Trajectory of Quality Assurance Practices in Ethiopian Private Universities: Contexts and Challenges in Open and Distance

Abstract

With the increasing acceptance of Open Distance Learning (ODL) for widening access to higher education in the country, research suggests that it has become increasingly crucial that quality assurance processes need to be developed and maintained if the ODL provision is to be relevant and more functional in emerging open learning environments. This paper examines the status and challenges of quality assurance in private universities which have initiated and implemented an innovative strategy of quality assurance (QA) for continuous improvement. The study employed a mixed methods design with quantitative data used to generate and analyze respondents‘ knowledge and experience about the practices of teaching-learning in the universities. A qualitative approach was also employed to get deeper explanations about the reasons and possible factors that underlie existing quality assurance practices. Data were collected from five private universities using questionnaire, observation, key informant interview, focus group discussion and document review. Vice presidents, quality assurance directors, deans, teachers and students from the selected private universities served as data sources. Data showed that there are acute quality problems abounding quality of educational inputs, processes and outputs in the five universities studied. Substandard teachers, plagiarism, misconceptions on modularization, poor infrastructures and facilities, program content, program specification, program organization, curriculum design, staff quality and the focus of quality assurance are the main challenges of the teaching-learning practices. These imply that the teaching-learning practice is not effective in bringing the desired outcome on students‘ performance. When the high pass rate and lower attritions were observed in comparison with the exit exam results, students from the private universities with the highest achievements in CGPA but not passing national exams imply that CGPAs are not necessarily telling the exact picture of students‘ achievement. The existing ‗quantity‘ based maneuvers rather than qualityeducation do not help students much in effectively improving their performance in accurate sagacity of ‗fit-for-purpose‘ stance in some universities. Thus, there is need for building the capacity of the academics on quality assurance, modularization, entrepreneurial orientations, innovative skills, attitudes and knowledge demanded by the job market. It is also deemed necessary to endorse a robust institutional and program quality enhancement and assurance effort, and national qualification framework that enhance the quality assurance practices in the universities. Quality assurance at the universities requires work on raising awareness and commitment amongst all staff involved, internal assessment, and integration of quality assurance programs into the university's annual action plans, external assessment and benchmarking. Keywords: Higher Education Institutions; Open Distance Learning; Private Universities, Quality assurance; Quality Enhancement