institution or programme (social, economic, political,
geographical etc.) (ii) input indicators, that relate to the logistical, human, and financial resources
used by a institution, to the management of the inputs, and to the functioning of the organization;
and (iv) output indicators, that concern that actual achievements or products of the higher
education institution. This latter framework is also known as the CIPO-model (i.e., Context,
Inputs, Process, Outputs), frequently used in evaluation studies.
Performance Indicators: A range of statistical parameters representing a measure of the extent
to which a higher education institution or a programme is performing in a certain quality
dimension. They are qualitative and quantitative measures of the output (short-term measures
of results) or of the outcome (long-term measures of outcomes and impacts) of a system or of
a allow comparison among higher education institutions. Performance indicators work efficiently
only when they are used as part of a coherent set of input, process, and output indicators. As
higher education intuitions are engaged in a variety of activities and target a number of different
objectives, it is essential to be able to indentify and to implement a large range of performance
indicators in order to cover the entire field of activity.
Statistical indicators may be collected on a regular and systematic basis by governments
(especially where institutions of higher education are publicly funded) and these or other
statistics may be included in quality review processes. Statistical indicators are sometimes used
synonymously with performance indicators and sometimes are meant to imply a lesser evaluative
status than embodied in quantitative performance indicators. West (1999) makes the following
distinction between a statistic, an indicator and a performance indicator: Statistics unlike
indicators are purely descriptive; so, for example, the total number of trainees enrolled on a
programme is an example of an indicator. Indicators unlike raw statistics can assist with making
a range of different sorts of comparisons as a result of having a common point of reference.
A benchmarkis a point of reference against which something may be measured. In the higher
education context a benchmark is usually either (1) a level of performance, resources, or outcome
against which an institution or group might be compared, or (2) the specification or codification
of comparable processes. Benchmarks may be (1) defined for an institution (or sub-institution
unit) as targets, possibly on continuous basis (2) the basis of comparison between two or more
institutions (or sub-institutional units) (3) specifications of processes that can be compared as a
basis for identifying, for example, optimum effectiveness, efficiency or transparency.
Operationilization of Quality Parameters: The Manual for Self-Studies for the universities
(NAAC, 2008) has provided a detailed list of criteria that may be used for setting quality
parameters-statistics, indicators and benchmarks. The criteria are grouped into seven group,
namely: (1) Curricular aspects, (2) Teaching, learning and evaluation, (3) Research, consultancy
and extension, (4) Infrastructure and learning resources, (5) Student support and progression, (6)
Governance and leadership, and (7) Innovative practices. Recently, the UC has circulated the
Regulations of Minimum Qualifications for Teachers and other Academic Staff governing
selection, appointment and promotion of teachers, etc. and maintenance of standards in the
institutions of higher learning.

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