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A Quality Dialogue-From Inspection to

Inspiration

Ingeborg Bø, Norway

European Foundation for Quality in E-learning

International Seminar on Higher Education Rankings and e-learning

The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona22 – 23 September 2011

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A Quality Dialogue

Inspection

InspirationFrom

To

Ingeborg BøEDEN Senior Fellow, Norway

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I shall speak about:

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Norway

Sweden

Finland

Denmark

http://www.youtube.com/visitnorway#p/u/38/Jz_fo5-wfUk

Scotland

Iceland

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Klikk ikonet for å legge til bilde

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My golden learning perspectives- after 40 years

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My golden learning perspectives after 40 years in distance education:

always keep the student´s needs in mind

use technology to the benefit of learning and make it accessible

ensure high quality through a quality culture

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My reference points

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-learning http://www.qualityfoundation.org

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Euroean Foundation for Quality in E-Learning EFQUEL

http://www.qualityfoundation.org/

A membership organisation, 100 membersEFQUEL enhances the quality of eLearning in Europe by

providing services for membersand support for all stakeholders

Networking: Innovation Forum 14 -16 Sept.2011, Oeiras, Portugal

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Theme for this seminar:

Higher Education Rankings

and e-learning

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Have fun

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Tony Bates and Albert Sangrà, 2011http://batesandsangra.ca

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Quality assurance and evaluation (Chapter 6)Bates and Sangrà (2011)

Quality assurance methods are valuable for accreditation agencies concerned about institutions using e-learning to cut corners or reduce costs without maintaining standards.

They can be useful for providing instructors new to teaching with technology, or struggling with its use, with models of best practice to follow.

However, the best guarantees of quality in e-learning are a commitment by the leadership to supporting innovation in teaching, instructors well trained in both pedagogy and the use of technology for teaching, highly qualified and professional learning technology support staff, adequate resources (especially regarding instructor:student ratios), appropriate methods of working (teamwork, project management), and systematic evaluation.

Generally, the same standards that apply to online learning should also apply to face-to-face teaching.

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Recommendation 9(Bates and Sangrà)

Use standard methods of program approval, review and evaluation, slightly adapted for the special circumstances of online learning.

Ensure that learner support is provided in suitable ways for off-campus students.

Use a team approach, with instructional designers and web support staff, and best practice in online course design, for hybrid and distance courses.

Ensure that the course design is adapted to meet the needs of off-campus learners.

Begin applying some of these techniques to the re-design of large face-to-face classes.

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” I could never have accomplished my Master’s degree without the possiblity to study via e-learning,” says Mona Berg Jenssen, mother of three children, rector of a high school.

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She is an active student at NKI, has completedthree courses in child care, passed exams and now doing her fourth course.

She is almost blind.

”She is an excellent student, ambitious, structured in her studies and very active in the Forum supporting and encouragingher fellow students.”

Congratulations to Marte BaadeNetstudent of the year 2010 Norway!!

The netteacher of the year 2010 Norway: Mathis Persen Bongo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5RgrxxQSoc

http://gfx.nrk.no/vewStzq0dLU3qr-PsB61HQ4kKgZbPvcLUSAUW9o5pssw.jpg

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The Social webFacebook, twitter, linkdin, slideshare, open educational resources, open educational practises, user generated content etc. etc.

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OECD-CERI Quality assurance in Tertiary Education:

Current Practises in OECD Countries. Viktoria Kis, August 2005

www.oecd.org/edu/tertiary/review

Quality assurance procedures can serve two major purposes:

improvement and accountability.

There is an uneasy balance between both purposes, which frequently raises the question of incompatibility (Vroeijenstijn, 1995a).

