After the introduction of a new approach in education (INTENSE) has proved to be effective, delivering results that are better compared with previous methods, the new approach must be guaranteed in the future.
Therefore every project that intends to change teaching practice needs a quality program.
Quality policy (definitions)
- Everything the institution wants to do in the coming years to provide good quality and improve that quality.
- Descriptions of the objectives in terms of quality, quality level, and paths that should lead to it.
- The objectives of an institution with regard to quality, as well as the ways and means which lead to the attainment of these objectives. These should be formally reflected in a management statement.
Quality control (definitions)
- That part of the quality management that focuses on meeting the quality requirements.
- Testing the quality standards of a product or service.
Quality assurance (definitions)
- All activities of the overall management function that determine the quality policy, objectives and responsibilities and implement it through quality planning, quality control, quality assurance and quality improvement within the quality system.
- Quality assurance can be defined as “the control of a process of continuous improvement in order to meet the quality requirements”. This always concerns the relationship between its own goals and aspirations, securing them in policy, management and processes and how the results relate to the goals.
From quality control to quality assurance
Quality control and quality assurance are two concepts that play an important role in the context of quality of education. Quality control implies the checks afterwards whether the desired quality is achieved.
By quality assurance we do not only look at the results of the pupils or students, but we look in particular whether all conditions are met in order to achieve good results, so we also look at the learning process, to the support, to the facilities, materials and tests. Unlike quality control that leads to corrective actions, quality assurance focuses on prevention, preventing poor quality products are delivered.