Quality management for mathematical information technology teaching at the Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius

The aim of the University of Jyvaskyla is to create a well functioning quality assurance system during 2008. In practice, this means that during that time we will need to devise a manner to develop our activities systematically, in yearly cycles, and in such a way that it covers all the necessary functions and is based on the unit´s own working habits. One of the most fundamental parts of this work in quality management is to describe university processes in such a way that each employee can conceptualize his/her area of work and see how it fits in the greater whole. Thus, a clear definition for responsibilities and quality control is required. Departmental quality manuals form an important part of a quality assurance system. On a departmental level, only the structure of the quality manual is considered. This enables quality control that takes into account the department´s own base and goals and conforms to the viewpoints that are conducive to the department´s work. Quality in contact teaching and adult education is the central starting point for the Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius. Quality management work done from this viewpoint is seen as very useful, but there are certain differences in the way that master´s level education in mathematical information technology has been arranged when compared with the way other units at the university and the university consortium realize education. The greatest of these differences concern how to combine web-based teaching and contact teaching and how to take into account matters related to work at the same time. Because the master´s level education in mathematical information technology has these peculiarities, it is advisable to pay attention to the quality system from different viewpoints in many cases. This paper focuses on work aimed at quality for education in exam-based circumstances in master´s level education for mathematical information technology at the Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius. The pap- - er also presents some basic issues in quality management nationwide and at the University of Jyvaskyla. In addition, some issues arisen during the preparation of the quality manual are commented from the viewpoint of mathematical information technology education at the Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius.