Perceptions of Quality in Higher Education, Rankings & Benchmarking

This publication contains contributions by participants from various parts of the world, sharing the intellectual interest in better understanding common challenges facing higher education. The very concept of quality is a disputed one in higher education, with meanings linked to different streams of demands and to a variety of understandings of what the mission of higher education should be. Changing definitions of quality in education constitutes a very controversial topic that cannot be understood disassociated from the analysis of relatively complex power struggles. The publication discusses perceptions of quality, university rankings and benchmarking with a special focus on teaching and learning in higher education institutions. The participants address questions such as: What are benchmarking procedures really measuring? What is the contribution of university rankings? In what respects do they differ, and what do they present in common? What do we understand by "quality teaching/learning, and what steps are to be taken to maintain high standards? What are good indicators of quality in higher education? How do perceptions of quality differ world-wide? The publication is a result of the 6th International Conference on Universities' Quality Development Under Globalisation, UNIQUAL, organised at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in 2009.