ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING OUTCOMES AT DOCTORAL LEVEL: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PHD PROGRAMME IN EUROPEANSTUDIES AT IVANE JAVAKHISHVILI TBILISI STATE UNIVERSITY

Abstract

The article aims at contributing to the discourse related to the quality assurance in higher education
institutions at the third cycle of education via highlighting the developments related to the elaboration of
the assessment mechanism of learning outcomes at the Doctoral level in European Studies programme
at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU). An accreditation /reaccreditation pressures -including
the great scrutiny of learning outcomes by accreditors -as an external driving force aimed at, , influencing
the enhanced use of the assessment results for the continuous improvements of the programme and the
involved stakeholders’ success levels, are duly emphasized. While the Įrst part outlines the programme
assessment as a broader process imposed and guided mostly through existing regulatory framework, the
second part is dedicated to the reŇections around the tools and strategies of assessment of clearly articulated learning outcomes of the programme which are aligned with the outcomes of the proposed courses
and other components of the programme. This latter part stands as a unique case study based on the
generalized data generated and aggregated at the Institute for European Studies of TSU during past five years of implementation of a Doctoral programme in European Studies.