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A different approach to qualityMaria Jose Lemaitre. President in RIACES, Iberoamerican Network for Quality

Assessment and Assurance in Higher Education,

Innovation

Doing the same but better

Innovate and improve

Current situation

Change: new issues, new approachesIm

pro

vem

en

t

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 standardsDifficulties in selecting appropriate quality approachesLack of research and exchange of practices in some

regions of the world

Dr. Narimane Hadj-Hamou

Assistant Chancellor for Academic Development. HBMEU, Dubai

President of the Middle East e-Learning Association

The Quality Dilemma

24The context

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European University Association (EUA) Recommendations on

Quality - 2009

1. Context sensitive

2. Developmental approach

3. Inclusive

4. Engaging all key actors

5. Partnership HEI – Agencies

6. Allow risk taking and failure

7. Sharing experiences in QA

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”Examining Quality Culture: 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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 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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European Federation for Quality in E-learning

http://www.qualityfoundation.org

The Foundation (2005) undertakes activities to:

contribute to the quality of e-learning in Europe and provides leadership in this field

promote the European diversity of quality approaches and services in the field of learning, education and training

broaden the discussion and discourse on eLearning quality

provide a single entry point for eLearning quality.

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The OPAL Vision

Focus on the practises of OER rather than the resources. Better understanding will

lead to improvements in the quality of OER and more innovation.

Open Educational Resource Practise (OEP) constitute the range of practises around the creation, use and management of OER with the intent to improve quality and innovative

education.

Unesco, ICDE, EFQUEL, Open Univeristy UK, Aalto Univeristy, Universidade Católica Portugese, University Duisburg-Essen

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EFQUEL Innovation Forum 2010

Innovation Forum 2010

”What are the quality implications in an increasingly open context?”

EFQUEL Innovation Forum 2010 Recommendations

”HOW CAN QUALITY APPROACHES EVOLVE AND ENHANCE INCLUSION, INNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE" 

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EFQUEL Innovation Forum 2011CERTIFY THE FUTURE...?!

Accreditation, Certification and Internationalisation

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EUROPEAN DISTANCE AND E-LEARNING NETWORK

A NETWORK AND MEETING PLACE FOR THE OPEN, DISTANCE AND E-LEARNING COMMUNITY IN EUROPE

Models for Quality Assurance

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Different kinds of certification and accreditation of e-learning

•Public accreditation. Regulatory framework (European Network for QualityAssurance, 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)

The UNIQUe Certification

History

UNIQUe Value Proposition

A methodology for implementing

quality Technology Enhanced Learning(TEL)

system-wide throughout an institution

UNIQUe Value Proposition

Access to world class expertise in the field of TEL quality

management and implementation

UNIQUe Value Proposition

Sustained support and continuous engagement with

quality improvement processes

UNIQUe Value Proposition

Approach enhances

entire institutional innovation policy

UNIQUe Value Proposition

Continually evolving criteria and standards

UNIQUe Value Proposition

A clear, standardised and transparent system for

recognition and certification

A Methodology forSystem-Wide TEL

The UNIQUe Criteria

Each criterion looks at howICT is embedded into these processes

1. ApplicationFormal 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,…)

2. EligibilityFormal acceptance of application

Start of process for quality improvement & accreditation

UNIQUe supervising body

No guarantee

Introductory briefing session f2f/by phone

3. Self-Assessment

Higher Management in dialogue with stakeholders

Self-critical not promotional; strenghts-weaknesses,

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 developmentAgreed upon developments – check after 1.5 yearsRatings Recommendations

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

6. Continuous Improvement

Development RoR = Report on Results after 18 months

Based on the steps for improvement the Peer Review Team had recommended

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EUROPEAN DISTANCE AND E-LEARNING NETWORK

A NETWORK AND MEETING PLACE FOR THE OPEN, DISTANCE AND E-LEARNING COMMUNITY IN EUROPE

A case study from Norway

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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, Rekkedal et.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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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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NADE´s Quality 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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Thoughts at the endLet 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 focus on quality in the social web

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My golden learning perspectives after 40 years in distance education:

always keep the student´s needs in mind

use technology to the benefit of learning and make it accessible

ensure high quality through a quality culture

Thank you!

ingebob@online.noSlides at http://www.slideshare.net/IngeborgBoe/

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