A Total Quality Improvement Approach to Student Learning

Abstract

This paper describes a Quality Improvement Instructional Approach whose purpose is to improve the quality of undergraduate education by helping students realize their potential for learning in traditionally-taught university courses, and particularly those in the economics major. The innovation comes in combining three key elements of Total Quality Improvement - customer focus, student involvement, and continuous improvement - and applying them to university instruction. This paper concentrates on customer focus which refers to the knowledge and skills - proficiencies - that students are expected to demonstrate by the time they complete a course or graduate in the major. These proficiencies reflect what institutions teach and what the public (including employers) expects of new graduates. Particular attention is given to determining who are the customers of the economics major and the unique role of students as customers.