An Integrated Electronic IQA System for HEI

Background Of Study

External Quality Assurance (EQA) as represented by any accreditation requirements has been prescribed voluntarily or mandated where all HEIs subscribe to or are mandatorily coerced into (Wells, 2014). While EQA hypes the protection of stakeholders’ values in learning outcomes and competencies, the accompanying and complementary Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) struggles to keep up with the pace of EQA progress and requirements (Kettunen, 2012). Systems and mechanisms in accomplishing and achievement EQA requirements falters or are sidetracked due to the mundane IQA with volumes of documents, reports, statistics and evidences requirements of quality measures of processes and results underlying education value (Prikulis, Raugvargers, & Rusakova, 2011).

In attempting to resolve this issue, this chapter explores the key components of quality, information and planning underpinning education excellence to align the integration of the 3 main IQA core systems of quality management (QM), information management (IM) and planning management (PM) as these encompass most aspects of the creation and delivery of the educational value of HEIs. The proposed integrated eIQA is strategically and tactically aligned top-down and bottom-up where quality management is aligned with planning management via information management leading to informed decisions affecting quality management at all levels of the institution, administrative units, colleges and programs. To illustrate these QM-IM-PM linkages via its key integrated e-modules, a case study of a leading university in the Middle East demonstrates this strategic integrated eIQA system.