QUALITY ASSURANCE BENCHMARKING

IN
Dr. Latha
HIGHER Sreedhar
EDUCATION
Assistant Professor
Department of Sanskrit
Sri Sarada College for
Women(Autonomous), Salem-16
24.06.2021 06/29/2021 1
 Overview

(I, II,III)
Higher Education in India
What is Quality in Higher What is Benchmarking? What Benchmarks can
Education? you setup for a HEI?
Why Benchmarking?
Benefits of
Quality Assurance in Benchmarking & Benchmarking
Higher Education Higher Education
How to set up a
Quality Assurance Benchmarking Exercise? Conclusion
Practices in HEIs

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 Higher Education in India 1/1
 Higher education is the backbone of any society.
 It is the quality of higher education that decides the quality
of human resources in a country.
 Higher education, as we see today, is a complex system
facilitating teaching, research and extension.
 The higher education system in India envisages :
1. National development
2. Global competitiveness
3. Ethical values
4. Promote use of technology and
5. Create an atmosphere towards quest for excellence.
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What is Quality in Higher Education?2/1
 Quality is not an act, it is a habit - Aristotle

 It is important to raise the question at the beginning of any

discussion about quality or quality assurance in higher education.

 At the first look, the answer might be that either we don’t really
know what quality is or that it can be many different things.

 It is often the case that this fundamental question is omitted,

especially in more technical discussions or rushed policy debates.

 The reason is to do with the fact that the answer is not entirely
straightforward, and there is no unified definition or single measure
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for quality.
Quality in Higher Education 3/1

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Quality Assurance in Higher Education 4/1
Development of a definition, or common understanding of quality

for a specific national higher education context might be challenging at the

beginning - but it will be crucial for it will influence the overall design and give a

meaning to the whole quality assurance system.

Along with autonomy, Quality and quality assurance are important

elements of a higher education system.

Quality Assurance has two distinct wings:
(i) Internal Quality Assurance
(ii) External Quality Assurance
IQA usually covers the quality of teaching and learning.

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Quality Assurance practices in HEIs 5/1

BENCHMARKING

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 What is Benchmarking? 1/2

 Benchmarking is about bridging the gap between where we are and

where we want to be” (Edward Sallis)

 “An example of good performance that serves as a standard for

comparison of one’s performance. It is a technique in which an
institution measures its performance against the best of others” (NAAC)

 A structured or systematic process for measuring and comparing for

learning from the practice of others, who are leaders in the field or with
whom legitimate comparisons can be made”
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 What is Benchmarking? 2/2

 A Zen-like management riddle asks: "How does a fish know it is

wet?" The fish spends all its life in water and knows no other
condition.

 The riddle probes how people, who grow accustomed to

operating in certain ways, know there are other approaches --
perhaps better ways -- of performing the same task?

 So Benchmarking is a tool for achieving idea enrichment or

quality enhancement in education.

 Each benchmarking trip is a learning safari. 06/29/2021 9

 Why Benchmarking? 3/2

 Internally: to know what is best in their own institutions so that other

Schools / Departments can emulate them.

 Externally: to find out where an institution stands with reference to the

best institutions in that category so that it can improve its performance
and grading.

 Ultimately: it is for improving quality in terms of teaching-learning,

research, infrastructure & student progression so that students and
ultimately the society benefit from BM.
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 Benchmarking & Higher Education 4/2
NAAC Assessment & Accreditation is based on Benchmarking & enumeration

and articulation of Best practices.

Benchmarking and comparison has to be within that category(IIT, Library)

Benchmarkings’ real benefit “comes from understanding the practices that

permit the performance and the reasoned transfer (of best practices) to the

organization” (Camp 1995)

Used in higher education to compare and evaluate curricular frameworks,

learning outcomes,{subject specific and generic), learning environment,

quality of research, infrastructure, student support & progression,

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governance, social consciousness etc.,
Benchmarking & Higher Education 5/2
 Through Benchmarking, a HEI benefits from the experience of another

HEI
 BM Creates an opportunity for HEIs and Professors to share their best

practices and learn from the success of others

 Provides models of high performing as well as rapidly improving HEIs to

others who may not possess access to such models in a local education
system.
 Creates a national (or world) laboratory for new ideas & collaboration.

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How to setup a benchmarking exercise? 1/3
 How good do we want to be?
 Are there standards available that we can benchmark ourselves
against?
 Do we know who is doing it best?
 How do we compare with the best?
 What are they doing that makes them so good?
 Where are the gaps in our performance?
 How can we learn their lessons?
 How best can we bridge our gaps?
 How can we do better than the best?
 What do we need to do to become the best?
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What Benchmarks can you set up for a HEI ? 2/3
1. In the next cycle, a BETTER GRADE
2. In the next NIRF, a BETTER RANK
3. Before next NAAC visits the institution, at least a few
teachers should have done post doctoral fellowship.
4. The Principal as well as the Senior faculty  members
could be members of national Agencies like
UGC,CSIR,ICSSR etc.,
5. International Fellowship like Full bright, Commonwealth,
Indo-Shastri, Humboldt to be taken.
6. Every full-time teacher should have completed their PhD
and few research projects.
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 What Benchmarks can you set up for an institution ? 3/3
7. Every department should organize one International seminar and
convert it into a Publication in a peer reviewed journal.
8. At least four to five students should have cleared the NET/SET exam .
9. Every department should have produced at least 3 Ph.D.
10. Launch new certificate/ diploma/ Advanced Diploma courses.
11. Two-three faculty members/students should have gone for an
international seminar.
12. At least 25% of the students should be from other states
13. Organize student camps like Inspire, Camp of  DST etc.,
14. To get one of the top three ranks in the University Athletics &
Sports/Cultural Competitions
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Benefits of Benchmarking in Higher Education 4/3
 Benchmarking in higher education is a relatively new concept
and can bring huge benefits in terms of continuous improvement
of quality.
 As it is based on identification of the best practices, it inculcates
constant comparison, competition and collaboration.
 By following the best model, other institutions can improve their
own quality.
 If seeing is believing, then benchmarking is an effective process.
 Successful bench markers return to their organizations with
valuable trophies – new ideas and approaches for accomplishing
old tasks.
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 Conclusion 5/3

 Developing a formal national quality assurance system appears to be

a priority for the country.
 Quality can be assured through following an example ( A++, NIRF
ranking etc.,), or striving to meet a benchmark developed through
rigorous process of Benchmarking.
 Benchmarking higher education system performance will contribute
towards improvement across different higher education systems.
 Further BM is a process of continuous improvement, mark of
excellence, and recognition of all the efforts of the academics by
their peers.

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 Conclusion 6/3
 This will involve national regulations and mechanisms.
 The process of BM should start to build a culture of quality in
higher education institutions.
 This may take time and could be done along the way, but it must not
be neglected.
 “The farther you delegate benchmarking, the more likely you are to
end up justifying the current state," says Olander. 
 Thus, Higher education produces economic, social, cultural and
environmental impact in the community, be it at the local, regional,
national or global level.

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Conclusion

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THANK YOU

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