USA - Quality Development in Higher Education by Formative Evaluation in a Network system

The project shall contribute to quality development in higher education by: evaluation of development; evaluation for development; and evaluation as development. The aspect is thereby to understand and to improve the learning environment, the concept of n etworking with enhanced formative evaluation being instrumental for quality development. The experienced collaborating partners shall initiate a research agenda that meet the need for evaluation and creative, proactive learning activities in higher educat ion as seen at Total Quality Management in industry. The collaboration will explore possibilities for a new development of 'formative evaluation' as an integrated part of the learning process in higher education that supports self evaluation and validat ion of quality development in higher education. Previous and ongoing research calls for further research and development related to participation, relation-building and coherence in a networked system built on formative evaluation and related practices. The result of the activities should result in better transparency and accountability (time-for-time-principle) for students, teachers, study committees, and for quality assessment. The advances in information- and communication technologies are utilized and have not only made this formative evaluation possible but created a potential win-win situation on several levels: for the individual learner; for the teacher/manager and for the learning environments in the educational system and for companies/organi zations; all the way to the competence development of the society. It may also be claimed that the new focus on formative evaluation is a consequence of the new, and still evolving, advanced information and communication technologies. Professor Leifer at Stanford University supports and view this initiate as an extension of existing collaboration with universities in Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands.