Quality assurance processes

Quality assurance is ensured at two levels – one at the Sri Lankan national level and the other at international level, the latter being useful as staff development is relativley new to Sri Lanka. At  the national level, the procedure of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Council of the University Grants Commission is followed. At the international level, international experts  in the staff and educational development evaluate SDC activities and performance every three years. These overseas expert reviews have been conducted by Professor Chris Knapper from Canada (1997 to 2001), Professor Owen Hicks from Australia (2001 to 2003), Professor Nancy Chism from USA (2003 to 2005), Professor Matt Ouellett from(2006 to 2008), and Professor Kristine Mason O’Connor UK (2008 to 2010).

Individual courses are also subject to international quality assurance procedures, such as at international accreditation and renewal of the CTHE course, which has maintained its accreditation continuously with SEDA (UK) over the last 14 years. The other quality assurance processses involve the external examination of the teaching methodolgy courses (carried out by a SEDA approved, Professor of Higher Education from UK). Quality assurance at the service-user level is also part of the SDC’s quality assurance portfolio and takes place through feedabck evaluations by participants that is conducted for each training course or workshop conducted by the SDC.