Academic literature on the topic 'Quality assurance'

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Maryland, College Park, 2005.
Thesis research directed by: Computer Science. Title from t.p. of PDF. Includes bibliographical references. Published by UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, Mich. Also available in paper.

This study discusses the purpose, process and practice of quality assurance in transnational education (TNE) wherein institutions in one country award their degrees to students studying in another. This arrangement raises the issue of how the quality and standards of the degree programmes are assured so that they enable the programmes delivered in one country to be considered as being of a comparable quality and standard to those delivered in another. The study explores how the cross-national implementation of quality assurance is conducted and perceived by those engaged in it and the challenges such activity faces. Using data collected via structured interviews in Sri Lanka and the UK, the study examines the perceptions of participants in TNE collaboration. The analysis is undertaken within a conceptual framework developed from inter-firm relationship and supply chain management theories. The concept of “relational capital”, and its creation through socialisation activity, is proposed as a key factor in understanding TNE. A further body of literature is explored, that of inter-cultural communication and inter-cultural competence. The study contributes to the literature on TNE and internationalisation by identifying a tension between the financial drivers behind TNE and the resource intensive activities required to build relational capital. The findings are developed into a conceptual model for quality assurance in TNE, which can be used in the planning, management and evaluation of TNE and is designed to develop relational capital through the relational and inter-cultural competences of those engaged in such work. Through such a development, it is argued, quality assurance in TNE can move away from a process of enforced compliance with the prevailing quality assurance processes to one driven by a shared quality culture in which capacity building in the partner institutions of TNE can be achieved.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2006.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The current skills development legislation was enacted in order to implement structures and processes to transform skills development in South Africa. Major changes to the South African training and education sector have taken place as a result of the implementation of the National Skills development strategy or NSDS (1998). One of the objectives of the National Skills development strategy is the implementation of learnerships, a work-based route for learning and gaining qualifications. The achievement of this objective is based not only on the quantity of learnerships implemented but also on the quality of the learnership implementation. This study project begins with a brief survey of learnerships and their context in vocational education and training in South Africa. A further review is conducted which explores the concept of quality, quality dimensions and quality indicators, in vocational education and training (VET) in South Africa and internationally. The aim is to identify quality dimensions and relevant quality indicators for the quality assurance of learnership implementation. One of the main challenges facing the SETAS is delivering not only the quantity but the quality of learnerships as set by the NSDS objective. The Serviceseta is a typical example of a SETA faced with the task of developing a quality assurance instrument to comprehensively assure the quality of learnership implementation. The Serviceseta Quality Assurance instrument for learnership implementation is examined by comparing the quality indicators to those identified in vocational education and training internationally. The achievement of quality assurance in learnership implementation will contribute to the achievement of the NSDS which will in turn solve the country's skills problems.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die wetgewing vir vaardigheidsontwikkeling is vasgestel om strukture en prosesse te implementeer om vaardigheidsontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika te omskep. Groot veranderinge aan die Suid-Afrikaanse opleidings- en ontwikkelingsektor het plaasgevind as gevolg van die implementering van die Nasionale Vaardigheidsontwikkeling-strategie of NVS (1998). Een van die doelwitte van die Nasionale Vaardigheidsontwikkeling-strategie is die implementering van leerlingskappe, 'n werk-gebaseerde roete om te leer en om kwalifikasies te verwerf. Die sukses van hierdie doelwit is nie alleen gebaseer op die hoeveelheid leerlingskappe wat geimplimenteer word nie maar ook op die kwaliteit van die leerlingskap-implementering. Hierdie studieprojek begin met 'n kort oorsig van leerlingskappe en hul verband in beroepsopvoeding en opleiding in Suid-Afrika. 'n Verdere oorsig is uitgevoer wat die konsep van kwaliteit, kwaliteit dimensies en kwaliteit aanwysers in beroepsopvoeding en opleiding in Suid-Afrika en internasionaal ondersoek. Die doel is om kwaliteit dimensies en toepaslike kwaliteit aanwysers vir die kwaliteitsversekering van leerlingskap-implementering te identifiseer. Een van die hoof uitdagings van die SETAS is om nie net die hoeveelheid maar ook die kwaliteit van leerlingskappe soos deur die NVS doelwit bepaal, te lewer. Die Diens-seta is 'n tipiese voorbeeld van 'n SETA wat die taak in die gesig staar om 'n kwaliteit- versekeringsinstrument te ontwikkel ten einde die kwaliteit van leierskapimplementering omvattend te verseker. Die Diens-seta Kwaliteit-versekeringsinstrument vir die implementering van leierskap word ondersoek deur die kwaliteit aanwysers te vergelyk met dit wat internasionaal in beroepsopvoeding en opleiding geidentifiseer word. Die bereiking van kwaliteitsversekering in die implementering van leerlingskappe sal bydra tot die bereiking van die NVS wat op sy beurt die land se vaardigheidsprobleme sal oplos.

