Measuring the effectiveness of a continuous quality improvement cycle in education is a cumbersome and sophisticated process. This article contributes a comprehensive self-assessment instrument for identifying the strengths and weaknesses of all phases of a continuous quality improvement cycle, including planning, data collection, analysis and…

Quality assurance in higher education has become a global activity. In the European Higher Education Area, cross-border quality assurance has been heavily encouraged by the European Commission. Behind this, lies the belief that encouraging competition among quality assurance bodies and introducing a liberal 'market' logic into the sector would…

This article is a comparative study of five pedagogical experiments that involved the use of the digital eZoomBook tool. An "eZoomBook" is a customized multi-level document incorporating links among the different layers that are accessible by tabs in a menu. eZoomBooks include a zooming in and out function allowing readers to navigate…

This paper describes the contribution of the Tuning Methodology toward harmonisation of undergraduate mechanical engineering programmes in Africa. This methodology is an interactive process in which academics develop high quality curricula and learning standards for students through the identification of generic and subject specific competences in…

This study on reforms and new trends in medical undergraduate education in Europe consists of nine national reports. In these reports prominent medical educators assess the current situation in their respective home countries: Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. In…

The University of Hartford's International Summer Business Program provided French college students with perspectives on U.S. business and culture, improved English fluency, and real-world experience. The intensive one-month program led to significant improvements in business vocabulary and comprehension of business concepts. (SK)

This article summarizes results of a 1989 comparative survey of undergraduate education in five European countries, in terms of structures, organization and content of courses, admissions policies, access to education, and trends and prospects in student numbers. The countries reviewed were the Federal Republic of Germany, the United Kingdom,…

Some probable consequences of a current drive in France to expand higher education are explored. The drive is to enroll 90 percent of each age cohort in higher education and to have 80 percent of each cohort obtain undergraduate degrees. The change would drastically alter the traditional French university and its mission. (MSE)

To frame the larger research agenda requires an intimate blending of knowledge of the situations of foreign research universities and those of public research universities in the United States. The first step was to bring together for a two-day symposium a group of scholars and practitioners, some with deep and varied knowledge of United States…

First-cycle university courses in France have a special function, both providing education and serving as an adjustment variable, guaranteeing a place in higher education for any student with the "baccalaureat" degree. Suggests criticism of the system for poor completion rates in undergraduate courses is partially unfounded because the…

This paper argues that current and impending changes in the media industries in Britain, France, and Belgium will stimulate a more positive relationship between these industries and undergraduate communication studies. Topics discussed include: (1) the attitudes of both the industry and academic researchers toward research and its relationship…

The major results of a World Health Organization consultation meeting which was organized to examine ways and means of improving the status of substance abuse education for health professionals in some European countries is presented. Conference participants included researchers, psychiatrists, advisers, clinicians, health administrators, and…

It is argued that a traditional, historically-oriented course in 17th- and 18th-century French civilization continues to be an appropriate and effective approach for undergraduate French study, in preparation for later, more sophisticated cultural analysis. Four course components are discussed: class lectures; literary text selection; textbook…

The educational and living costs of undergraduate studies and the ways these costs are shared among parents, students, taxpayers, and philanthropists/donors are considered for five countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, and Sweden. Five policy issues that are linked to how costs are shared by…

The integration of foreign language education and international exchange into a French graduate program in business administration is discussed. The 3-year program results in the equivalent of a master's degree in management. The historical, educational, cultural, and socio-political factors in development of the program are reviewed, and key…