CONCEPT CLASSIFICATION FOR STUDY PROGRAMS

QUALITY EVALUATION

Dainis Dosbergs and Juris Borzovs

Faculty of Computing, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia

Keywords: Study Program, Quality Evaluation, Study Course Description, Learning Outcomes, Curriculum Control.

Abstract: The article describes the form of recording the study courses in the University of Latvia and the drawbacks

in the records of the study courses are indicated, which hinder tracing the quality control of the study

program. The solution offered by the authors is described, using the concept classification in describing the

study course topics. Concept classification, when combined with the modifications in recording the topic

acquisition information, would facilitate the processing of the study program in the context of quality

control. The article enumerates the most significant gains, which would be achieved by the changes in the

method for registering the study courses as offered by the authors, which would further facilitate the quality

control of the study program contents and ensuring quality in a long-term. The article deals with two

examples of recording the study course topics, using concept classification.

1 INTRODUCTION

European Union and governments call for quality

evaluation and the improvement of higher

education institutions (HEI), as well as the

improvement of HEI study program content and

realization (ENQA, 2003; ENQA, 2005). Any

activities leading to judgments or

recommendations concerning the quality of an

institution or of a study program that the institution

offers, is encouraged. Evaluation has an internal

dimension (self-evaluation) and an external one

(conducted by external experts, peers or

inspectors). (Kristoffersen, Sursock and

Westerheijden, 1998)

When performing quality assessment in the

higher education, the key purpose of the evaluation

is to ensure improvement and accountability.

(Kristoffersen, Sursock and Westerheijden, 1998)

The purpose of the study described in the

article is to analyze the current problems in quality

control of the study program contents and to offer

a solution for recording the study course

information of the study program, using concept

classification.

2 STUDY COURSE

DESCRIPTION

Regardless of the fact that the method for

describing the study courses using the learning

outcomes has received good response across

Europe, the learning outcomes are not elaborated

in the largest higher education institutions in

Latvia, and according to the observations of the

authors, also elsewhere in Europe, but rather

enlisting the considered topics is still used in

describing the study courses (Adam, 2006; LUIS,

2009).

Currently, in the University of Latvia and in

several other Latvian higher educational

institutions, the course information is provided as

follows:

 General information, i.e., name of the study

course, description; authors; prerequisites; the

number of contact hours and practical study

sessions in the study course;

 Description of topics;

 Bibliography and suggested reading.

In the University of Latvia, as well as in other

higher education institutions of Latvia, and, as the

authors have observed – also elsewhere in the

world, the list of the topics to be considered in the

study course is described by merely enlisting these

441

Dosbergs D. and Borzovs J. (2010).

CONCEPT CLASSIFICATION FOR STUDY PROGRAMS QUALITY EVALUATION.

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Computer Supported Education, pages 441-445

DOI: 10.5220/0002775404410445

 SciTePress

topics, i.e. failing to give the analysis of the topic

acquisition level, and oftentimes, also the analysis

of the extent. The authors did not find a

confirmation for that the description of the topics

considered in the study course used different

methods, which would allow analyzing the

contents of the study courses.

For instance, the list of topics considered in the

University of Latvia study course “Industry

standards” is as follows:

1. Software Engineering Standards

2. Software Requirements Specification

3. Software Design Description

4. Software Testing Documentation

5. Software User Documentation

3 EXISTING PROBLEMS

In analyzing the quality of the contents of the study

courses taught in the Faculty of Computing of the

University of Latvia, several problems are

identified, the solution whereof would allow

improving the quality of the study program

contents. Following are the most significant of the

said problems:

 Control of the study program contents in

accordance with the good practice is encumbered,

for instance, during study program accreditation.

The good practice can include specific

requirements of a group of experts towards the

contents of the study program, or as it is in case of

ICT study programs, correspondence with the

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the

Association for Information Systems (AIS), and

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Computer Society (IEEE-CS) Computer

Curriculum 2005, reflecting the modern

requirements for IT studies (ACM/IEEE, 2006);

 Encumbered analysis of conformity of the

study program contents to the general requirements

of the industry or the standard study programs, not

only on the level of the study course titles, but also

on the levels of the considered topics and of

acquisition (heard, understood, practically

applied);

 Encumbered rendering of correct information

to the stakeholders, for instance, industry

representatives, about the existence of certain

topics in the study program, such as answering a

question about acquisition of a specific topic in the

particular study program and the level of

acquisition of the topic (heard, understood,

practically applied) and extent (by means of study

sessions);

 The provision of reciprocal correspondence of

the study courses on the level of the topics

considered in the study courses is encumbered, i.e.,

the ability to control that the topics in various

study courses do not overlap, as well as the option

to control consideration of all of the necessary

topics within the framework of the study program;

 Impossible analysis of information about the

level of acquisition (heard, understood, practically

applied) and extent (by means of study sessions) of

the topics considered in the study courses without

involving the lectors of the particular study

courses;

 Analysis of related study courses is

encumbered in establishing the actual study course

prerequisites and in identifying the study courses,

which consider certain topics from various

perspectives;

 Ensuring sustainable quality of the study

courses is encumbered in case if changes are

introduced in the study courses both by including

new study courses and by implementing

adjustments to the existing list of topics to be

learned.