La terapia de hadrones es actualmente una realidad médica en oncología de radiación y una técnica probada en la lucha contra el cáncer. Hoy en día, el uso de la terapia de hadrones está ampliamente extendido en el tratamiento de pacientes con tumores profundos, no operables o resistentes a la radioterapia, debido a la ventaja de administrar una alta dosis de radiación con respecto al volumen del tumor. De esta forma se obtiene un mejor del control y protección del tejido circundante comparado con la radioterapia tradicional basada en haz de fotones. A pesar de que solo 35 centros médicos están actualmente tratando a pacientes de cáncer, la terapia de hadrones sigue considerada como una técnica medica emergente. Uno de sus retos permanentes consiste en la verificación de la dosis administrada al paciente ya que las propiedades físicas de los hadrones hacen que la terapia sea efectiva solo si se administra con precisión estrictamente al volumen del tumor. El control de calidad se consigue mediante la utilización de novedosas técnicas de diagnóstico por medio de detectores de radicación similares a los desarrollados para experimentos de física de partículas que ya se vienen utilizando en la producción de imágenes médicas. Las radiografías de protones se usan no solo para verificar el estado del paciente previo a los tratamientos de radioterapia, utilizando haces de protones de alta energía y baja intensidad, así como para obtener información necesaria para calcular de forma precisa el nivel de radiación de hadrones en los tejidos del paciente. Los cálculos de nivel de radiación se hacen hoy en día por medio de datos CT de rayos X, que se caracterizan por tener poco precisión. Durante la irradiación con haz terapéutico, la activación de los tejidos del paciente causados por interacciones nucleares con el haz de hadrones se puede visualizar por medio de detectores PET, haciendo posible representar en el momento la dosis administrada solo unos minutos después. En este contexto, esta Tesis presenta un estudio amplio sobre detectores de radiación novedosos que han sido desarrollados para asegurar la calidad en terapia de hadrones clínica. Tres diferentes soluciones se describen a continuación, un aparato de radiografía de protones y dos detectores cuya tecnología se utiliza para saber en el momento la dosis administrada durante el plan de tratamiento. En el caso de la radiografía en el rango de protones (PRR), se ha desarrollado un nuevo instrumento llamado PRR10, que tiene un área activa de 10 x 10 cm2 cubriendo un rango residual de 10 cm de longitud de tramo en equivalente de agua (WEPL). El PRR10 ha sido testeado ampliamente con haz de protones en el Instituto Paul Scherrer (PSI) en Villagen, Suiza y en el Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica (CNAO) en Pavia, Italia. Se han tomado medidas con una resolución de rango residual de 1.6 mm WEPL así como una resolución espacial inferior a 1 mm. El PRR10 esta instalado actualmente en el CNAO a la espera de nuevos test mientras un nuevo instrumento, el PRR30 que tiene un área activa de 30 x 30 cm2 está llegando a su última etapa de desarrollo. El PRR30 permitirá imágenes PRR a tamaño