【Using evaluation to enhance the teaching quality of general education.】

This article discusses the development background of general education evaluation and the services provided by the Taiwan Assessment and Evaluation Association (Twaea) to ensure the quality of general education teaching. General education in Taiwan has gone through three developmental phases: the mandatory period, the pioneering period, and the prosperous period, with each phase closely related to the evaluation methods employed by the Ministry of Education. As a professional evaluation organization accredited by the Ministry of Education, the Taiwan Assessment and Evaluation Association launched the "Higher Education Teaching Quality Assurance Program" in 2017, aiming to assist universities in evaluating the quality of their general education, improving the educational environment, and enhancing students' competence and career development prospects.

The General Education Teaching Quality Assurance Program includes five evaluation aspects: educational goals and characteristics, curriculum planning and execution, faculty quality and teaching effectiveness, learning resources and support measures, and administrative organization and self-improvement mechanisms. Universities are required to set clear goals for general education, develop specific strategies, and assess students' general education competence accordingly. Additionally, universities should plan general education courses that meet students' personal growth and career development needs, and establish effective mechanisms for course planning, execution, review, and improvement. Faculty should possess expertise that aligns with the demands of general education, and their teaching content and methods should correspond to the university's general education objectives. Adequate learning resources should be provided, and multiple learning activities and counseling services should be established to enhance student interest and motivation for learning. Moreover, universities should set up specialized units responsible for general education, establish organizational regulations, ensure the normal functioning of administrative operations, and establish self-improvement mechanisms, which include collecting external feedback and devising improvement strategies related to administrative operations, regulations, curriculum planning, faculty teaching, and student learning quality of general education.

The goal of the General Education Teaching Quality Assurance Program is to ensure the quality and innovation of general education teaching and to cultivate students' abilities to meet future challenges. General education is not solely about cultivating specialized skills; it is also about fostering holistic competence to cope with the complexities of the future society. Through the efforts of the Taiwan Assessment and Evaluation Association, it is hoped that universities will be assisted in enhancing the quality of their general education, creating a high-quality educational environment, and improving students' competence and career prospects.

【Excerpt from the issue No. 02, 2020 of TWAEA’s ePaper】