The KIS will require teaching and learning methods to be categorised under three general headings: Scheduled learning and teaching activities, Guided Independent Study and Placement/Study Abroad.

Each is reported for each year of the course and the KIS has a headline figure (the percentage of the course spent overall in scheduled teaching and learning (i.e. the first category)).

Only the designated three categories can be used for the purpose of KIS reporting and each heading will present us with some challenges if we want to clearly articulate to students the richness of their learning experience.
With the encouraged, and increased, use of technology enhanced learning (TEL), will the KIS constrain innovation?
Institutions will want to ensure that they count all appropriate activities within the ‘scheduled learning’ heading and we shall need to consider how we interpret ‘guided independent study’. It is not clear how some activities are to be categorised and we will need to consider practice across the sector.

Join the online discussion with the QAQE SIG to consider these issues. Further information and a timetable is provided in this flyer.

We would like to thank colleagues both in the UK and overseas who have contributed to the development of the toolkit

14th June 2011 – Fielder Centre, University of Hertfordshire

This free one-day conference will explore challenges facing the sector in relation to assuring quality whilst also enabling quality enhancement and innovation through technology enhanced learning (TEL). We will be exploring the unsolved problems and trying to identify some of the unknown issues.

Technologies impact on all aspects of the learning process, including teaching, assessment and communication. In light of changes in technologies and the changing role of e-learning within higher education, guidance and policies associated with quality assurance and quality enhancement of technology enhanced learning (TEL) need to be considered and reviewed.

The day will include; a keynote address from Ingeborg Bø, a member of the Board of Directors of European Foundation for Quality in E-learning (EFQUEL); presentations from project teams who have been evaluating the QAQE toolkit (‘A Toolkit for Harnessing Quality Assurance Processes for Technology Enhanced Learning’), and a presentation from members of the University of Hertfordshire who will guide delegates through the development of their law course from face-to-face to distance learning. The day will conclude with a panel debate on future agendas.

Actively seeking your contributions to the QAQE debate, the day will include networking opportunities and participatory sessions and to explore practitioner needs.

[The conference is being held the day before, and at the same venue as, the International Blended Learning Conference (IBLC) so if delegates attending the IBLC would like to attend the QAQE conference, they would be most welcome.]

Booking details and programme can be found via the following link:

Quality Assurance and Quality Enhancement in e-Learning conference

We are looking for a diverse set of case studies that explore how the use of the toolkit can support or enhance existing institutional processes, and identify ways in which the current toolkit draft can be developed.

Proposals should specify:

Why their institutional context would be an interesting one in which to apply the toolkit;

The team’s areas of expertise in relation to quality and e-learning;

The focus, scope and timeline of the case study being proposed.

Proposals should be no more than 1,000 words, and should be emailed to Martin Oliver (m.oliver@ioe.ac.uk) by January 31st 2011.

All funded case studies will be expected to report on their case study with a short written report and through a presentation at the June 14th conference (QAQE in e-learning conference at University of Hertfordshire). Payments will be made on receipt of the written report and scheduling of the conference presentation, and will be subject to sign-off by the SIG organising committee. A series of indicative headings will be provided for the written reports; there is no maximum word length for these, although around 3,000-5,000 words is suggested.

Update: Apologies to our overseas members, but due to the conditions of the QAQE SIG’s funding, only projects based in the UK are eligible for these awards.   We are still however interested in working with overseas partners who wish to use the toolkit.

3/12/10 Dave O’Hare hosted a lunch at Online Educa in Berlin, representatives from 5 countries and the following organizations/institutions were present; Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance and Career Development (Russia), University of Bologna, Vienna University, Bonn International University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands Schools group and also UNESCO.  The participants enjoyed a lively discussion on the operation of quality assurance for e-learning in their organisations and countries and explored the potential for future collaboration with the SIG.  The participants were also keen to inform the development of the QA for e-learning toolkit which they have all been sent a copy with a view to feedback their comments.

The aim of the toolkit is to provide an “at a glance” framework and tools for academics and support staff to use when considering employing technology to enhance course delivery. It will enable practitioners to:

• Ensure that all aspects of the course design, delivery and maintenance processes are addressed by their institution’s quality assurance procedures; and
• Effectively harness the potential of the quality assurance procedures to drive forward the enhancement of the students’ learning experience.

The toolkit is designed to meet the broad continuum of delivery patterns from blended delivery to fully online distance courses.

