quality approach to new e-learning: from inspection to inspiration

Quality approach to new e-Learning: from inspection to inspiration

Ancona 21st September 2007

Claudio DondiSCIENTER - EFQUEL

Joint Italy-Taiwan workshop on e-Learning “What e-learning for which organizations”

Joint Italy-Taiwan workshop on e-Learning “What e-Learning for which organisations”

Ancona, 21st September 2007

Different recurrent factors emerging from the European debate

on Quality in e-learning

Quality seems to be in the eye of the beholderQuality is a concern for all the stakeholdersThere is a diffuse perception about lack of quality of e-learning The focus of existing quality initiatives/approaches/strategies/frameworks diverge.



SEEQUEL project: Sustainable Environment for the Evaluation of

Quality in E-Learning

The driving objective of SEEQUEL was to reach consensus on a comprehensive analysis framework, encompassing the different “quality cultures”, that are representative of the interests and long-standing priorities of the various user groups such as industry, academia, professionals, student



SEEQUEL project first phase:mapping of the different approaches adopted

with respect to quality in e-learning by different stakeholders

8 sectors: 1. industry providing e-learning2. industry seen as content provider,3. government at EU, national and local level4. school education, 5. higher education, 6. initial vocational education and training, 7. informal learning,8. continuous professional development.



Sectoral views:

Industry providing e-learning : conformance, interoperability, standardisation, provision of scalable integrated learning services, product oriented processIndustry seen as content provider: competence and expertise of the producer of the educational material, content-oriented and production quality process;Government at EU, national and local level: control on content & curriculum, control on ‘equal opportunities’,’ equal access’, protecting learners as customers, improving efficiency and effectiveness of learning processes;School education: customer satisfaction , curricula integration, educational value and use of learning services, user-friendliness and usability of resources;



Sectoral views:

Higher education: Material/ content is scientifically state-of-the-art and maintained up-to-date, prestige and recognition of the authors, accreditationInitial vocational education and training: support to contextualisation, quality of the product, clearly explicit pedagogical design principles appropriate to learner type, needs and context, high level of interactivityInformal learning: Accessibility by different target groups in particular the ones have been excluded before, low-cost, support to individual path, availability of support mechanism that help people overcome any obstacle that might have prevent them from engaging in formal learning;Continuous professional development: content of the programme and the quality of resources, accreditation system for centres to deliver their qualification programmes, relevance to work processes and working contexts



The SEEQUEL conceptual framework

SUBJECTIVE COMPONENT

Perception

Stakeholder

Object

OBJECTIVE COMPONENT

L S L P L C

Quality of Learning experience

SR V



Visions of the World(adapted from Boltanski and Thévenot) – 1/2

Value features

The World of Inspiration

Singularity, difference, innovation, originality, irrationality, imaginary, spirituality, unconscious, chance

The Domestic World

Confidence, responsibility, merit, respectability, convention, dignity, tradition, hierarchy, rank; parents, children, generation; rules and confidence, principles; harmony; the "natural"; the duty

The World of Opinion

Image, reputation, fame, success, honour, acknowledgement, visibility, audience, credibility, identification



Visions of the World(adapted from Boltanski and Thévenot) – 2/2

Value features

The Civic World The general will, the common interest, generosity, self-abnegation, sacrifice, pride, the group, collective action, collective entities (ideas, values, symbols and institutions).

The Merchant World Wealth, money, luxury; business, fair deals, good deals, bargain; interest, attentions to others; contract; competition, rivalry, opportunism, freedom,

The Industrial World Progress, future, functionality, efficiency, optimality, performance, productivity, professionality, reliability, far-sightedness, system



The World of Inspiration

e-Learning is …

A huge opportunity to open up curriculum boundaries and to generate new knowledge and content through grass-roots

energy mobilisation.



The “domestic” World

e-Learning is …

A potentially dangerous development that needs appropriate legislation, quality control, protection of young learners and a high level of structuring of learning paths and activities before

being considered as a serious complement to traditional teaching methods.



The World of Opinion and Image

e-Learning is …

A recent development in the education and training area, that should be trusted only when proposed by a well-established

organisation which could provide prestigious titles.



The “civic” World

e-Learning is …

An interesting opportunity to develop community-based learning, to give access to learning opportunities to people

who would be excluded.

but also…

A risk of de-contextualising the learning experiences through the dominance of global providers.



