Visions and Strategies for Internal Quality Assurance Systems: Case Studies in European and Latin American Higher Education Institutions

This presentation analyzes the way in which internal quality assurance systems (IQAS) are implemented and developed in six European and Latin American universities. To date, various developments have taken place concerning other aspects such as the assessment, monitoring, and improvement of the quality of different components of higher education (its governance, contents, forms of pedagogy, the services offered, etc.). However, there is little empirical evidence about the implementation of quality assurance systems in the universities and their impact on educational provision. This presentation attempts to understand processes that have so far been geared towards external evaluation, without reflecting internally on institutional procedures. Drawing on a qualitative approach we identify determinants that influence the implementation and development of IQAS, taking into account the perspective of those responsible for the implementation of such systems within institutions in the regions studied.