8/3/2019 Attributes of Quality Educational Programs, Clayton R. Wright

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Attributes of Quality Educational Programs

Clayton R. Wright, PhD

crwr77 @ gmail.com

Based on working closely with educational colleagues to develop courses and programs in North America, Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia, I believe that quality educational programs (and 

support structures) exhibit the attributes outlined below.

y  The program is learner-centric. Those developing and delivering the program are clearlycognizant of whom they are serving. Decisions are based on addressing student needs. Theneeds of other stakeholders such as boards, government ministries, and employers arealways taken into account, but emphasis is placed on student needs.

y  The mission, values, and goals of the program are available for public scrutiny. If words such as accessibility, equity, flexibility, and just-in-time learning are included inmission or goal statements, though difficult to measure, practical means are devised tomeasure these factors and to gauge the progress made over varying lengths of time.

y  Leadership recognizes that quality is not a static end-point, but a dynamic, evolvingprocess that must be continually nurtured.

y  Leadership values people and encourages all to reflect upon and critique the activities of the program developers, providers, and support personnel. Suggestions brought forth by theeducational community are listened to and acted upon.

y  The outputs of the program are measured, not just the inputs. Ideally, the long-termimpact of graduates on society is measured.

y  Program teams work in a collaborative manner , yet each member is empowered to makean immediate decision and take action to best serve students.

y  All staff and faculty are highly trained or educated. They, like their students, are activelylearning.

y  Students, faculty, and tutors are involved or have input into the governance andoperation of the program. Students are respected. Without students, no one in the programwould have a job.

y  Effective programs are interactive and engage the learner . They require learners tosearch, compile, analyze, interpret, and apply data from the real world. They encouragecritical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving; provide opportunities for practice andknowledge transfer; offer timely, constructive, relevant, and frequent feedback; and providelinks to resources beyond the content and the learners¶ communities.

y  Programs are reviewed continuously and revisions are based on reliable data. But, there

is room for ³gut instincts´ and personal reflection. People are encouraged to take action andmake improvements. Both internal and external reviews are conducted to ascertain thebreadth, depth, currency, and relevancy of the program.

y  Applied research is encouraged and the results are used to inform the quality assuranceprocess.

y  There is an unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation by all. Quality is not just an add-on, but fully integrated into all facets of the operation. Quality and innovation areeveryone¶s business.