Quality Assurance in eLearning

Denise Kirkpatrick

Pro Vice-Chancellor

The Open University, UK

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• International learning innovators for 40 years• We provide the complete online educational experience• We are the UK’s “effective leaders” in research & learning• 1000 academics; not one lecturer• 8000 tutors/mentors• 2 000 000 graduates• 200 000 enrolled students• International reputation for quality• International research impact

The Open University

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Academic standards & quality

• Internal and external QA– External quality audit & accreditation (QA agencies,

professional and statutory bodies)– Internal QA processes

Importance of quality• Should QA for elearning be any different from QA for

face-to-face (or distance) learning?• Are our questions different?

Quality as ‘fitness for purpose’

• Looking for evidence of– Systematic evaluation processes – monitoring &

reviewing performance, identifying quality outcomes & recommending improvement

– Reflective self evaluation– How do we know that what we do is effective?– Response & improvement

‘Flexible and distributed learning’

• A student’s place of study is not physically located with the institution (the awarding institution) whose academic award is being sought

• A student’s programme of study is not necessarily delivered directly by the awarding institution

• A student is not necessarily directly supported by staff of the awarding institution

• A student is not routinely working with other students• Do not necessarily require assessment of a student’s

achievement to take place at the location of the awarding institution

QAA

Institutions should ensure

• The reliability of the delivery system• Contingency plans in the event of the failure of the

designed modes of delivery• The delivery system is fit for its purpose, and has an

appropriate availability and life expectancy• The delivery of any study materials direct to students is

secure and reliable, and there is means of confirming its safe receipt

Institutions should ensure…#2

• That prospective students receive a clear and realistic explanation of the expectations placed upon them for study of the programme

• The nature and extent of autonomous, collaborative and supported aspects of learning is communicated to students

Institutions should ensure…#3

• Staff who provide support to learners have appropriate skills, and receive appropriate training and development

• Support for learners meets specified expectations of the awarding institution for the quality of learner support for a programme of study leading to one of its awards

Institutions should ensure…#4

• That a student’s assessed work is properly attributed to them, particularly in cases where the assessment is conducted through remote methods

• It is capable of confirming that a student’s assessed work is the original work of that student only

• That any mechanisms, such as web-based methods […] for the transfer of their work directly to assessors, are secure & reliable, and that there is a means of proving or confirming the safe receipt of their work

eLearning

• Can mean many things• Context is important• Completely online vs blended• Centrally managed & coordinated vs independent &

autonomously developed & managed

• ++ Provides a record of learning interaction and engagement

Aspirations…• Shared understanding of key issues• Support different approaches that recognise context• Shared/standard language and vocabulary• Integrated approach rather than multiple and separate

approaches