1. A QualityDialogue-
From Inspection to
Inspiration
Ingeborg Bø,
Norway
European Foundation for Quality in E-learning
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2. A Quality Dialogue
To
From
Inspiration
Inspection
Ingeborg Bø
EDEN Senior Fellow, Norway
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3. I shallspeakabout:
Quality through dialogue
The context within which we are operating
Models for quality assurance
A case study from Norway
Thoughts at the end
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9. My golden learning
perspectivesafter 40 years
in distanceeducation:
alwayskeepthestudent´sneedsin mind
usetechnology to thebenefitoflearningand
make it accessible
ensurehighqualitythrough a qualityculture
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10. My referencepoints
NADE - Norwegian Association for Distance and
Flexible Education www.nade-nff.no
EDEN – European Distance and E-learning Network
http://www.eden-online.org
ICDE – International Council for Open and Distance
Education www.icde.org
EFQUEL – European Foundation for Quality in
E-learninghttp://www.qualityfoundation.org
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11. EuroeanFoundationforQuality in E-Learning
EFQUEL
http://www.qualityfoundation.org/
A membership organisation, 100 members
EFQUEL enhances
the quality of eLearning in Europe by
providing services for members
and support for all stakeholders
Networking: Innovation Forum 14 -16 Sept.2011, Oeiras,
Portugal
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14. Tony Bates and Albert Sangrà, 2011
http://batesandsangra.ca
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15. Qualityassurance and evaluation (Chapter 6)Bates and Sangrà
(2011)
Qualityassurancemethodsarevaluable for
accreditationagenciesconcernedaboutinstitutionsusinge-
learning to cut corners or reducecostswithoutmaintaining
standards.
Theycan be useful for providinginstructorsnew to
teachingwithtechnology, or strugglingwithitsuse, withmodelsof
best practice to follow.
However, the best guaranteesofquality in e-learningare a
commitment by theleadership to supportinginnovation in
teaching, instructorswelltrained in bothpedagogy and
theuseoftechnology for teaching, highlyqualified and
professionallearningtechnology support
staff, adequateresources
(especiallyregardinginstructor:studentratios), appropriatemetho
dsofworking (teamwork, projectmanagement), and
systematicevaluation.
Generally, the same standards thatapply to online
learningshouldalsoapply to face-to-faceteaching. 15
16. Recommendation9
(Bates and Sangrà)
Use standard methodsof program approval, review and
evaluation, slightlyadapted for
thespecialcircumstancesof online learning.
Ensurethatlearner support is provided in suitableways for
off-campus students.
Use a team approach, withinstructional designers and web
support staff, and best practice in online course
design, for hybrid and distancecourses.
Ensurethatthecourse design is adapted to
meettheneedsofoff-campuslearners.
Beginapplyingsomeofthesetechniques to there-designof
large face-to-faceclasses.
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17. ” I could never have accomplished my
Master’sdegreewithoutthepossiblity to study via e-
learning,” says Mona Berg
Jenssen, motherofthreechildren, rectorof 17
18. Congratulations to Marte
Baade
Netstudentoftheyear 2010
Norway!!
She is an active student at NKI, has
completed
threecourses in childcare, passed
exams and nowdoing her fourthcourse.
She is almost blind.
”She is an excellent student, ambitious,
structured in her studies and veryactive
in the Forum supporting and encouraging
her fellow students.”
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19. http://gfx.nrk.no/vewStzq0
dLU3qr-
PsB61HQ4kKgZbPvcLU
SAUW9o5pssw.jpg
The netteacher of the year 2010 Norway: Mathis Persen Bongo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5RgrxxQSoc
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20. TheSocial web
Facebook, twitter, linkdin, slideshare, openeducationalresources, openeducationalpracti
ses, usergeneratedcontent etc. etc.
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21. OECD-CERI
Qualityassurance in Tertiary Education:
CurrentPractises in OECD Countries.
Viktoria Kis, August 2005
www.oecd.org/edu/tertiary/review
Qualityassuranceprocedurescan serve two
major purposes:
improvement and accountability.
There is an uneasybalancebetweenboth
purposes, whichfrequentlyraisesthequestio
nofincompatibility (Vroeijenstijn, 1995a).
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22. A differentapproach to quality
Maria Jose Lemaitre. President in RIACES, Iberoamerican Network for QualityAssessment and
Assurance in Higher Education,
Doingthe same but better Innovate and improve
Improvement
Change: newissues,
newapproaches
Currentsituation
Innovation
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23. The Quality Dilemma
Lack of recognition of e-learning in many countries=
absence of standards
Lack of differentiation between quality standards in e-
learning and conventional education
Global versus contextualized standards
Difficulties in selecting appropriate quality approaches
Lack of research and exchange of practices in some regions
of the world
Dr. NarimaneHadj-Hamou
Assistant Chancellor for Academic Development. HBMEU, Dubai
President of the Middle East e-Learning Association
25. EuropeanUniversityAssociation (EUA)
Recommendations on
Quality - 2009
1. Contextsensitive –Agencies
2. Developmentalapproach 2. Allowrisktaking and
failure
3. Inclusive
3. Sharingexperiences in
4. Engagingall key actors QA
1. Partnership HEI
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26. ”ExaminingQualityCulture: Part 1 – Quality Assurance Processes
in Higher Education Institutions”
European University Association (EUA) PUBLICATIONS 2010
Quality assurance as a component of quality culture
“There needs to be a perceived value of quality assurance. Quality
culture and quality assurance are not the same thing. You can have
good QA in place but not necessarily a quality culture. The challenge
is linking the outcomes of QA to the development of a quality culture
that enhances the student experience.”
