Introduction

This introductory chapter explains the origins of this book, its rationale and the editors’ aims in critically analysing the methods for the evaluation of teaching, learning and scholarship in higher education (HE). The core problem which we identiy for HE is similar to the performance evaluation issue faced by many public services; i.e. if service quality is a difficult concept to define, measuring public service quality is an even greater and potentially contentious challenge. In many countries, HE institutions and regulatory bodies have simply adopted commercial evaluation practices which we consider problematic when applied as metrics of performance and quality in HE institutions. This book aims to open a debate on this controversial area of measuring scholarly work through the lens of the latest theory and developments in service theory. The editors introduce the following chapters by the contributing authors to the book. These apply various service theory approaches in their critical analyses of the various measures, methodologies and applications of quality evalua-tion by universities, regulators and state authorities in many countries. Taken together these chapters provide an overview and assessment of the current issues regarding the quality of scholarship, research, teaching and learning in institutions at HE level.