The “commercial” World

e-Learning is …

The way to maximise the access to learning opportunities and to minimise the costs of both producing and purchasing learning.

An opportunity to challenge conservative education and training systems.

A new opportunity to develop new services and contents for a potentially huge market.



The “industrial” World

e-Learning is …

A modern and efficient way to rationalise provision of education and training, guaranteeing standard quality and seamless access.

A way of facing huge training needs in a short time and without depending on variable quality teachers/trainers and organisational constraints.



Sequeel : The components of the Learning experience

Learning SourcesTeacher and supporting staff / Learning Materials /Resources infrastructure Learners

Core learning processes

Guidance/ Recruitment/ TNAPlanningDesign (Guidance Principle)Delivery (T&L)Evaluation/Assessment

LearningcontextInstitutional settingCentralised/ Decentralised curriculumCulture (nat., org., prof., gen.)L. EnvironmentsLegislationValuessystems



Sequeel : Core quality framework

OBJECT CRITERIA WEIGHT 1. LEARNING SOURCES 1.1A Supporting staff Ability to support learning (based on past experience) Ability to support the motivation to learn Adaptability to change/flexibility Capacity to manage complexity Communication skills (e.g. establish relationship with learners, communicate appropriately) Specific educational background in e-learning



Quality as a negotiation process

Dialogue

PO

SIT

ION

ING

Negotiation

ES

PLIC

ITA

TIO

N

OF V

ISIO

N

VIS

ION

OF

TH

E Q

UA

LIT

Y

IMP

LEM

EN

TA

TIO

N

Context and problem identification

① Identification of the ones’ own vision of quality + consultation

② Identification of the positions of the stakeholders within the context

Focus on the areas of the learning experience: learning sources, learning processes, learning context

Criteria Weighting

Matching/Checking of the available procedures and tools

Development/ adoption

Impact assessment



Differentiation

Objective differentiation

the eLearning territoriesAimsContextsLearning patrimonies



eLearning Territories

Evolved distance

education

FORMAL LEARNING

INFORMAL LEARNING

INTRA-MUROS

EXTENDED LEARNING CONTEXT

Non professional learning

communities

e-Learning as a side effect in communities

Virtual Professional

networks

Individual development

throught e-learning

TTT via e-L

Inter-organisational development through e-

Learning

e-L workplace

e-L in tertiary

education

e-learning in VET

e-L in schools

ICT for virtual

mobility



From eLearning 2000 to ii eLearning 2010

i as innovative i as intelligenti as integrated i as inter-personal i as imaginative i as inclusive i as international i as I – that is ownership of learning



Which eLearning for the future? - 1/2

e-L 2000… i-eL 2010…distributes consolidated knowledgeis still e-Teachingmay isolate the learneris delivered by a single provider/institutionignores the learner’s context and previous achievements

generates new knowledgeis owned by the learnercreates learning communitiesis the result of and a tool to support partnershipbuilds on the learner’s contexts and previous achievements



Which eLearning for the future? - 2/2

e-L 2000… i-eL 2010…depresses the learner’s creativity by transmissive logicssqueezes the role of teachers and learning facilitatorsfocuses on technology and contentssubstitutes classroom sessionsprivileges those who already learn

stimulates the learner’s creativity by enhancing the ludic dimension of learningenriches the role of teachers and learning facilitatorsfocuses on quality, processes and learning contextis embedded in organisational and social processes of transformationreaches and motivates those who were not learning



The ideal place of eLearning

INNOVATION PROCESSES

LIFELONG LEARNING

ICT

eLearning



EFQUEL is :

A sustainable multi-point and multi-stakeholders structure promoting innovation aiming at enhancing the Quality in European E-Learning by providing a set of support services in terms of: • Information and Recommendations• Dialogue• Networking



The EFQUEL mission:

The EFQUEL enhances the quality of eLearning in Europe by providing a new services framework for members and support for all stakeholders. The Foundation is built on principles of dialogue and inclusiveness to promote excellence and innovation in order to achieve a Learning Europe.



