Quality in European E-Learning

Designing Tools and Frameworks for Tomorrows Quality Development

Workshop @ ICALT 2004, Joensuu, Finland

European Quality Observatory

August 30^th, 2004 in the Auditorium (H30)

Post Workshop Proceedings

Many observers reckon that when you really get down to analyzing it, the promise of e-learning has yet to materialise. Accusations of poor quality abound, rather than second chance learning, e-learning is more often described as second rate as we move from the ‘early adopter’ stage to a more general offering with, as it often appears, every second education and training institution offering courses online.

The Workshop Quality in European E-Learning: Designing Tools and Frameworks for Tomorrows Quality Development provides a cross-European look at this issue. It aims at drawing a picture of the European situation in quality development and presenting conceptual frameworks and tools for describing, comparing and adapting quality approaches in order to make e-learning successful.

Quality development is a field of growing diversity and difficult to handle. The European dimension of e-learning adds even more complexity to this question: different educational systems, learning cultures, learners’ preferences and other national or regional characteristics lead to different requirements for quality management and quality assurance. Quality development depends on the of the educational contexts, i.e. regional, organisational or target-group-specific contexts. Against this background, selecting a quality system for an organisation, a region or an individual requires complex and time-consuming decision processes – providing tools and guidelines for facilitating this processes becomes a key issue for success.

The workshop aims at presenting a comprehensive picture of quality development work in Europe (different perspectives, different methods, different sectors, etc.), with the intention to structure the situation on quality development in Europe. It will explore different approaches and tools applied in Europe to ensure high quality in development and use of e-learning.

Welcome and Introduction

1.      Comparing Quality Models Adequacy to needs of clients

A. M. Husson, Le Préau, France

2.      Localisation and Adaptation of Quality Approaches

S. Teschler & B. Hildebrandt, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany

3.      Recommendation of Quality Approaches

Nikos Manouselis & Demetrios Sampson, Centre for Research and Technology, Greece

Open Space / Discussions

1. Distance Courses Quality – A Learner‘s View

K. Sinitsa, Ukraina

2. From Model to Action

A. Legait & V. Sandoval, ENPC, France

3. Quality Policies for European E-Learning: The Project SEEQUEL

W. Kugemann, FIM, Germany, invited

Open Space / Discussions

1. Specific Quality Approach to Satisfy Clients

A. M. Husson, Le Préau, France

2.      Learning from Experiences

U.-D. Ehlers, J.M.Pawlowski, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany

3.      Quality in the Pedagogical Interaction: The Project Qual-E-Learning

Elisabeth Eschenlohr, invited

4.      Quality of Learning Resources

Riina Vuorikari, European SchoolNet, Belgium

Open Space / Discussions

The European Quality Observatory Supported by the e-learning initiative of the European Commission