  The problem motivating the paper is the quantification of students'
preferences regarding teaching/coursework quality, under certain numerical
restrictions, in order to build a model for identifying, assessing and
monitoring the major components of the overall academic quality. After
reviewing the strengths and limitations of conjoint analysis and of the random
coefficient regression model used in similar problems in the past, we propose a
Bayesian beta regression model with a Dirichlet prior on the model
coefficients. This approach not only allows for the incorporation of
informative prior when it is available but also provides user friendly
interfaces and direct probability interpretations for all quantities.
Furthermore, it is a natural way to implement the usual constraints for the
model weights/coefficients. This model was applied to data collected in 2009
and 2013 from undergraduate students in Panteion University, Athens, Greece and
besides the construction of an instrument for the assessment and monitoring of
teaching quality, it gave some input for a preliminary discussion on the
association of the differences in students preferences between the two time
periods with the current Greek economic and financial crisis.