completo y está previsto que se empiece a testar con haz de protones en el PSI y el CNAO hacia finales de 2013. Para realizar dosimetría en vivo, se ha procedido al estudio de dos tecnologías PET diferentes. La primera está basada en escintiladores orgánicos (cristales) acoplados a un foto-detector, con muchas similitudes con respecto a aparatos PET convencionales de medicina nuclear. El diseño del detector PET de cristales sigue las tendencias actuales en investigación PET para obtener la medida de la profundidad de interacción (depth-of-interaction, DOI) así como el tiempo de vuelo (time-of-flight TOF) entre protones concurrentes. Ambas técnicas suponen una mayor sensibilidad efectiva y una mejora en la eliminación de ruido y por tanto en la calidad de las imágenes PET. Dos prototipos han sido construidos y testados, usando cristales LYSO de 12 x 60 x 30 cm3 y foto detectores de multi-ánodo y placa multi-canal (MPC). De esta forma se ha demostrado la excelente localización de la interacción de fotones, 1.2 mm en dirección transversal y 15 mm en DOI, con una resolución de energía de 13% FWHM. La resolución de concurrencia de TOF medida es de 810 ps. La segunda tecnología PET estudiada hace uso de las cámaras de placa resistiva multi-hueco (multi-gap Resistive Plate Chambers, MRPCs) que se utilizan raramente en PET debido a su baja eficacia de detección a gammas de 511 KeV. Los módulos compactos MRPC han sido construidos y testados, y tienen una área activa de 7 x 10 cm2 y 12 x 390 cm2. El diseño y el procedimiento de ensamblaje es apto para producción a gran escala, un requerimiento necesario para contrarrestar su baja eficacia. Módulos MRCP de 4 huecos de 7 x 10 cm2 han sido sometidos a test y muestran un eficacia de 0.66 a 0.01 % a gammas de 511 KeV. Además, se han obtenido tiempos entre lecturas de fin de franja en ambos lados del módulo de 38 ps., suficiente para permitir una localización de interacción de 3.5 mm. La resolución del detector simple TOF entre dos RPCs de hueco único y dos MRPCs de 4 huecos es de 310 ps y 370 ps respectivamente, con una poco esperada resolución de coincidencia de 150 ps. Para complementar los resultados experimentales obtenidos, se han efectuado simulaciones Monte-Carlo usando la herramienta GATE en escáneres PET como el LYSO-MCP y MRCP. También han sido incluidos en el estudio dos detectores comerciales como el Gemini de Philips y el HiRez de Siemens. El escáner de anillo completo LYSO-MCP ha demostrado tener un 57 % más de sensibilidad que el Gemini a 70 cm en línea de la fuente, como consecuencia del aumento de profundidad (30 mm) de los cristales LYSO utilizados en su diseño. Un escáner MRPC-PET, después de la optimización de sus parámetros de sensibilidad muestra un factor 2.5 en sensibilidad con respecto al Gemini. Aunque los recursos en términos de desarrollo para construir un escáner MRPC-PET son considerables, la ganancia en sensibilidad con respecto a los escáneres comerciales de hoy en día, unido a las excelentes resoluciones TOF, hacen de esta tecnología una interesante alternativa a los cristales, tanto para control de calidad de terapia de hadrones como para imágenes PET de cuerpo entero.