The authors enlisted the key problems in the

analysis of the study program contents, which have

been observed by those responsible for elaborating

the study programs when performing the analysis

of the study program analysis in preparing the

study program for accreditation or when

demonstrating the study program to the experts

during the accreditation process.

The task set forth by the authors is to plan an

approach to recording the study course information

in a way that it could solve the above-mentioned

problems for quality control and provision of the

study program contents.

4 CONCEPT CLASSIFICATION

The solution offered by the authors for the quality

control of the study program contents and for

improvement thereof is based on use of concepts.

However concept classification allows to attribute

certain keywords for the concept, as well as to

arrange them in specific groups and subgroups,

thus achieving a multilevel concept classifier. By

use of the concept classifier, the description of the

study course topics can be supplemented with the

relevant record from the concept classifier.

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442

The concept classification also allows solving

several problems within the framework of the

study program:

 To be able to identify the use of concepts, if

differing denominations in the subject language are

used to refer to one concepts in various study

courses, for instance, User documentation and User

manual;

 To be able to identify the use of concepts, if

on some occasions the full denomination of the

concept is used while in other courses the concept

is abbreviated, for instance, SRS and Software

Requirements Specification;

 To be able to identify the use of the concepts,

if certain concepts are used instead of

denominations of concept groups used elsewhere,

for instance, System Model and ER model,

knowing that ER model is one of the possible

system models.

As a sample of concept classification, in

continuation of the article, there is a part of an

international key word list IEEE software

engineering keywords (IEEE-CS):

D.2 Software Engineering

D.2.0 General

D.2.0.a Protection mechanisms

D.2.0.b Software psychology

… … …

D.2.1 Requirements/Specifications

D.2.1.a Analysis

D.2.1.b Elicitation methods

D.2.1.c Languages

D.2.1.d Management

… … …

D.2.7 Distribution, Maintenance, and

Enhancement

D.2.7.a Conversion from sequential to

parallel forms

D.2.7.b Corrections

D.2.7.c Documentation

D.2.7.d Enhancement

D.2.7.e Evolving Internet applications

In order to ensure precise identification of the

topics considered in the study courses, a more

detailed elaboration of the concepts is permissible,

as well as relation of concepts of various groups.

For instance, when performing detailed elaboration

of the concepts, the classified concept “

D.2.7.c.

Documentation

” can be elaborated in detail as:

D.2.7.c.1. User documentation

D.2.7.c.2. Manual for administration

However, the relation of concepts of various

groups can be used for relating the concepts, if it is

necessary for the purposes of information analysis,

thus, for instance, the concepts “D.2.7.c.1.

User documentation” and “D.2.0.d.12.

ANSI/IEEE Std 1063-1987, IEEE Standard

for Software User Documentation

” can be

related, because the standard mentioned in the ICT

sector describes the user documentation in

elaboration.

Concept classification is an important step for

ensuring the use of information systems for

elaboration of a quality control tool of the content

of the study program.

5 INFORMATION SYSTEM

Concept classification and use of the relevant

classifier allows elaborating an information system

for the analysis of the study program content,

based on concepts used in the study program. The

purpose of the article is not to describe the

structure or the principles of operations of such

information system, but rather to demonstrate the

options, which such information system could

ensure.

The information system would provide support

in analysis of quality of the study program contents

and in the process of accreditation. During the

accreditation time of the study program, also the

conformance of the study program to certain

criteria is examined. For instance, in ICT study

program accreditation in Latvian higher education

institutions, conformance of the contents is

evaluated pursuant to Computing Curriculum 2005

developed by the globally recognized

organizations ACM, AIS, and IEEE-SC. Using the

concept classification in recording the study

program contents and processing the Computing

Curriculum, the conformance control can be

alleviated. Figure 1 shows a visualization of one

possibilities, which would allow identifying the

concepts, which are used in the study program, but

are not used, for instance, ACM/IEEE Computer

Curriculum 2005. And vice versa – the information

system would allow identifying the concepts in

ACM/IEEE Computer Curriculum 2005, which are

not used in the evaluated study program. Similarly,

conformance of the study program contents could

be evaluated with regards to the requirements of

other contents, for instance, requirements

established by the industry experts.

CONCEPT CLASSIFICATION FOR STUDY PROGRAMS QUALITY EVALUATION

443

Computing topic 1

Computing topic M

...

