The Quest for Quality Quality Assurance of ELearning Programs and Courses

1
The Quest for QualityQuality Assurance of
E-Learning Programs and Courses

• E-Learning in Post-Secondary EducationOECD/
  Canada/ Alberta Conference, June 2005
• Dr. Ulf-Daniel Ehlers, University of
  Duisburg-Essen, European Foundation for Quality
  in E-Learning

2
The Difficulty of Quality Development
Quality and love have a lot in common everybody
is talking about it and is convinced to know
what it is. Everyone perceives its absence as
painful, and there is no common definition. And
just like love quality is transient and can only
be achieved through continuous efforts and care.
(Klaus Landfried, President of the German
Rectors Conference)
3
Think about it

• How do you find
• your individual strategy,
• suitable criteria,
• a fitting policy or
• manageable evaluation approaches?

4
Diversity of Objectives for Quality Development
Market Share
Organizations Success
Return on Investment
Customer Satisfaction
Process Optimization
Strategic Impact
Flexibility
Productivity
Learning Culture
Learner Satisfaction
Personality Development
Media Quality
Accessibility
Method Mix
Individualization/Personalization
Availability
Interoperability
Ergonomics
5
Quality in Education
Different Processes/ Levels (Input, Process,
Outcomes, etc.)
Different Actors (Learners, Professionals,
Institutional Actors, Government) have different
Intentions, Goals, are in different Situations
Different meanings/ understandings product
oriented, user related, manufacture based, etc.
(Harvey/Green 2000)? Quality in Learning as
Co-Production ?
6
Diversity of Quality Approaches
7
Overview Quality Strategies for E-Learning
Further Method-Mix, Competency-oriented, etc.
8
Quality in European E-Learning

• Quality through E-Learning
• Organisational Change, Empowerment, Access to
  Education, Participation in the Information
  Society, Improving Digital Literacy

Quality for E-Learning Quality Strategies and
Approaches, Improving the E-Learning Provision
Lernqualitaet.de
9
Sneak Preview for Discussion

• Quality as transversal key issue/ process, not an
  add-on
• Quality development involves all disciplines and
  all stakeholders
• Quality Development is an ongoing negotiation
  process
• Only through participation and negotiation the
  balance between divergent requirements, cultures
  and perspectives can be reached
• Quality strategies are the medium not the
  message
• Quality in e-learning is about professionalisation
  , good practices and performance
• Quality Frameworks/ Approaches are a necessary
  but not a sufficient condition for e-learning
  quality
• Quality in e-learning means learning transformed
  and enhanced with the integration of technology
  where e means
• empowered, enabled, engaged, enlightened,
  emotional, enthusiastic

10
Sign up for quality http//www.qualityfoundation.
org

• Contact
• Dr. Ulf-Daniel Ehlers
• University of Duisburg-Essen
• ulf.ehlers_at_icb.uni-essen.de

Supported by the European Commission