Cover -- External Quality Audit : Has it improved quality assurance in universities? -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of figures and tables -- Figures -- Tables -- Preface -- About the editors and contributors -- 1. Quality assurance - corporate fist in a velvet glove? -- Australian quality assurance -- Measuring teaching quality -- Educational reform -- Quality assurance for teaching at James Cook University 2000-10 -- The JCU historical context for quality assurance -- Quality assurance - summary of influences on teaching -- All is not rosy in the world of professors -- Note -- References -- 2. The impact of external quality audit in a private for-profit tertiary education institution -- Introduction -- Evidence of effectiveness: global perspective -- Brief overview of private providers in Australia -- External quality audits of private providers -- Quality audit approach -- Discussion on the effectiveness of the quality audit -- Conclusion -- References -- 3. Multiple views of quality audits in New Zealand: a case for advancing systemic understanding -- Introduction -- A brief overview of quality audits -- Quality audit in New Zealand -- Views of quality audits in New Zealand -- Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- 4. Reflections on the effectiveness of four cycles of external quality audits in New Zealand universities -- Introduction -- Universities New Zealand and the establishment of the New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit, Te Wa hanga Ta tari -- National context: recent government policy -- International context -- The impact of academic audit on systems and processes -- The impact of academic audit on standards, outcomes and the student learning experience -- The impact of academic audit at institutional and national level -- The future challenges for quality assurance in New Zealand universities -- Conclusion -- Notes.

References -- 5. Enhancing quality assurance in an institution: the University of the South Pacific experience of an external audit -- University of the South Pacific: an overview -- A vision for the year 2020 -- The quality strategy -- External audit -- The self-assessment -- Post-audit - the processes and impacts -- Conclusion -- References -- 6 .Quality audits in Hong Kong: seeking evidence of quality enhancement -- The education landscape in Hong Kong -- Quality audits in Hong Kong -- Methodology for analysis of the Quality Assurance Council reports -- Findings -- Summary -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 7. External quality audits and quality assurance in the higher education sector: the Malaysian perspective -- Introduction -- Quality audit practice in higher education -- Government policy on external quality audits -- The case of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia -- A practitioner's point of view -- Future challenges for higher education quality assurance in Malaysia -- Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- 8. External quality audit in the UK: an impact analysis -- Introduction -- The purposes of Institutional Audit -- The implementation of Institutional Audit -- The effects of Institutional Audit -- Reflections on Institutional Audit -- Conclusions -- Acknowledgement -- Notes -- References -- 9. Effect of external quality agencies on universities in India -- The context -- The Indian scenario -- Effects of external assurance -- Assuring transnational education -- Lessons to be learned -- References -- 10 .External quality audits in South African higher education: goals, outcomes and challenges -- Introduction -- External quality assurance in the South African higher education context -- Functions of the HEQC -- Principles and approaches in the institutional audit system -- Systems and procedures for institutional audits.

External institutional audits: outcomes and impact -- Impact of the audit process: preparation and site visit -- The issue of impact through audit recommendations -- Evaluating the student experience in audits -- Conclusion -- Note -- References -- 11. Development, effectiveness and future of quality assurance and assessment in Italian higher education -- Introduction -- Stages in quality assurance in Italian higher education -- Conclusion: the trade-off between differentiation and standardisation -- References -- 12. Audits of quality assurance systems of higher education institutions in Finland -- The Finnish system of higher education -- Brief background of government policy on external quality audits in Finland -- Role of FINHEEC, the national quality assurance organization -- How do the audits impact on quality management? -- Audits and educational outcomes -- Students' role in quality management -- The impact of audits at national, institutional and faculty level -- The future challenges of higher education quality assurance -- Note -- References -- 13. External quality auditing: strengths and shortcomings in the audit process -- Introduction -- External quality auditing in Norway -- A process view on audits -- Data and methods -- The functioning and effects of external audits in Norway -- Some final reflections -- References -- 14. Institutional management and quality audit: the experience in Chile -- Development of external quality assurance schemes in Chile: an answer to the challenges of higher education evolution -- A study to learn about the impact of quality audits -- Results -- Lessons learned and recommendations -- Notes -- References -- 15. Scope, transparency and style: system-level quality strategies and the student experience in Australia -- Introduction -- External quality audit and the student experience.

The Australian Universities Quality Agency and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency -- System-level quality strategies and the impact of external review -- Conclusion: the merits of external review and prospects for future development -- Note -- References -- 16. Accreditation and institutional learning: the impact interactions based on a minimaxing strategy have on the benefits from external reviews -- Introduction -- Purpose of this chapter -- Prelude: thoughts on the nature of learning -- Learning as a stochastic proposition -- Learning as a paradox -- Perception and learning -- The power of language used - who controls the narrative? -- When learning happens -- Limitations to organizational learning -- Level 1: Nexus or nexum - type of interaction between HEIs and external agents -- Level 2: Structural and cultural impacts on compliance -- Conclusion -- References -- 17. Has it worked globally? -- Introduction -- Have audits been successful? -- Where to from here? -- References -- Index.