Name of the presenter:
Aira Lepik

Position: Professor of Librarianship, PhD

Organization: Tallinn Pedagogical University

Faculty of Social Sciences

Department of Information Studies

Narva Road 25

10 120, Tallinn, Estonia

Tel: +372 640 9480

Fax: +372 640 9481

E-mail: aira@tpu.ee

Proposed Title:

Quality assurance of library and information sciences curricula : estonian approach

Abstract

The changing information environment sets new challenges for libraries. In order to identify a curriculum for Library and Information Sciences/LIS professional development, it is first necessary to look at the discipline of LIS as a whole. This allows an understanding of the topics which fall within the field of LIS, from which aspects relevant to professional development can subsequently be chosen.
The goal of this paper is to give an overview of developing LIS curriculum in Department of Information Studies of Tallinn Pedagogical University. This paper examines the process of accreditaion of LIS curriculum whitch took place in March 2001 to see the relationship between quality assuranceof university eduaction and accreditation of curricula.

The Standard of Higher Education (adopted 2000) specifies general requirements to higher education in Estonia and is a fundamental act for granting education licences and for accreditation of study programmes or higher education institutions (universities and applied higher education institutions). The Standard of Higher Education is valid for all stages or forms of higher education irrespective of owners or legal status of higher education institutions.

The primary method for the assurance of quality in higher education in Republic of Estonia is accreditation. Accreditation is the process by which an institution or a curricula periodically evaluates its educational activities and seeks an independent judgement by experts that it achieves substantially its own educational objectives and meets the established standards of the body from which it seeking accreditation. Accreditation must be understood as a continuous evaluation process with the purpose of defining and improving the quality and effectiveness of the educational process.

The accreditation process can be divided into two stages:

* institutional self-evaluation,

* evaluation by external experts.

A self study will be have tree main objectives:

* to stimulate analysis of the quality of education within an institution;

* to gather and systemize data and information on the quality of education,

* to prepare materials for peer visit.

The purpose of curriculum accreditation are:

ü to evaluate the content of educational programmes, student performance, teaching methods and the methods used to monitor student achievement;

* to analyse the quality of the education of students, especially of graduates, based upon institutional objectives as well as national and international standards of education.

During of the accreditation of a curriculum, its accordance with the higher education standard shall be evaluated, including the level of the applicant theoretical and practical tuition, the research and teaching qualifications the teaching staff and research workers, and the result of studies.

The accreditation process is organised by the Higher Education Evaluation Council of the Ministry of Education of Republic of Estonia. The final decision of the Council to accredit a curriculum will be based on a self study report, accreditations standards and the findings of a Peer Group.

There will be three accreditation categories:

* accredited;

* conditional accredited;

* not accredited.

The accreditation process will be initiated if it has either ordered by the Council or if it has been requested by the institution itself. Accreditation of a institution or a curricula is necessary for state recognition of its graduates.

An institution of higher learning and its curricula are accredited by the Higher Education Quality Assessment Council, which is appointed by the Government of the Republic and which operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education.

Accreditation is an exercise during which it is assessed and decided whether an institution of higher learning and its curricula meet the requirements laid out in relevant legislative and regulatory documents.
The standard of higher education is a set of regulations instituted by the Government of the Republic. It specifies the purpose of a given program of instruction leading to a certification of trade, vocational, or professional competence; the list of trades and occupations to which its regulations apply; and the general requirements that curricula must meet.

State recognition is granted to documents certifying the acquisition of a higher education based on an accredited curriculum. All four curriculas offered by Department of Information Studies of Tallinn Pedagogical University - Diploma level curricula of Information Science, Bachelor level (BA) curricula of Information science, Master level (MA) curricula of Information Sciences and Doctoral level (PhD) curricula of Information sciences - are according the degree of Ministry of Education of the Repulic of Estonia (Nr. 128, 15.05.2001) accredited.
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