E-xcellance - Creating a standard of excellence for e-learning
EU Programme
eLearning Programme
First Contracting Partner
EADTU - European Association of Distance Teaching Universities
Objectives
The European Universities are engaged in the realization of a European Higher Education Area, by improving access, quality, competitiveness and attractiveness.
The enhancement of e-learning, in the last instance, will be a support to the Bologna objectives ("e-Bologna"), since it will become the basic approach for most courses and curricula: improve access to Higher Education at all levels and in all sectors of conventional and continuing education, ensure co-operation among universities, increase the competitiveness of European Universities.
The main objective of this proposal is to contribute to this process by creating standards of excellence, such as:
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Assessment tools (at the level of programme and institutions)
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Improvement tools (internal quality control system)
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Accreditation tools for levels of excellence
The criteria should cover aspects related to the institutions, curricula and courses of study, and, therefore, should be focused on the micro and middle levels of the education. The experience will be on large-scale at the European level with the involvement of the experts institutions such as open universities, research and development institutes and other organisations performed in the field of quality control and accreditation.
The target group regarding the control quality is, first of all, the educational institutions. The teachers and developers of e-learning programmes will also benefit from an expected textbook of good practices, which can be useful in order to improve their programmes on the basis of the quality factors that will be identified. Subsequently, when companies and users will be includes in the project, the emphasis will be focused on the quality factors related to companies and users. The courses, therefore, will be more responsive to the expectations of the students and the industrial world.
The result of accreditation on e-learning is an index of the excellence level in the Open Distance Learning (ODL) at the institution and curriculum levels and not just a positive or negative judgement. The first one refers more to a public value, while our approach aims to set the benchmark in terms of excellence in order to facilitate the institutions to outline their best practice. Since this approach is an innovative area, the criteria should evolve according to the ongoing trends and always be relevant. The elaboration of a textbook and a guideline on the Web will ensure the necessary flexibility to keep the standards updated compared to the innovations that are emerging. The assessment will be combined with a label of excellence for institutions, with regard to the "E-" in e-learning. There will be a specific objective, close to the content as a part of the overall assessment process.
Expected results
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The list of criteria to set a standard of excellence for e-learning and validation indicators
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Best Practices Textbook /Best Practices Guidelines on the Web
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Quality control system (internal validation based on the standard of excellence)
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Pilot: testing approach for the validation; creation and formation of a committee both for quality control and for the accreditation (considered as separate procedures)
Target
The target group regarding the control quality is, first of all, the educational institutions. The teachers and developers of e-learning programmes will also benefit from an expected textbook of good practices, which can be useful in order to improve their programmes on the basis of the quality factors that will be identified. Subsequently, when companies and users will be includes in the project, the emphasis will be focused on the quality factors related to companies and users. The courses, therefore, will be more responsive to the expectations of the students and the industrial world.
Role of NETTUNO
NETTUNO, in synergy with other partners, is actively involved in the following activities:
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creation of an inventory (list) of the e-learning quality in Higher Education criteria existed in the countries of the partners involved in the project and in the development of new standards;
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organisation of feedback from students, trainers and staff about a draft of the proposed criteria;
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training on the quality system proposed;
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dissemination activities.
Duration
From January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2006
Partners