Computing topic 3

Computing topic 2

Topic 1

Topic N

...

Topic 3

Topic 2

...

Figure 1: Conformance of the study program contents to

ACM/IEEE Computer Curriculum.

The information system would be useful also for

daily quality control of the study program contents:

 In identifying those study courses, which use

the same or mutually related concepts;

 In searching the study courses, which consider

the concept at question, for instance, when the

industry representatives are interested in acquiring

specific technologies in the study program;

 In identifying the reciprocal connection of the

study courses, which would allow the study

program developers to control the study course

relation, as well as would allow the study course

authors to be informed about other study courses,

which consider the same topic in a different

context;

 In comparison of two or more different study

programs, if the used concept classifiers are

harmonized;

 When informing the concerned parties or

relevant stakeholders about the contents of the

study program, when new study courses are added

or if the existing study course contents or the level

of considering the topic has been changed.

6 STUDY COURSE

DESCRIPTION USING

CONCEPT CLASSIFIER

When describing the topics of the study courses by

use of the concept classifier, the additionally

identified requirements in enlisting the topics must

be taken into consideration, i.e., identify the level

of considering the topic (heard, understood,

practically applied) and the extent (by means of

study sessions) thereof. In the continuation of the

article, the authors are proposing example for

describing the study course topics, which employ a

slightly distinct approach in using the concepts.

The topic title includes the name of the

corresponding concept (see Table 1).

The information in the table is displayed in the

following columns:

 Description of study course topic

 (1) Number of study sessions in contact hours

 (2) Mark for examination of knowledge about

the relevant topic planned within the

framework of the study course

 (3) Number of practical sessions in contact

hours

 (4) Mark for elaboration of the practical work

about the relevant topic planned within the

framework of the study course

 (5) The planned extent of student’s individual

(extramural) work

Table 1: Description of the study topics offered by the

authors.

Topic Study

sessions

Practical

work

Individ

ual

work

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

General learning

about [software

requirements

specification]

0.25 x

Executing the

[software

requirements

specification]

taking into

account the

requirements of

the standard

[ANSI/IEEE std

830-1998]

4 x 2 x 16

In order to ensure analysis of the study program

contents, according to the approach described by

the authors, it is necessary to do the following:

 Elaborate a concept classifier. As the base for

the concept classifier, for instance, relevant term

lists elaborated by the industry, which can be

supplemented if necessary, can be used;

 Indicate relevant concepts for each study

course topic list. If necessary, elaborating the

concept classifier developed in the first step in

more detail;

 The level of acquisition (heard, understood,

practically applied) and the extent (by means of

study sessions) must be indicated for each topic.

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7 CONCLUSIONS

The purpose of the present study is to plan changes

in the description of study course topics, in order to

ensure the possibility of performing an analysis of

the study courses existing in the study program and

control in a long-term.

The described approach is based on use of the

concepts in description of the study topics and the

authors are setting forth a hypothesis that by

describing the study course topics and elaborating

the relevant information system, it is possible to

prevent the problems identified in the beginning of

the article concerning the quality control and

provision of the study program contents.

Furthermore, with the assistance of an information

system, it is possible to manage changes in the

study courses and to ensure sustainable quality of

the study program.

In continuation of the study, the authors are

planning to elaborate an information system

prototype for recording and controlling the study

program contents in accordance to the approach

described in the article, as well as for using the

prototype in processing the contents of the study

programs of the Faculty of Computing of the

University of Latvia.

Regardless of the fact that the article does not

touch upon processing of the learning outcome, the

authors are considering that it is possible to use

concept classification also for describing learning

outcome, which would allow for analysis of the

learning outcome with the assistance of

information systems.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The research is supported by a grant from the

European Social Fund (ESF) operational

programme “Human Resources and Employment”.

REFERENCES

ACM/IEEE, 2006, The overview report covering

undergraduate programs in Computer Engineering,

Computer Science, Information Systems,

Information Technology and Software Engineering,

Retrieved from

http://www.acm.org/education/curric_vols/CC2005-

March06Final.pdf

Adam S., 2006 What are learning outcomes,

International seminar “Using learning outcomes and

qualification frameworks”, Riga, Latvia 28.04.2006

ENQA, 2003, Quality procedures in European Higher

Education, European Association for Quality

Assurance in Higher Education Survey

ENQA, 2005, Standards and guidelines for quality

assurance in the European higher education area,

European Association for Quality Assurance in

Higher Education, Helsinki

IEEE-CS, Software Engineering keywords, Retrieved

from

http://www.computer.org/portal/web/publications/ac

msoftware

Kristoffersen D., Sursock A., Westerheijden D., 1998,

Manual of Quality Assurance: Procedures and

Practice, Phare Multi-Country Programme in Higher

Education

LUIS, 2009, Study course register of University of

Latvia, Retrieved from http://www.luis.lv/

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