Student-Centred Learning in Higher Education: Relevant Quality Assurance Indicators

Student-centred learning (SCL) is a key quality assurance standard promoted across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), as established by the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the EHEA (ESG, 2015). Its implementation requires articulated commitment, decision and practice undertaken by institutions, teaching staff and students. The current literature on quality academic learning and teaching explains SCL through various factors that range from the creation of a student-centred higher education culture to the implementation of active and innovative learning strategies. However, the national quality assurance policies and practices might vary importantly. The present paper aims to offer a view on the latest thinking and evidence regarding the SCL approaches in the EHEA and Romanian higher education, analysed from the quality assurance perspective. Our research had a dual focus. We performed a systematic review of the strategies and frameworks used by quality assurance agencies to assess SCL implementation in higher education. We also explored the perspective of Romanian higher education management and academic representatives on the SCL and its use for the design of quality higher education study programs. Our main research questions were: (1) What are the strategies and practices employed by the EHEA quality assurance agencies for the assessment of SCL implementation in higher education institutions? (2) What is the perception of Romanian higher education stakeholders on the concept of SCL, its implementation and its impact on curriculum development and students’ learning? (3) What are the critical factors of SCL implementation that can be considered in elaborating future effective assessment procedures? Our study contributes to improving higher education quality assurance procedures by highlighting possible future guidelines for supporting and evaluating the implementation of SCL approaches.