Prof. Dr. Susan Harris-Huemmert | PH Ludwigsburg (original) (raw)

Papers by Prof. Dr. Susan Harris-Huemmert

The final report reveals the consensus which was reached by the evaluation commission after the r... more The final report reveals the consensus which was reached by the evaluation commission after the results of their onsite visits. However, documentary analysis can only go so far to reveal the decision-making which took place and the influences which underpinned this. It shows us the conclusions, but not the individual voices of those concerned as work progressed (excepting, of course, those extracts from the Phillips diary). The interviews allowed the evaluation to be explored on a different level therefore, and although we need to remember that experts can develop a different stance on a completed evaluation, especially if they take part in others subsequently, which might lead to memory distortion or some confusion, because everyone concerned was interviewed it was possible to compare statements and the processes of this evaluation have been reconstructed (Patton, 1987). The following and the next chapter, too, will allow individual voices to have their say; they will also reveal something of the shifting nature of definitions of quality in this particular field and this will reveal that experts need to maintain flexible views with regards to quality standards and their perceptions of their own field per se (Stake, 1975; Guba & Lincoln, 1989).

This thesis is an empirical qualitative case study of the work of an evaluation commission which ... more This thesis is an empirical qualitative case study of the work of an evaluation commission which was established by the Ministry of Culture, Research and Art in the German state of Baden-Württemberg in 2003 to undertake a cross-sectional examination of the quality of teaching and research in universities and teacher training colleges offering courses in Educational Science (Erziehungswissenschaft). Although much literature on evaluation methods and models exists, little addresses the minutiae of evaluation work through the eyes of those doing it. This study therefore aims to augment this knowledge by examining the attitudes, experiences and difficulties which evaluators face. It contributes to the discourse on evaluation theory and practice by providing suggestions for what might help to improve decision-making processes in this particular environment. Informed by phenomenological theory, this exploratory study also uses decision-making theories as a means of providing knowledge on both individual and organisational issues which can augment our understanding of how expert commissions work: the social, political and cultural mechanisms that are involved, and the techniques that evaluators employ in order to provide institutions with an objective, fair, trustworthy and reliable evaluation report.

VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks, 2011

Establishing evaluation criteria which would be appropriate for HEIs with different self-concepts... more Establishing evaluation criteria which would be appropriate for HEIs with different self-concepts was one of the main hurdles the commission had to overcome. However, they were faced with numerous other difficulties such as the sheer volume of material with which each expert was confronted and expected to engage with. One of the most obvious of these was the self reports provided by the HEIs, to which we shall turn first.

VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks, 2011

This final and very brief chapter highlights some of the events that have occurred in Germany sin... more This final and very brief chapter highlights some of the events that have occurred in Germany since the evaluation of Educational Science was concluded in 2004. It is probably true to say that evaluations of the kind conducted in German higher education at the start of the 21st century will no longer take place. They have been identified as being too unwieldy, costly, and to some extent too all-encompassing. While external review has become an accepted instrument in quality assurance, the context in which this occurs has changed quite markedly.

Guba’s simple premise, which appears on evalag’s website, lies behind the work of the evaluation ... more Guba’s simple premise, which appears on evalag’s website, lies behind the work of the evaluation at the heart of this study, namely to identify what there is, and make suggestions for improvements if necessary. This study focuses on the people who examine the status quo in German HE with an aim to suggesting ways of improving it. To do this, a number of areas need to be considered and defined. The following chapter therefore establishes the context within which this study is to be understood and helps to avoid misunderstandings of interpretation.

VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks, 2011

To start research with archival research seemed a sensible decision as ‘documents are powerful in... more To start research with archival research seemed a sensible decision as ‘documents are powerful indicators of the value systems operating within institutions’ (Hatch, 2002, p.117). They provided insight into the various stages of the evaluation and indicated some of the accompanying problems or challenges which the evaluators came up against. It was not clear from the outset how far the archive at the evalag agency in Mannheim would yield results, a problem frequently encountered by researchers as they do not initially know how rich the data will be. Fortunately, evalag’s archive was well organised and comprehensive, although the agency had not conducted that many evaluations up to this point. After scanning the archive documents which were examined for this research could be grouped together as follows:

VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks, 2011

This chapter starts with a brief vignette which is based on what was said by the evaluation’s org... more This chapter starts with a brief vignette which is based on what was said by the evaluation’s organiser and various members of the commission. (Some parts of what follows have been adapted from Harris-Huemmert, 2008)

VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks, 2011

This chapter reviews the research was carried out and it describes the processes that were underg... more This chapter reviews the research was carried out and it describes the processes that were undergone as work progressed. Parts of what follows have been adapted from Harris-Huemmert (2007b).

