Quality Assurance in European Engineering Education: Present and Future Challenges

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the quality assurance (QA) of higher engineering education in the United Kingdom and Europe, by considering eight challenges which are predicted by the writer to be of increasing importance in the years ahead. QA in higher education is taken here as a process that sets out to assure society, and responsible bodies within it, about the quality of educational provision for students. The purpose of the chapter is to identify the present and forthcoming challenges and changes in QA in engineering education in the United Kingdom and Europe, in the light of present circumstances as well as of the historical context. Abstract This chapter focuses on the quality assurance (QA) of higher engineering education in UK and Europe, by considering eight challenges which are predicted by the writer to be of increasing importance in the years ahead. QA in higher education is taken here as a process that sets out to assure society, and responsible bodies within it, about the quality of educational provision for students. The purpose of the chapter is to identify the present and forthcoming challenges and changes in QA in engineering education in UK and Europe, in the light of present circumstances as well as of the historical context. IntroductionThere are many challenges which will become increasingly important in the years ahead for those in engineering education in Europe. This chapter is organised around the following topics, for each of which is advanced a constructive suggestion for action or a prediction of forthcoming change. All of these topics involve significant challenges as follows:1. Responding in our quality assurance (QA) to political decisions seeking a unifi ed European approach to higher education. 2. Developing the rigour of the practice of QA in engineering education. 3. Confronting the long-established practice of concentrating on relatively lowerlevel outcomes and aims in much of engineering education. 4. Finding effective ways to develop higher-level abilities, both cognitive and interpersonal, and evaluate how well that is being done. 5. Arranging QA to cope with the sometimes confl icting demands of professional bodies and educational authorities. 6. Ensuring that the oversight of quality is informed, independent and objective. 7. Enabling change in some of the outmoded, but enduring, teaching practices of yesteryear. 8. Extending our QA to cover self-managed and self-directed continuing professional development (CPD).While readers in North America and elsewhere will no doubt see striking contrasts between values, practices and trends on both sides of the Atlantic (Heywood 2005) , many of the above topics relate equally to education and accreditation in other nations and professional areas. This certainly applies within Europe, as the amplification of Challenge 1 should make clear.In considering the QA of higher engineering education, it is important to distinguish between academic awards that testify to a certain level and scope of learning and development on the part of ...