9 - Indicators of Higher Education and the Public Good in Africa: A Dashboard Approach
Journal of Higher Education in Africa,
Vol. 20 No. 2 (2022): Journal of Higher Education in Africa: Special Issue on Conceptualising and Researching the Public Good Role of Universities in Africa
Abstract
Indicators and metrics have gained increasing prominence in international higher education in recent years, and global rankings have become a powerful force in shaping ideas of what the university is and should be. Yet these measures do a poor job of capturing the broad role of the institution, and particularly in recognising its actions in promoting the public good and addressing inequalities. African higher education institutions have struggled to perform well in the conventional rankings, whose indicators rely on extensive resources for high-level research. This article explores the possibilities of alternative metrics for understanding the public good contribution of universities in the context of four African countries: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. After assessing the shortcomings of the existing indicators and metrics, and the challenges of the availability of data, it puts forward a dashboard approach as a possible new model. Dashboards have the advantage of avoiding the conflation of diverse qualities of importance and allow different profiles of an institution to be compared. The article proposes six main elements for the dashboard: solidarity with society, equitable access and deliberative space (which correspond to the intrinsic notion of public good and graduate destinations, knowledge production and community engagement (which correspond to instrumental notions). Finally, the challenges of implementing public good metrics in practice are discussed.
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- ARWU, 2019, Academic Rankings of World Universities, ARWU, http://www.shanghairanking.com/ARWU-Methodology-2019.html
- Atherton, G., Dumangane, C., and Whitty, G., 2016, Charting Equity in Higher Education: Drawing the Global Access Map, New York: Pearson.
- Ball, S. J., 2012, Performativity, Commodification and Commitment: An I-Spy Guide to the Neoliberal University. British Journal of Educational Studies, Vol. 60, No. 1, pp. 17–28.
- Carnegie Classification, 2019, ‘Definitions and Methodology: Basic Classification Description’, The Carnegie Classification of Institutions, https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/classification_descriptions/basic.php
- Cloete, N., Bailey, T., Pillay, P. and Maassen, P., 2011, Universities and Economic development in Africa, Cape Town: CHET.
- Desrosieres, A., 2001, How ‘Real’ Are Statistics? Four Possible Attitudes, Social Research, Vol. 68, No. 2, pp. 339–355.
- Espeland, W. N., and Stevens, M. L., 2008, A Sociology of Quantification, Journal of Sociology, Vol. 49, No. 3, pp. 401–436.
- Hatton, T. J., and Bailey, R. E., 2001, Women’s Work in Census and Survey, 1911–1931, Economic History Review, Vol. 54, No. 1, pp. 87–107.
- Hazelkorn, E., 2011, Rankings and the Reshaping of Higher Education: The Battle for World ClassExcellence, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Hazelkorn, E., 2014, Rankings and the Construction of Knowledge in the Age of Austerity, in Assessment for Sustainable Transformation: Redefining Quality of Higher Education, Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan, pp. 25-48.
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- McCowan, T., 2019, Higher Education for and beyond the Sustainable Development Goals, London: Palgrave Macmillan.
- McMahon, W., 2009, Higher Learning, Greater Good, Baltimore, MA: Johns Hopkins University Press.
- OECD, 2017, Report on Benchmarking Higher Education System Performance: Conceptual Framework and Data (Enhancing Higher Education System Per- formance), OECD.
- Oketch, M., McCowan, T., and Schendel, R., 2014, The Impact of Tertiary Education on Development: A Rigorous Literature Review, Department of International Development.
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- Sawyerr, A., 2004, Challenges Facing African Universities: Selected Issues, African Studies Review, Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 1–59.
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- UNESCO Institute of Statistics, 2020, Education: Enrolment by Level of Education, http://data.uis.unesco.org/
- Unterhalter, E., 2018, Internationalisation, University Rankings and Some Perspectives on Equalities, Keynote Address to QS in The Conversation.
- Unterhalter, E., Allais, S., Howell, C., Adu-Yeboah, C., Fongwa, S., … Oketch, M., Posholi, L., and Selepe, C., 2019, Higher Education, Inequalities, and the Public Good: Perspectives From Four African Countries, Newton Fund, National Research Foundation and Economic and Social Research Council.
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- World Bank, 2016, Statistical Capacity Indicator, Washington, DC: World Bank.
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References
ARWU, 2019, Academic Rankings of World Universities, ARWU, http://www.shanghairanking.com/ARWU-Methodology-2019.html
Atherton, G., Dumangane, C., and Whitty, G., 2016, Charting Equity in Higher Education: Drawing the Global Access Map, New York: Pearson.
Ball, S. J., 2012, Performativity, Commodification and Commitment: An I-Spy Guide to the Neoliberal University. British Journal of Educational Studies, Vol. 60, No. 1, pp. 17–28.
Carnegie Classification, 2019, ‘Definitions and Methodology: Basic Classification Description’, The Carnegie Classification of Institutions, https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/classification_descriptions/basic.php
Cloete, N., Bailey, T., Pillay, P. and Maassen, P., 2011, Universities and Economic development in Africa, Cape Town: CHET.
Desrosieres, A., 2001, How ‘Real’ Are Statistics? Four Possible Attitudes, Social Research, Vol. 68, No. 2, pp. 339–355.
Espeland, W. N., and Stevens, M. L., 2008, A Sociology of Quantification, Journal of Sociology, Vol. 49, No. 3, pp. 401–436.