International Journal for Academic Development, Aug 1, 2013

In this paper, we explore the usefulness of three different approaches to facilitating reflexivit... more In this paper, we explore the usefulness of three different approaches to facilitating reflexivity and a critical awareness of emerging academic identities for doctoral students. This paper stems from a longitudinal research project entitled The Next Generation of Social Scientists, which was conducted across three research-intensive British universities and based at the University of Oxford. The research examined how doctoral students in a range of social science disciplines develop (or do not develop) notions of ‘academic’ identity as they move along the doctoral trajectory and into academic positions. In what follows we describe how three different data collection tools – weekly logs, interviews and a card-sorting activity – were used to encourage doctoral students to consider the process of constructing academic identities more actively and self-reflectively. We then consider how the use of these tools at two workshops further revealed how they can be utilised by academic developers to explore the needs of doctoral students and improve the support in place for this student group.

Quality in Higher Education, Apr 1, 2008

At present Germany does not have standards for the selection of evaluators of higher education, n... more At present Germany does not have standards for the selection of evaluators of higher education, nor does it gauge their performance. However, more could be done to inspect the inspectors. For evaluations to be effective, evaluators need to have the required skills. ...

Research in Comparative and International Education, 2010

Although, as Yuan Li has told us, the term 'quality' itself still remains elusive to precise defi... more Although, as Yuan Li has told us, the term 'quality' itself still remains elusive to precise definition, the last two decades in particular have seen a huge increase in efforts to improve what higher education is capable of achieving, and overall we can identify a number of approaches to quality assurance as a result (internal and external review within national, or individually organised systems, for example). Although comparisons concerning the quality of individual universities have to some extent been made for centuries-for example, with regard to the American Ivy League universities, or the ongoing battle for supremacy among Oxford and Cambridge in Great Britainorganised processes within higher education which, first, identify quality, and second, pinpoint where quality could and should be improved, are a relatively recent phenomenon. Although the literature has examined the merits of quality assurance systems, there have been few contributions in the literature that have compared and contrasted quality assurance systems worldwide in an attempt to glean notions on good practice. The present special edition, which has drawn together articles on quality assurance systems from each of the world's continents, gives us an ideal opportunity to reflect on how various quality assurance systems have developed and where we might find practices that could be of use elsewhere. In many cases we can identify that a common language of good practice does seem to be developing, albeit at different paces within different cultures. Events such as the Bologna Process or the PISA study have recently served to accelerate the concern with standards and international higher education (HE) comparability. Student mobility is one of the issues highlighted, whereby international movement throughout degree programmes should not only be possible, but should be a common and desirable phenomenon, although the linking of two institutions for such projects is fraught with administrative and sometimes legal problems. Related to this is the notion that education per se is a marketable commodity and that students are the customers in this 'business' (Nickel, 2005). They should be able to 'shop around', 'buy' the best product where the outcome is a certificate which future employers will not only recognise, but wish to have. Although the notion of education as a commodity still smarts to some extent among the academic body, students undeniably do shop around in their search for university places before they commence their studies, in terms of degree course contents, but also in terms of study location, overall attractiveness and not least the job prospects associated with qualifications from a particular institution. International rankings such as the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) Index have also been established and have invariably accelerated comparison. Whilst we might well argue about the methodologies these rankings employ (Woodhouse & Stella, 2006), they nevertheless do serve the students as an initial indicator at least as to what they might be buying into and the status of what they are studying and where. Institutional status can, and does, suffer through poor rankings, so higher education institutions (HEIs) need to at least be aware of rankings. As Baker & Miosi have reminded us in this issue, the existence of HEI rankings has certainly served as a motor for HE quality improvement, especially

Evaluation and Quality in German Higher Education - The Chronology of the Evaluation - The Roles ... more Evaluation and Quality in German Higher Education - The Chronology of the Evaluation - The Roles of Individuals and Their Work Ethics - Establishing Evaluation Criteria - Organisational Issues and Problems - Developments in German HE Quality Assurance since 2004

VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks, 2011

After my research interests started to centre on the evaluation of German higher education I was ... more After my research interests started to centre on the evaluation of German higher education I was pointed in the direction of the present case study, so my immediate thanks go to my doctoral supervisor, Professor David Phillips, who gave me valuable support, patient advice and encouragement throughout my research. He was courageous enough to become, at least in part, the focus of my study, not knowing to which conclusions I would come. I extend my thanks, too, to his wife, Val, for her culinary support when I was fortunate enough to be allowed to work in their private library. My thanks also go to Dr Heribert Knorr of the Ministry of Science, Research and Art in Baden-Württemberg, Dr Gerhard Schreier, Bertelsmann Foundation, and the employees of the evalag agency in Mannheim, for letting this research take place. All of my interview partners, including many professors of education, ministerial members, and various heads of institutions were extremely obliging to give up of their time. They are listed in this book. I hope that they will enjoy reading the results and may find them useful. I would also like to thank Professor Rudolf Tippelt, LMU München, and Dr David Mills, Oxford University, who examined the final product. Within Oxford I would like to thank not only my college advisor, Mr David Palfreyman, for his support and insights into higher educational legislation in Europe and the Bologna Process, but also Professor Lynn McAlpine and Dr Nick Hopwood of the Learning Institute for their ongoing encouragement. In Germany Ruth Frobeen did the lion's share of transcribing, for which I was extremely grateful. My fellow DPhil students Dorota Campfield, Helen Carasso, Alaster Douglas, James Hall, Natalie Lundsteen, Rachel Mazyck, and Cindy Naumann were all part of this journey. Natalie, Cindy, James, and Rachel all helped out with occasional childcare and accommodation logistics, without which I would have had a much harder time completing. Barbara Whitfield, Luba Mandzy, Paul Tosio and Naomi Weiss also helped me to maintain mens sana with some very welcome 'Wilde' thespian distractions in New College. Contents Acknowledgments .

Zeitschrift Hochschule und Weiterbildung (ZHWB), Jul 4, 2018

Hochschulmanagement 2+3, 2020

The Corona pandemic has forced millions of employees throughout the world into immediate home off... more The Corona pandemic has forced millions of employees throughout the world into immediate home office, including HE managers, who are located at the interface between administrative and academic activities. They are frequently strategic advisers with high levels of exchange across their institutions, in contact with faculties and central administration alike. From a small, admittedly non-representative sample of HE managers selected from alumni and students of an executive MPA degree in HE management at the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer, in addition to those recruited via Facebook and LinkedIn (N=95), this paper examines how HE managers have been and are coping with their changed work situation.

Personal in Hochschule und Wissenschaft entwickeln, 2019

UVW Universitäts-Verl. Webler, 2015

ZHWB · Zeitschrift Hochschule und Weiterbildung · 2018 (1) Die „Idee der Universität“ hat schon v... more ZHWB · Zeitschrift Hochschule und Weiterbildung · 2018 (1) Die „Idee der Universität“ hat schon viele Wissenschaftler_innen über Jahrhunderte hinweg beschäftigt (z.B. John H. Newman oder Karl Jaspers). Diese Idee (oder Ideen) manifestieren sich aber auch in konkreten Räumen und Formen. Deutlich wird dies z.B. an der Bezeichnung bestimmter Hochschulen in Großbritannien als „Red-Brick“ Universitäten (Whyte, 2016), die sich, im 19. und frühen 20. Jahrhundert aus Ziegelsteinen errichtet, von den aus Stein gebauten Universitäten von Oxford und Cambridge unterschieden (vor allem aber auch in ihrer Zulassungspolitik). In den 1960er und 1970er Jahren wurden in Deutschland viele neue Hochschulen konzipiert und gegründet, teilweise auf der „grünen Wiese“, viele damals mit Beton errichtet. Welche Ideen der Hochschule wurden hier baulich wie realisiert? Aber auch: Wie haben sich diese Institutionen in ihren Städten und Regionen, also im geographischen Raum, etabliert? Und schließlich: Wie änder...

VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks, 2011

International Journal for Academic Development, Aug 1, 2013

Quality in Higher Education, Apr 1, 2008

Research in Comparative and International Education, 2010

VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks, 2011

Zeitschrift Hochschule und Weiterbildung (ZHWB), Jul 4, 2018

Hochschulmanagement 2+3, 2020

Personal in Hochschule und Wissenschaft entwickeln, 2019

UVW Universitäts-Verl. Webler, 2015

 Studierende aus älteren Semestern und Post-docs  Kommilitonen(-innen)  Freunde aus anderen Fa... more  Studierende aus älteren Semestern und Post-docs  Kommilitonen(-innen)  Freunde aus anderen Fakultäten Der Einstieg in die Promotion  Vorbereitung Lesen, lesen, lesen!  Einführungswoche Kennen lernen von Stadt/Campus/Wohnort/Land/Sprache usw. Bibliotheksführung; Erklärung von Methoden der Literaturrecherche; Aushändigung von Department-und Universitätsinformationen; Erwartungshaltungen, was ist zu tun und wann… Stundenplan des ersten Semesters/Trimesters  Erster Termin mit Supervisor Diskussion zu Beginn der Arbeit. Planung der ersten Schritte. Vereinbarung von weiteren Terminen.

