International Economic Policy (Mar 2017)
University Competencies Quality Management: from Self-Assessment to International Comparison
Abstract
The article represents a methodological summary of the main levels, tools, approaches and subjects of the use of assessment in educational activity with an emphasis on the university-based dimension. It has been revealed that the use of assessment as one of the tools for quality management has both internal (self-assessment) and external dimensions (variety of tools), which is widespread in universities in the field of implementation of educational programs that have a competency-based dimension. The deep integration of assessment components into a competency-based model for the US labour force development system, as well as the disposition of assessment in the system of competencies in the national qualifications framework in higher education, which are characteristic for the European countries, have been identified. It has been demonstrated that the educational trajectory of personality training throughout life and career development is encountered at various stages with a variety of assessment tools. The comparative characteristics of pre-university assessment, certification programs of global assessment, external assessment of applicants and graduates, and persons aged 30+, functioning of accreditation agencies and agencies of professional accreditation, international rating, international comparisons of education quality, are given. It is proved that the necessity to bear costs for conducting international comparisons, national and international ratings is conditioned not only by the impact of the internationalization of educational activities and the globalization of the world economy, but primarily by the desire to ensure the highest quality of educational services, provided by leaders, and their high average level within the national educational systems. The results are broadly illustrated by evidence and examples from the developed countries (mainly the United States) and Ukraine. Based on the research of the attitude of students and practitioners to different competencies conducted in Ukraine, differences in the perception of competencies of bachelors in the economics and management specialities are revealed. It has been discovered that, in the practitioners’ opinion, ability to self-assessment and ability to independent identification of problems are the most significant among the competencies.