Hadrontherapy is currently a clinical reality in radiation oncology and a proven technique in the fight against cancer. In the world today, hadrontherapy is being more and more widely employed for treating patients with non-operable deep-seated or radio-resistant tumours because of its advantage in delivering a highly conformal dose to the tumour volume. This offers an increased likelihood of tumor control and a better sparing of healthy surrounding tissue as compared with traditional radiotherapy which use photon beams. Despite the fact that 35 centers are currently treating patients, hadrontherapy is still considered to be an emerging clinical technique. One of the persisting challenges to hadrontherapy is the verification of the dose delivered to the patient since the physical properties of hadrons are only beneficial for therapy if they can be delivered precisely to the tumour volume. Quality assurance can be achieved using novel diagnostic techniques which make use of radiation detectors similar to those developed for high-energy physics experiments and already used in medical imaging. Proton radiography can be used to verify the patient setup prior to irradiation, using a diagnostic proton beam of higher energy and lower intensity, but can also provide directly the information needed for accurately computing the range of hadrons in the patient tissues. Range calculations currently rely on X-ray CT data, and are characterized by a small but non-negligible uncertainty. During irradiation with the therapeutic beam, the activation of the patient tissues caused by nuclear interactions with the hadron beam can be visualized by PET detectors, making it possible to perform in-vivo dosimetry during irradiation and in the minutes immediately following. In this context, this thesis presents an expansive study of novel radiation detectors which have been developed for quality assurance in clinical hadrontherapy. Three distinct detector solutions are described, a proton radiography instrument and two detectors technologies which could be used for performing in-vivo dosimetry of the delivered treatment plan. In the case of proton range radiography (PRR), a novel instrument called the PRR10 has been built having 10x10 cm2 active area and covering a residual range of 10 cm water-equivalent path length (WEPL). The PRR10 has been extensively tested with proton beams at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Villagen, Switzerland and at the Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica (CNAO) in Pavia, Italy. A residual range resolution of 1.6 mm WEPL has been measured as well as a spatial resolution better than 1 mm. The PRR10 currently sits at the CNAO center awaiting further testing while a new instrument, the PRR30, which has an active area of 30x30 cm2, is reaching a final stage of completion. The PRR30 will allow full-size PRR images to be made and is scheduled for testing with proton beams at PSI and the CNAO by the end of 2013. To perform in-vivo dosimetry, two different PET technologies have been studied. The first is based on inorganic scintillators (crystals) coupled to a photodetector, having many similarities to conventional PET hardware for nuclear medicine. The design for a unit PET detector based on crystal follows the trends in current PET research allowing for the depth-of-interaction (DOI) to be measured as well as the time-of-flight (TOF) between the coincidence photons. Both techniques result in a higher effective sensitivity and a better rejection of noise, and therefore higher quality PET images. Two prototypes have been assembled and tested, built using 12x60x30 cm3 LYSO crystals and a multi-anode Multi-Channel Plate (MCP) photodetector. An excellent localization of the photon interaction, 1.2 mm in the transverse direction and 15 mm in DOI, have been demonstrated with an energy resolution of 13% FWHM. The coincidence TOF resolution has been measured as 810 ps. The second PET technology we have studied makes use of multi-gap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPCs), which are highly unusual in PET because of their low detection efficiency to 511 keV gammas. Compact MRPC modules have been built and tested, having 7x10 cm2 and 12x30 cm2 active area. The design and assembly procedure has been shown to be suitable for mass-production, a requirement for overcoming the intrinsic low efficiency. A 4-gap 7x10 cm2 MRPC module has been tested and shown to have an efficiency of (0.66 0.01)% to 511 keV gammas. In addition, the timing between ends of the strip readout at either side of the module has been measured as 3.8 ps, enough to allow an interaction localization of 3.5 mm. The single-detector TOF resolution between two single-gap RPCs and two 4-gap MRPCs has been measured as 310 ps and 370 ps, respectively with a coincidence resolution of 150 ps expected shortly. To compliment the experimental results, Monte-Carlo simulations of both LYSO-MCP and MRPC-based PET scanners have been carried out using the GATE toolkit. Two commercial detectors, the Philips Gemini and Siemens HiRez, have also been included in the study as a benchmark for the results. The full-ring LYSO-MCP scanner has been shown to have a 57% higher sensitivity than the Gemini to a 70 cm long line source, a consequence of the increased depth (30 mm) of the LYSO crystals used in our design. An MRPC-PET scanner, after performing a sensitivity optimization of various parameters, has been shown to be a factor of 2.5 higher than the Gemini. Although considerable development will be required to build such a MRPC-PET scanner, the gains in sensitivity over existing commercial scanners, coupled with their excellent TOF resolutions, make this technology an exciting alternative to crystals, whether for hadrontherapy quality assurance, or whole-body PET imaging.

