Monologue-ing Chris

Here are some questionable questions in my study note of, The Micropolitics of Quality (pdf), an article I found just the other day, written by Louise Morley, Professor of Education, University of Sussex

In the economy of quality assurance, learning and (audited) organisations require a lifelong process of up-skilling or re-skilling. It is questionable what subject positions are available for academics when identity is constantly in flux and creativity is being replaced by productivity. This is part of what I mean by the psychic economy of quality assurance. Academia has deeply internalised the performance culture to such an extent that we now regulate and define ourselves in relation to dominant performance indicators.

Where is this 'academic-identity' prior to any quality assurance activities? Why is this 'collective unconsciousness of self-ness' in higher education now?

The danger is that performance and productivity rather than intellectualism are valued. Intellectual responsibility has been undermined and replaced by accountability – not to one's discipline, profession or sense of self-efficacy, but to external auditors. It appears that academics are now valued for the contribution that they make to their organisation’s performance, rather than to their professional or intellectual communities.

The 'good researcher' is discursively produced via performance indicators linked to audit. Regular academic publications are key indicators of activity.

Is quality assurance part of the managerialism that regarding academics are regarded as 'having no sense of what good is for the academia or their students' therefore those who are 'audit- or review-active' academics can speak louder than others? Is their 'productivity in audit/review activities' a token of being more intellectual or more dedicated to the academia or society?

In the interests of academic balance and fairness, I have tried to suggest that, like any regime of power, quality assurance has both creative and oppressive potential. [...] There are many qualitymongers out there who genuinely believe in the transformative potential of audit. For them, the auditing of teaching and learning has produced new entitlements and empowerment for students.

What are the effects/influences 'quality' and 'quality assurance' have brought to learning, in terms of students perceptions of learning for their good? What about academics being active in audit/review activities?


And my only-4-year-old laptop all in a sudden went haulted in gibberish...[ to be continued ]