The Treklöver quality assessment report has been finalised on programmes leading to degrees in business administration, economics, statistics and the Master of Science in Business and Economics. The report highlights good examples, but also issues that should be addressed.
During 2018, programmes leading to higher education diplomas, bachelor degrees, one- and two-year master degrees as well as the Master of Science in Business and Economics were assessed by a group of teachers, students and external representatives. The assessment group has read the self-evaluations of the programmes, reviewed degree projects and visited in person or via Skype. Karlstad University, Linnaeus University and Mid Sweden University together developed a model for assuring the quality of programmes.
“The Treklöver model is our way of regularly reviewing the programmes that are not included in the Swedish Higher Education Authority’s evaluations. This is an important part of Karlstad University’s quality assurance policy and regular review of programmes is also a requirement in the ESG (Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area). The final report in the first round of Treklöver evaluations has now been released and it is gratifying to see how the system has taken shape,” says Thomas Nilsson, quality assurance coordinator at Karlstad University.
Positive reviews and room for improvement
The assessment group both highlights good examples and identifies areas which need to be improved. Some of the areas that should be improved include a more balanced representation of men and women, particularly at professorial level, but the gender balance of students could also be improved. Course evaluations are also mentioned as an area for improvement, as well as the assessment of individual student performances in group assignments. Some of the good examples include that students often show considerable ethical awareness in their choices of theory and methods as well as in the way in which they report empirical data in their degree projects. Several modern teaching methods are mentioned as good examples: flipped classrooms, role-play and examinations through poster presentations. Particularly the Master of Science in Business and Economics programme is well connected to research done at the university (for example at CTF, the Service Research Center) and externally (for example at MSB, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency).
“Such a thorough assessment demands a lot of effort from many actors, and much of its value is already generated when we together analyse and consider how we can deliver excellent degree programmes. Although it is sometimes difficult to draw far-reaching conclusions based on this type of evaluation, which to a large degree relies on spot checks, one gets a number of clear indications of measures we can take to improve the courses and programmes we offer our students,” says Patrik Gottfridsson, associate professor of business administration, coordinator of the Master of Science in Business and Economics programme and the deputy evaluator for the cluster.