This thesis is a study of the theory of quality assurance in fire safety engineering. The aims are to examine the implication of the general concepts of quality and quality assurance in the context of fire safety engineering, to investigate the causes and effects of the development of quality assurance in fire safety engineering firms, and to identify the factors that affect the effectiveness of the quality systems in these firms. Research was carried out on four major perspectives: (1) quality definition of fire safety systems in buildings (2) quality assurance in fire safety engineering projects, (3) quality assurance in fire safety engineering firms, (4) the macro quality assurance system in fire protection industry. A model for defining quality of fire safety systems in buildings is described. Features of quality assurance in fire safety engineering are identified. A systematic approach for assuring quality in fire safety engineering projects is proposed, which consists of total system quality planning, sub-system quality planning, and quality management systems in fire safety engineering firms. The investigation found that the driving forces for fire safety engineering firms to adopt quality assurance come from client's need, market competition, development of certification schemes, and the business development strategy of the company. Research data suggests that fire safety engineering firms have gained benefits through the implementation of quality assurance. However, the effectiveness of quality systems is affected by a number of factors both internal and external.

Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Organisational culture and external quality assurance in higher education have both drawn significant attention to their promise of greater organisational effectiveness and efficiency and enhanced, improved higher education respectively. In recent years, these constructs have been linked by an assumption that an organisational culture that is amenable to change would be more receptive to the introduction of formal external quality‐assurance structures, systems and instruments, as these are aimed at effective and efficient higher education practices, processes and outcomes. However, this assumption has not been sufficiently tested given that there are significant philosophical, conceptual and methodological controversies and contestations surrounding both constructs. While the organisational culture literature has been littered with a proliferation of paradigms and, albeit, fragmented theories, there has been a paucity of theory building in the corresponding literature on quality in higher education in general and on the impact of external quality assurance on institutions specifically. A qualitative case study was conducted at a newly merged university of technology to investigate two taken‐for‐granted assumptions: first, that organisational cultures are homogenous, unitary and centred around shared values and could therefore easily be manipulated (usually from the top by management), and second, that the introduction of external quality assurance is an unproblematic technology that will be accepted without question by higher education institutions as it was premised upon the laudable aim of improving the quality of those institutions. A conceptual four‐perspective framework was developed to critically evaluate the literature and provide the basis for the threedimensional model used in analysing the findings. The research generated several key conclusions that appear to challenge commonly held and articulated positions with regard to organisational culture and external quality assurance. First, organisational culture should be considered as being more ephemeral than concrete, multidimensional than singular, characterised simultaneously by conflict, consensus and indifference and in a constant state of flux. Second, external quality assurance is not necessarily a value‐free and neutral exercise aimed at improving the quality of teaching and learning, as promised in its early conceptualisation and implementation. Third, multiple cultures may exist simultaneously, interact with and influence each other constantly and of course determine interactions within the organisation and the nature of engagement with externally originated initiatives. Fourth, external quality assurance has purposes that go beyond its often morally just and public‐good motives as it tacitly and overtly acts as an agent of control, empowerment and transformation and simultaneously as an agent of the state, though not necessarily to the same extent.