Oftentimes it is claimed that Central American higher education has generally been overburdened, and too focused on content and the use of traditional teaching methods. It has paid not enough attention to the key competences that people need to be successful as citizens, professionals, and decision-makers in the 21st century. It is argued that society and the world of work are changing rapidly and profoundly, and that the education offered in the region needs to change accordingly.
Quality assurance and accreditation of higher education can be an instrument for change, inspiring and supporting innovation in teaching-learning processes in the spirit of continuous improvement, or it can be a bureaucratic burden and a further obstacle for universities. What would be the key to achieve the former and avoiding the latter? What international lessons can be drawn from different parts of the world?
This virtual forum followed up on the HICA and CAN INNOVATE projects (a proposal by CSUCA and OBREAL Global for the Erasmus+ programme to develop learning innovation centres in CSUCA member universities). It aimed to exchange views on innovation in learning from different perspectives (from universities, national systems, quality agencies... from Central America and Europe) and explore opportunities for regional and international collaboration in this field.