- Respondent to the survey
“Much of the quality is dependent on the informal nature of staff/student
relationships. The increasing calibration of quality indicators has led to
a concern that this relationship will become formalised and thus less
productive.” -
Respondent to the survey
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27. Quality assurance as a component of
quality culture (EUA)
“…quality culture refers to an organisational culture that
intends to enhance quality permanently and is
characterised by two distinct elements:
on the one hand, a cultural/psychological element of
shared values, beliefs, expectations and commitment
towards quality and,
on the other hand, a structural/ managerial element with
defined processes that enhance quality and aim at
coordinating individual efforts. “
(EUA 2006: 10)
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28. European FederationforQuality in E-learning
http://www.qualityfoundation.org
The Foundation (2005) undertakesactivities to:
contribute to thequalityofe-learning in Europe
and providesleadership in thisfield
promotethe European
diversityofqualityapproaches and services in
thefieldoflearning, education and training
broadenthediscussion and
discourseoneLearningquality
provide a single entrypoint for eLearningquality.
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29. The OPAL Vision
Unesco, ICDE, EFQUEL, Open Univeristy
UK, AaltoUniveristy, UniversidadeCatólicaPortugese, University Duisburg-Essen
Focusonthepractisesof OER
ratherthantheresources. Better understanding
willlead to improvements in thequalityof OER and
more innovation.
Open EducationalResourcePractise (OEP)
constitutethe range
ofpractisesaroundthecreation, use and
managementof OER withtheintent to
improvequality and innovative education.
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30. EFQUEL Innovation Forum
2010
Innovation Forum 2010
”What are
thequalityimplic
ations in an
increasingly
open context?”
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31. EFQUEL Innovation Forum 2010
Recommendations
”HOW CAN QUALITY APPROACHES EVOLVE AND ENHANCE
INCLUSION, INNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE"
Confidence
Leadership
culture
Policy support
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32. EFQUEL Innovation Forum 2011
CERTIFY THE FUTURE...?!
Accreditation, Certification and Internationalisation
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33. Models for
EUROPEAN DISTANCE AND E-LEARNING NETWORK
QualityA NETWORK AND MEETING PLACE FOR
THE OPEN, DISTANCE AND E-LEARNING COMMUNITY IN EUROPE
Assurance
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34. Different kinds ofcertification and
accreditationofe-learning
•Public accreditation. Regulatory
framework (European Network for Quality
Assurance, ENQUA)
•Certification of e-learning as part of
a broader system
(UNIQUE, EFMD-CEL)
•Certification within a system of
agreed association standards
(Commonwealth of Learning, EADTU
E-xcellence, NADE) 34
46. 1. Application
Formal process
Submission of Application Data Form:
Short questionnaire
Factual information
English
Allows preliminary formal assessment of the university’s quality in
comparison with the UNIQUE quality criteria
Two types of institutions: universities or independent institutions
within university (schools, faculties,…)
47. 2. Eligibility
Formal acceptance of application
Start of process for quality improvement & accreditation
UNIQUe supervising body
No guarantee
Introductory briefing session f2f/by phone
49. 4. Peer-Review
Pool of independent peer-reviewers: experts in
HE, eLearning, Quality, University Management
Teams of 3 experts / trained reviewers
Guidebook & tools (open questionnaires,...)
Review of SAR and questionnaire results from staff and
students & background info
Communicate list of persons they wish to interview & schedule
Preparatory meeting reviewers
Peer review visit (2-3 days): interviews with higher
management & other stakeholders (students, tutors,...)
Preliminary conclusions & feedback establish agreed upon
developments
REPORT Peer-review report incl. Steps for future development
Agreed upon developments – check after 1.5 years
Ratings
Recommendations
50. 5. Awarding Body Decision
Chair + 4 expert members
Final decision
Recommendations from the reviewers
Certification 3 years
(with reporting of progress at 1.5 years)
Candidate certification: 1 year improvement
Non certification: -> 3 years
51. 6. Continuous Improvement
Development RoR = Report on Results after 18 months
Based on the steps for improvement the Peer Review
Team had recommended
52. EUROPEAN DISTANCE AND E-LEARNING NETWORK
A case study from Norway
A NETWORK AND MEETING PLACE FOR
THE OPEN, DISTANCE AND E-LEARNING COMMUNITY IN EUROPE
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53. Norwegian Association for Distance and Flexible Education
NADE, a member organisation, founded in 1968
Formulated “Code of good practice for distance education”
Law regulating the activities from 1948 with an external
agency for quality control
New law 1993 introducing internal quality assurance
Quality guidelines developed in 1993
(Ljoså, Rekkedalet.al), revised several times, latest 2010
NADE´s standing committee on quality since 1993
NOKUT: National agency for quality assurance regulates
tertiary education according to ENQUA´s Guidelines
(ESG)
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54. Norwegian Association for Distance and Flexible Education
Quality guidelines
Regulated by law
Institutions accredited by the Ministry of
Education
Requires that the institutions have a system
for quality assurance
The responsibility for quality guidelines lies
with NADE
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55. NADE´sQuality guidelines 2011
A new structure with more focus on quality culture:
1. Quality management and quality work
2. Organisational issues
3. Course development
4. Information and counselling
5. Study-process (enrolment, administration and
information, tutors´ contract, tutoring, evaluation and
documentation)
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57. Thoughts at the end
Let us move from inspection to inspiration
and stimulate the development of a quality
culture
Encourage dialogue between accreditation
bodies and distance education
practitioners
Distance education must be accepted as
an integral part of the ordinary educational
system
Put more focusonquality in thesocial web
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58. My golden learning
perspectivesafter 40 years
in distanceeducation:
alwayskeepthestudent´sneedsin mind
usetechnology to thebenefitoflearningand
make it accessible
ensurehighqualitythrough a qualityculture
58