The Values of Evaluators: A Two-Edged Sword in Times of Uncertainty Higher education is challenge... more The Values of Evaluators: A Two-Edged Sword in Times of Uncertainty Higher education is challenged by issues of expenditure and concerns about the quality of institutions.

Digitalisierung der Hochschullehre. Neue Anforderungen an die Evaluation?, 2018

Digitalisierung wird in Politik und Bildung vielfach diskutiert. Die öffentliche Debatte zu gesel... more Digitalisierung wird in Politik und Bildung vielfach diskutiert. Die öffentliche Debatte zu gesellschaftlichen Entwicklungen unter dem Einfluss der Digitalisierung changiert dabei zwischen euphorischen und dystopischen Zukunftsvorstellungen. Aufgabe des vorliegenden Bandes, der sich aus Beiträgen speist, die im Rahmen der Frühjahrstagung 2017 des Arbeitskreises Hochschulen in der Gesellschaft für Evaluation an der Universität Wien vorgestellt wurden, ist es, das Feld zu arrondieren und die Schnittmengen sowie gemeinsamen Entwicklungslinien von Digitalisierung und Evaluation auszuloten. Dabei werden Entwicklungswege beschrieben, die die Evaluation in forschungsmethodischer Sicht unter dem Einfluss von Digitalisierung genommen hat bzw. nehmen könnte. Ein zweiter Aspekt betrifft die Entwicklung von Lehre und Studium unter dem Einfluss der Digitalisierung; also den Evaluationsgegenstand sui generis. Die dritte Perspektive nimmt die Frage in den Blick, welche Auswirkungen die Digitalisierung auf Organisationsformen von Hochschulbildung nimmt.

Systeme im Wandel. Hochschulen auf neuen Wegen, 2019

›Die Idee der Universität‹ hat sich, ebenso wie Universitäten und Hochschulen als Institutionen, ... more ›Die Idee der Universität‹ hat sich, ebenso wie Universitäten und Hochschulen als Institutionen, über die Jahrhunderte als äußerst erfolgreich und widerstandsfähig gegenüber System-irritationen erwiesen. Nichtsdestotrotz haben die Verände-rungen der letzten drei Jahrzehnte, insbesondere des Bolog-na-Prozesses und die Umstellung auf Steuerungsmodelle im Sinne des wettbewerbsorientierten ›New Public Manage-ment‹, Spuren hinterlassen. In der jüngsten Zeit sind weitere Diskurse hinzugekommen, wie etwa die Frage nach der Be-wältigung steigender studentischer Heterogenität, eine stär-ker internationale Ausrichtung, die Nutzung digitaler Lehr-/Lernmedien sowie die Erweiterung des Aufgabenspektrums von Hochschullehre im Kontext sich verändernder, gesell-schaftlicher Qualifikationserwartungen. Im Rahmen der Frühjahrstagung 2018 des Arbeitskreises Hochschulen in der Gesellschaft für Evaluation (DeGEval) an der FOM in Essen wurde erörtert, wie sich die Qualitätsmanagementsysteme angesichts dieser mannigfaltigen Herausforderungen weiter entwickeln müssen. Die in diesem Tagungsband versammel-ten Debatten unter dem Titel ›Systeme im Wandel‹ oszillierten um inhaltliche, organisatorische und institutionelle Anpas-sungen und Entwicklungen der Qualitätsmanagementsyste-me. Mitterauer, Pohlenz, Harris-Huemmert (Hrsg.) Systeme im Wandel

Akteure in Hochschulen, die sich mit Themen der Qualitätsentwicklung, der Lehrevaluation, der Hoc... more Akteure in Hochschulen, die sich mit Themen der Qualitätsentwicklung, der Lehrevaluation, der Hochschuldidaktik und weiteren konzeptionellen Aufgaben im Leistungsbereich Studium und Lehre befassen, wurden in der letzten Zeit unter dem Label "Third Space" beschrieben. Damit ist gemeint, dass sie zwischen der klassischen Verwaltung und dem Wissenschaftsbetrieb angesiedelt sind und dass ihr Aufgabenprofil dadurch gekennzeichnet ist, dass sie zwar durchaus wissenschaftlich arbeiten, aber keine Forschung im engeren Sinne durchführen.

