Quality improvement: Teaching and learning with modular approach in higher education

Quality assurance is important in higher education. Higher education is accountable to the government, the clients and the profession (Craft, 1992). Quality assurance helps higher education institutes to become more accountable for their quality of teaching and learning processes and products. Quality assurance also enables higher education institutes to have institutionally initiated improvement. However, there are conflicts between goals of accountability and improvement. If accountability is the focus, then improvement may be ineffectual. If improvement is the focus, accountability is suppressed. Taking the balance between accountability and improvement, the approach of quality assurance in higher education in Hong Kong is using a process model placing emphasis on both accountability and improvement (Massy, 1997). The process used in Hong Kong is called teaching and learning quality process reviews (TLQPRs). The goals of TLQPRs are to concentrate attention on teaching and learning, support institutions in their endeavor to improve teaching and learning quality, and enable the Hong Kong University Grant Committee and the institutions to practice their obligation to maintain accountability for quality. In the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) and some other higher education institutions, the curricular are organised in a modular approach. This approach has positive and negative effects on teaching and learning quality. This paper will identify the rationales, strengths and weaknesses of a modular approach and its effects on teaching and learning quality. A quality assurance model that has the potential to improve the quality for teaching and learning in a modular approach is proposed. The limitations for quality assurance and its implication for teacher education will be discussed. Copyright © 2000 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.