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Organisatoriese kultuur en eksterne gehalteversekering in hoër onderwys het albei die aandag in groot mate gevestig op hulle belofte van groter organisatoriese doeltreffendheid en doelmatigheid en gevorderde, verbeterde hoër onderwys onderskeidelik. In die afgelope paar jaar is hierdie konstrukte byeengebring deur ʼn veronderstelling dat ʼn organisatoriese kultuur wat vatbaar is vir verandering, meer ontvanklik sal wees vir die invoer van formele eksterne strukture, stelsels en instrumente vir gehalteversekering, aangesien dit op doeltreffende en doelmatige praktyke, prosesse en uitkomste vir en van hoër onderwys gerig is. Hierdie aanname is egter nie voldoende getoets nie gegee die feit dat daar aansienlike filosofiese, konseptuele en metodologiese strydvrae en twispunte ten opsigte van albei konstrukte bestaan. Terwyl literatuur oor organisatoriese kultuur deur ʼn magdom paradigmas en weliswaar gefragmenteerde teorieë oorweldig is, was teoriebou in die ooreenstemmende literatuur oor gehalte in hoër onderwys in die algemeen en oor die impak van eksterne gehalteversekering op instellings in die besonder redelik skaars. ʼn Kwalitatiewe gevallestudie is onderneem by ʼn universiteit van tegnologie wat onlangs saamgesmelt het om twee aannames wat as vanselfsprekend aanvaar is, te ondersoek: eerstens, dat organisatoriese kulture homogeen, unitêr en óm gedeelde waardes gesentreer is en dat dit dus maklik gemanipuleer kan word (gewoonlik van bo af deur die bestuur), en tweedens, dat die invoer van eksterne gehalteversekering ʼn onproblematiese tegnologie is wat sonder teenspraak deur hoëronderwysinstellings aanvaar sal word, aangesien dit op die prysenswaardige oogmerk van verbetering van die gehalte van daardie instellings gegrond is. ʼn Konseptuele raamwerk bestaande uit vier perspektiewe is ontwikkel vir die kritiese evaluering van die literatuur en dit verskaf die grondslag vir die driedimensionele model wat vir die analise van die bevindings gebruik is. Die navorsing het verskeie belangrike gevolgtrekkings na vore laat kom wat algemeen geldende en duidelik bepaalde posisies ten opsigte van organisatoriese kultuur en eksterne gehalteversekering blyk uit te daag. Eerstens moet organisatoriese kultuur beskou word as efemeries eerder as konkreet, multidimensioneel eerder as enkelvoudig, terwyl dit gelyktydig deur konflik, konsensus en onverskilligheid gekenmerk word en in ʼn gedurige toestand van wisseling verkeer. Tweedens is eksterne gehalteversekering nie noodwendig, soos in die vroeë konseptualisering en implementering belowe, ʼn waardevrye en neutrale oefening gemik op verbetering van die gehalte van onderrig en leer nie. Derdens kan veelvuldige kulture gelyktydig bestaan, met mekaar in interaksie tree en mekaar voortdurend beïnvloed en natuurlik interaksies binne die organisasie en die aard van betrokkenheid by inisiatiewe wat ekstern ontstaan, bepaal. Vierdens het eksterne gehalteversekering oogmerke wat veel verder strek as die motiewe daarvan wat dikwels moreel geregverdig en vir die openbare beswil is aangesien dit stilswyend en op overte wyse optree as ʼn agent vir beheer, bemagtiging en transformasie en tegelyk as ʼn agent van die regering, alhoewel nie noodwendig tot dieselfde mate nie.

The radiotherapy clinics in Sweden have been without a functioning national platform consisting of dose data from patients undergoing radiotherapy. A national collaboration between clinics will improve the quality of radiotherapy since clinics will be able to compare dose data from treatment plans between clinics. It will also help and improve future researches in radiotherapy. A new national quality registry for radiotherapy in Sweden is under development and is located on the INCA platform. The aim of this study is to do a quality assurance of the INCA registry. The data stored in the registry are calculated from the treatment plans stored locally at the clinics. The quality assurance of the registry is done by creating a program run by Python code and by using Streamlit as the graphical user interface. The program takes dose and volume data from the dose volume histograms located in treatment plans from the INCA database and compares it with the dose and volume data from the local clinics' treatment planning system. The different treatment planning systems considered in the program are Oncentra(Elekta, Sweden), Eclipse(Varian, U.S.), RayStation(RaySearch Laboratories, Sweden) and Monaco(Electa, Sweden). The compared absorbed doses are the dose to 99% of the structure volume(D99%), D98%, D50%, D2% and D1%. The program generates how much the INCA data differs from the TPS data in percent and is named QARS(Quality Assurance of the Radiotherapy Database in Sweden). A verification of the created program and a preliminary evaluation is done on a limited dataset containing three patient groups(prostate patients, lung patients and head and neck patients) with five patients in each group. The dataset is run through the program with patient data from both Oncentra and Eclipse. The result indicates that all the near-maximum doses, D2% and D1% in INCA are very close to their corresponding TPS dose. There is a more noticeable difference in the near-minimum doses, D99% and D98% but also for some D50% where the difference seems to increase in larger structure volumes with very low doses and in very small structure volumes, smaller than 0.01 cm3. It is compared how well INCA agrees with Oncentra and Eclipse respectively and it is clear that Eclipse has a smaller difference to INCA than Oncentra for structures with very small volumes and larger structures with low doses. To summarise the study, it generates a program for quality assurance of the national quality registry for radiotherapy in Sweden which hopefully can help improve the quality of radiotherapy and help future researches in the field.