Hatton, T. J., and Bailey, R. E., 2001, Women’s Work in Census and Survey, 1911–1931, Economic History Review, Vol. 54, No. 1, pp. 87–107.
Hazelkorn, E., 2011, Rankings and the Reshaping of Higher Education: The Battle for World ClassExcellence, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Hazelkorn, E., 2014, Rankings and the Construction of Knowledge in the Age of Austerity, in Assessment for Sustainable Transformation: Redefining Quality of Higher Education, Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan, pp. 25-48.
Howell, C., 2003, Access and Participation for Students with Disabilities in South African Higher Education: Challenging Accepted Truth and Recognising New Possibilities. Perspectives in Higher Education, Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 59–74.
IAU WHED, 2021, The World Higher Education Database, International Association of Universities (IAU) World Higher Education Database (WHED). https://www.whed.net/home.php. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
IFS, 2021, English universities ranked on their contributions to social mobility – And the least selective post-1992 universities come on top. Institute for Fiscal Studies. https://ifs.org.uk/publications/15844
Kehm, B., 2016, Embracing and Rejecting Rankings: The German Case, in Yudkev- ich, M., Altbach, P. G. and Rumbley, L. E., eds, The Global Academic Rankings Game: Changing Institutional Policy, Practice, and Academic Life, New York: Routledge, pp. 79–96.
Locatelli, R., 2017, Education as a Public Good and Common Good: Revisiting the Role of the State in a Context of Growing Marketization, Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Bergamo.
Marginson, S., 2011, Higher Education and Public Good, Higher Education Quaterly, Vol. 65, No. 4, pp. 411–433.
Marginson, S., 2016, The Worldwide Trend to High Participation Higher Educa- tion: Dynamics of Social Stratification in Inclusive Systems, Higher Education, Vol. 72, pp. 413–434.
Marope, M., and Wells, P., 2013, University Rankings: The Many Sides of the Debate, in Rankings and Accountability in Higher Education: Uses and Misuses. UNESCO.
Marope, P. T. M., Wells, P. J. and Hazelkorn, E., 2013, Rankings and accountability in higher education: Uses and Misuses. UNESCO.
McCowan, T., 2016, Three Dimension of Equity of Access in Higher Education, Compare, Vol. 46, No. 4, pp. 645–665.
McCowan, T., 2019, Higher Education for and beyond the Sustainable Development Goals, London: Palgrave Macmillan.
McMahon, W., 2009, Higher Learning, Greater Good, Baltimore, MA: Johns Hopkins University Press.
OECD, 2017, Report on Benchmarking Higher Education System Performance: Conceptual Framework and Data (Enhancing Higher Education System Per- formance), OECD.
Oketch, M., McCowan, T., and Schendel, R., 2014, The Impact of Tertiary Education on Development: A Rigorous Literature Review, Department of International Development.
QS., 2019a, 2019 Academic Responses, QS Intelligence Unit, http://www.iu.qs.com/academic-survey-responses/
QS., 2019b, QS Top 50 Under 50 2020, Top Universities, https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings-articles/top-50-under-50-next-50-under-50/qs-top-50-under-50-2020
Salmi, J., and Salmi, K., 2017, Is the Brain Drain Always Negative? University World News, https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20170321102746248
Salmi, J., and Saroyan, A., 2007, ‘League Tables as Policy Instruments: Uses and Mis- uses’, Journal of Higher Education Management Policy, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 31–68.
Sawyerr, A., 2004, Challenges Facing African Universities: Selected Issues, African Studies Review, Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 1–59.
Sowter, B., 2013, Issues of Transparency and Applicability in Global University Rankings, in Rankings and Accountability in Higher Education: Uses and Misuses, UNESCO.
Teferra, D., 2017, Tempest in the Rankings Teapot – An African Perspective, University World News, https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20170905085216591
THE (Times Higher Education), 2019, THE World University Rankings 2020: Methodology, Timeshighereducation.Com, https://www.timeshighereducation. com/world-university-rankings/world-university-rankings-2020-methodology
Tremblay, K., Lalancette, D., and Roseveare, D., 2012, Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes: Feasibility Study Report, Volume 1 – Design and Implementation, OECD.
U-Multirank, 2019, U-Multirank’s Approach to University Rankings, U-Multirank.Org, https://www.umultirank.org/about/methodology/our-approach/
UNESCO Institute of Statistics, 2020, Education: Enrolment by Level of Education, http://data.uis.unesco.org/
Unterhalter, E., 2018, Internationalisation, University Rankings and Some Perspectives on Equalities, Keynote Address to QS in The Conversation.
Unterhalter, E., Allais, S., Howell, C., Adu-Yeboah, C., Fongwa, S., … Oketch, M., Posholi, L., and Selepe, C., 2019, Higher Education, Inequalities, and the Public Good: Perspectives From Four African Countries, Newton Fund, National Research Foundation and Economic and Social Research Council.
Unterhalter, E, Allais, S., Howell, C., McCowan, T., Morley, L., Oanda, I., and Oketch, M., 2017, Higher Education and the Public Good: Concepts, Challenges and Complexities in Africa [Working Paper for the Research Project ‘Higher Education and the Public Good in Four African Countries’].
Webometrics, 2019, Ranking Web of Universities: Methodology, Webometrics, http://www.webometrics.info/en/Methodology
World Bank, 2016, Statistical Capacity Indicator, Washington, DC: World Bank.
http://datatopics.worldbank.org/statisticalcapacity/SCIdashboard.aspx