The problem with the outcomes view is that the program's contribution to the success of graduates, for example, is not isolated. It is assumed that if the graduate is a success, the program is a success. The focus of the value-added view is on what a student has learned while enrolled. In turn, programs are judged on how much they add to a student's knowledge and personal development. The difficulty with this view of quality is how to isolate that contribution.
Most institutions assess quality by adopting aspects of all four views.
The assumption is that quality has multiple dimensions and, in turn, that multiple indicators should be used for its assessment. A large number of quantitative and qualitative indicators have been suggested for making such assessments. Perhaps the most significant issue relating to program review is the effect of the considerable activity at all levels of higher education. The assessment of impact requires that attention be given to the longer-term effects of decisions that are made, that is, whether a program is stronger, more efficient, or of higher quality. The major criterion to use in assessing impact is whether an evaluation makes a system function better.