Guiding principles“From inspection to inspiration”

OpennessInclusivenessSelf-sustainabilityRepresentativityFlexibilityDialogueGenerative EnvironmentLeadership



60 Members

9 European networks:EUN, EDEN, EIFeL, MENON, EENet, EFMD, EKMA, ESIB, EuroPACE

Members: ABIFORMAZIONE, Agency for Higher Education Quality assurance and Career

Development, COFIMP, eQCheck, ERGON KEK, Estonian eUniversity, FIM NewLearning, IAL Emilia Romagna, Le Préau/CCIP, Moscow University of Industry and

Finance, Moscow State University for Economics, Statistics and Informatics, MRS Consultancy Ltd, NADE, Polish Virtual University, Profingest, Politecnico Milano –

METID, Q-Plan-International Quality and Environment Services, Regione Toscana, AUSL N° 6 Livorno, Scienter, SDN AG Easylearn, SINFORM, SIEMENS Business

Services Turkey, Social Council for Quality Assurance, Stochkolm Institute of Education/Lärum, Swedish Agency for Flexible Learning-CFL, Synergetics, TEHNE,

University of Duisburg Essen, University of Granada, University of Hildesheim, University of Lugano, University of Maribor, University of Padova, University Politecnic of Bucharest –CEAC, University of Reading, University of Sevilla, Universitat Oberta de

Cataluniya



Workplan – 1/3

OBJECTIVE ACHIEVEMENTS

To facilitate dialogue and open collaboration and to support the sharing of experiences and approaches among all the actors involved with eLQ

EFQUEL 2005 and 2006 Conference

successfully organised in Berlin, and in Paris in January 2007.

Successful international networking: eLearning Africa Conference (UNESCO), in Latin America (ORION and with OAS), in Russia.

To produce an influence on European eLearning policy and to contribute to set the priorities for research in the field of eLQ

The first EFQUEL Green Paper “Learners as active stakeholders of eLearning quality” published in December 2006 and 3 new papers will be ready in the next months



Workplan – 2/3


To extend the EFQUEL network to all actors interested in European eLQ

9 European networks among members.Strengthening of the EFQUEL central structure2 EFQUEL national constituencies established by the end of 2006 in Italy and France.

To establish a European Quality Mark (EQM) on eLQ

Mapped and identified existing eLearning quality marks at national and sectoral level. 5 scenarios preparedIntegration and consensus building process underwayOrganisation of the eQuality Award in Paris, 2007



Workplan – 3/3


To sustain and integrate the capacities for observation and collection of quality strategies

research and innovative strategies in the field of eLQ monitored Results integrated in the EFQUEL portal.

To foster aggregation of actors and to install Working Groups and concrete workplan-based activities

11 SIGs established3 transforming into WGs (health, standards, global learning)Active support to SIGs in place and improvingNew SIGs starting up

To enhance, organise, structure the EFQUEL members services and to facilitate the internationalisation of successful practices and services in the field of eLQ

EFQUEL portal operational

QualityPedia online and underwork Service portfolio under construction

Project aimsThe UNIQUE project aims at enhancing the reform process of European higher education institutions by creating, testing and

launching an eLearning quality label for ICT use in higher education.



Activities and Outputs (1/2)

Conduct a preliminary analysis of the success stories and pitfalls of eLearning in European higher education and present it in a report;

Study how to adapt the successful experience of the Programme accreditation for teChnology-Enhanced Learning (CEL) from the management education field to the broad field of eLearning in higher education;

Set up and animate a Steering Committee to make sure that all the project outcomes will have an impact at the system level of higher education;

Prepare specifications for the UNIQUe quality label and test it with a network of 12 universities;



Activities and Outputs (2/2)

Set up and animate a community of practices able to support a benchlearning process among the 12 universities involved in the project piloting;

Launch the UNIQUe quality label in a high level European conference;

Guarantee that, thanks to the work of the European Foundation for Quality in eLearning (EFQUEL), the project results are sustainable and visible.



Partners

MENON Network (Coordinator)

EUROPACE

EFQUEL – HE SIG – U. Granada

EFMD

Project duration: November 2006 - October 2008



The System view

eLearning Programme 2005-2007

MASSIVE

Institutional Peer review

• Method/Model

• Impact on Universities Management

• Services

Socrates Programme 2007-2008

UNIQUE Institutional Accreditation

• Converging criteria

• Accreditation method

• Joint effort

European Peer Reviewers Team

ICT in HE Institutional Accreditation

Systems

CEL

eLearning Programme

Accreditation EFMD

EFQUEL SIG HEPartnership at

National and EU level (Regional in some MCs)



Thanks for your attention…

[email protected]

www.scienter.org

www.qualityfoundation.org

quality approach to new e-learning: from inspection to inspiration

Documents

elearning quality

new elearning

lack of quality

evaluation of quality

quality approach

different quality cultures

higher education

content provider