Teaching quality in higher education: An introductory review on a process-oriented teaching-quality model

For improving the quality of teaching in higher education, besides the organisational focus or the result-oriented and momentary evaluations, attention can be paid to teachers and their 'teaching processes'. With this in mind, the information systems quality (ISQ) laboratory developed a process-oriented model that offered teachers a systematic and incremental way for superior teaching excellence. The model, which is termed teaching capability maturity model (T-CMM), is an application of total quality management and the software CMM/CMMI. However, unlike the CMM/CMMI, which is for organisations, the ISQ's T-CMM is designed for individual teachers. Due to its novelty and interdisciplinary nature, the model is reviewed introductorily and its applied concepts and design examined, as well as evaluated in comparison with existing teaching methods. In summarising the roles of the T-CMM in teaching quality management, its value has been highlighted, for serving as a portable quality profile for teachers in pursuing their individual teaching careers.