现代远程高等教育质量保障体系构成要素与运行机制研究

The Quality Assurance System in Modern Distance Higher Education:Its Components and Operating Mechanism

结合我国高等教育改革和现代远程高等教育五年来的实践,对远程高等教育质量保障体系的构成要素和运行机制进行比较全面、系统的理论探讨,对质量保障体系的实际应用情况也进行了总结,努力在理论上形成一个比较完整的体系。

The distance higher education system should be considered as an organic whole which is made up of several elements having distinct functions. These elements are interrelated and complement one another. Through certain mechanisms, the quality of these elements can be enhanced, leading to a better distance higher education system. Quality assurance system is one such mechanism and its components include: the school, students, teachers, the mode of teaching, teaching resources, support services, the government, the society and funding. The components in the quality assurance system are interrelated and constrain one another. The aims of such a system are to initiate and maintain activities that are beneficial to the improvement of educational quality and to adjust and eliminate those activities that might be detrimental to effective educational practices. Distance higher education institutes can pursue these aims. The major stakeholders in a distance higher education system are schools, the government and the society. The two major sub-mechanisms are the incentive mechanism and the feedback mechanism. The former offers necessary motivation and the latter serves the function of self-correction and provides the means for constant improvement.