Die Zuständigkeiten der verschiedenen Bereiche innerhalb des
Third Space sind vielfach voneinander getrennt. Dadurch entsteht
zumindest potenziell die Gefahr einer „Versäulung“ dieser
Arbeitsbereiche und einer Atomisierung ihrer Aktivitäten.
Durch eine produktive Nutzung von Schnittstellen kann sich
eine größere Wirksamkeit für das Ziel der Qualitätsentwicklung
entfalten, etwa dann, wenn verschiedene Akteure ihre
Kompetenzen für ein gemeinsames Entwicklungsziel einbringen
und dafür z.B. evaluationsmethodische und hochschuldidaktische
Kompetenzen für eine evidenzbasierte Planung von
Interventionen in der Weiterbildung zusammenbringen.
Dieser Band, welcher aus Beiträgen der Frühjahrstagung des
AK Hochschulen der DeGEval 2016 hervorgegangen ist,
beschäftigt sich mit Fragen zur Auswirkung der unterschiedlichen
institutionellen Verortung von Einrichtungen der
Qualitätsentwicklung in der Hochschule, und stellt dar, welche
Mechanismen für eine „Lost“ (uncoupled) oder „Found“
(coupled) Situation dieser Tätigkeiten in der Institution sorgen.

Evaluationen haben an Hochschulen im kontinentaleuropäischen Raum seit nunmehr fast 20 Jahren ein... more Evaluationen haben an Hochschulen im kontinentaleuropäischen Raum seit nunmehr fast 20 Jahren einen festen und in letzter Zeit selten hinterfragten Platz eingenommen. Neben der organisatorischen Verankerung von Evaluierungsstellen bzw. der Schaffung eigener Einrichtungen, die für Evaluationen in Studium, Lehre, Forschung und Verwaltung zuständig sind, hat sich ein breites Spektrum an unterschiedlichen Evaluationsmethoden und Evaluationsverfahren entwickelt. Viel Zeit und Aufwand wird in die Entwicklung und Durchführung von Evaluationsverfahren investiert. Demgegenüber steht wenig gesichertes Wissen über die positiven wie auch die negativen Effekte, die Evaluationen und das auf die Evaluation folgende Follow-Up auf die Organisation Hochschule, ihre Mitarbeiter und die Studierenden ausüben. In diesem Band, welcher aus Beiträgen auf der Frühjahrstagung des AK Hochschulen der DeGEval 2015 hervorgegangen ist, wird den folgenden Fragen nachgegangen:

In welcher Weise fließen die Evaluationsergebnisse in Planungen und Entscheidungen der Hochschulleitung ein?
Wie ist die Akzeptanz der Evaluation bei den evaluierten Einrichtungen und Personen? Wird Evaluation als aufgepfropfter Fremdkörper betrachtet, oder gehört sie bereits zum universitären Selbstverständnis?
Verbessern Evaluationen die Entscheidungen der unterschiedlichen Akteure? Führen sie zu einer Versachlichung der Diskussion?
Ersetzen Evaluationen eigene Entscheidungen der Leitungsorgane?
Wird durch Evaluation der Fokus auch auf Bereiche gelegt, die sonst in den Hochschulen nur selten angesprochen werden? (z.B. der gesellschaftlicher Auftrag von Hochschulen)

Im Zuge des demographischen Wandels wird mit einer Veränderung der sozialen Zusammensetzung der S... more Im Zuge des demographischen Wandels wird mit einer Veränderung der sozialen Zusammensetzung der Studierendenschaft gerechnet. Die Zahl der „traditionellen Studierenden“, also derjenigen, die auf dem Weg der allgemeinen Hochschulzugangsberechtigung ein Studium aufnehmen, geht langfristig zurück. Für die Hochschulen ergibt sich die Anforderung, eine höhere Sensibilität für die unterschiedlichen Lernziele, Lerndispositionen und Bildungshintergründe der Studierenden zu entwickeln und in der Gestaltung des Studiums sowie der Verfahren des Qualitätsmanagements umzusetzen. Der Band beschäftigt sich mit der operativen Gestaltung des Veränderungsprozesses, der im Zuge einer steigenden studentischen Heterogenität und Diversität verlaufen wird. Am Beispiel des Qualitätsmanagements in Studium und Lehre thematisieren die Beiträge Prozesse zur Weiterentwicklung von Verfahren in Richtung einer stärkeren Sensibilität für die Heterogenität der Studierenden.