Analytic Quality Glossary A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Home
Citation reference: Harvey, L., 2004-24, Analytic Quality Glossary, Quality Research International, http://www.qualityresearchinternational.com/glossary/
This is a dynamic glossary and the author would welcome any e-mail suggestions for additions or amendments.
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Subject assessment
Subject assessment refers to quality assurance process that focuses on a subject or disciple and examines it in detail.
Subject assessment, when undertaken by an external body, is usually a process in which all providers in a country of a programmes in the subject area or disciple are evaluated. This may be by a government department, a specialist agency acting on behalf of government, or, in some countries, by a professional body seeking to ensure the quality and standards of professional programmes. Assessment usually implies that there is some sort of grading or ranking of the subject areas evaluated.
Brennan et al. (undated) described the quality assurance process, which involved peer review of subject areas, introduced in the UK in the wake of the ending of the polytechnic in 1992:
Quality assessment focused on subjects and aimed to link quality of provision to funding, to improve quality, and to provide public information on quality to users (students and employers). Quality assessment reports were published and contained a graded summative result, initially on a three point scale of excellent, satisfactory and unsatisfactory and subsequently on a graded profile of six “aspects of provision”. The assessment process required a self-assessment produced within the institution and a three-day assessment visit by a team of “peers” from other higher education institutions selected by the funding council. Much of the assessment visit was spent in observing classroom teaching plus discussions with staff and students and reviewing course documentation
Brennan, J., Holloway, J. and Shah, T., undated, Open University, The United Kingdom. OECD/IMHE, available at http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/49/23/1871706.pdf, accessed 9 September 2012, still available 15 May 2022.