The work is ongoing and the SIG Steering Group would welcome suggestions for community’s input, in particular links to institutional materials and case studies that could contribute to the effectiveness of the toolkit for the sector as a whole.  A copy can be found on this website and we wish to give people the opportunity to read and review it and provide feedback and suggestions. To access the toolkit select the toolkit link from the menu.

In a presentation to ALT-C, we reported on work that was funded by the HEA to develop the commentary and critique of the QAA Code of Practice Section 2, the trainer’s on-line toolkit for quality enhancement of e-learning, and the annual conference.

The work now being undertaken by the SIG to develop a toolkit for ‘Quality enhancement of blended learning’ aims to support the  embedding of quality enhancement and learning in academic practice in these  areas. The toolkit addresses issues of course design and validation and particular consideration has been given to addressing problems associated with  disaggregation of processes, distributed teams, distant location of students, and the issues of access and equity associated  with large scale delivery of courses and the appropriate use of technologies for distributed and diverse student groups.

The ALT-C session delegates welcomed the toolkit and offered some useful suggestions for additions. The work is ongoing and the SIG Steering Group would welcome suggestions for addition and, in particular links to institutional materials and case studies that could contribute to the effectiveness of the toolkit for the sector as a whole.

2 July, 2010 – Fielder Centre, University of Hertfordshire.
The QAQE in E-learning Special Interest Group held our first annual conference on Friday 2nd July at the University of Hertfordshire. On the day we welcomed delegates from across the sector including representatives from higher education institutions, academic, quality and support staff, the Higher Education Academy, the Quality Assurance Agency, JISC and Edexcel.

The programme was designed to be varied and interactive. After a welcome and introduction from Eileen Webb, SIG Chair, Maria Papaefthimiou gave a brief overview of the SIG’s work to date and put the event into context before introducing our keynote speaker, Colin Raban from the University of Derby.

As always Colin’s presentation was interesting and thought provoking. In his talk he contrasted between the enquiring culture of the learning and teaching community and the compliance culture of the quality assurance community. He questioned our definition of enhancement and suggested if enhancement is to realise its full potential we must radically rethink our approach to assurance. The more rigorous the QA procedures, the more we fall into a process he refers to as ‘Unintelligent Accountability’ where frank reporting is inhibited, becoming less truthful and more akin to public relations documents. Changing the emphasis from assurance to enhancement will require us to change the culture, and not just the systems, of our institutions. However, our ability to do this will depend on the force and direction of the sector’s “prevailing winds”. He concluded with the prediction that it is unlikely we will ever return to the days of self regulation, but there is most likely going to be more emphasis on state regulation and certainly market demands. (A copy of Colins slides are available below).

In the following session Mark Gamble from the Sig Steering Group presented the main findings and recommendations coming out of the SIG’s recent publication: ‘QAA Code of Practice Section 2: Collaborative provision and flexible and distributed learning (including e-learning) – A Commentary & Critique’. This document developed in consultation with SIG members and the wider community has been presented to the QAA, where it was well received. However, it seems unlikely that the QAA will fully address the issues of technology supported learning in the very near future, and there is likely to be more work required in this area. After Mark’s presentation Eileen Webb briefly introduced the draft toolkit being developed by the SIG Steering Group. The toolkit entitled ‘Harnessing Quality Assurance Processes to Enhance Technology Enabled Learning’ is designed as an “at a glance” framework and tools for academics and support staff to use when considering employing technology to enhance course delivery. After a brief overview delegates were asked to discuss the toolkit and feedback comments and suggestions. This led to a lively and fruitful discussion eating into the scheduled lunch hour. There were many useful comments and contributions which will be incorporated into the development work. Delegates were asked to continue this discussion outside the conference and provide further comments if possible. A copy of the draft toolkit is below, please send any comments or suggestions you may have on it to e.r.webb@tees.ac.uk.

Immediately after lunch the session was designed to engage delegates in discussion and prevent the natural impulse to slumber engendered by a wonderful lunch. Led by Dave O’Hare of the SIG Steering Group he linked together the main themes emerging from the morning’s presentations and discussions and invited delegates to discuss and identify one aspect they would take away with them and act upon. This was followed by a short group discussion and identification of suitable questions to pose to the panel in the last session.

For the last hour Harvey Mellar from the Institute of Education and Ambassador of the SIG chaired a lively panel discussion. The panel consisting of Peter Findlay, Quality Assurance Agency; Derek Morrison, Higher Education Academy; Gill Ferrell, JISC and Colin Raban, University of Derby effectively summed up the issues of the day. In summary, a very lively, interactive, informative and thought provoking day.

The SIG Steering Group would like all participants for their contributions.

QAQE Conference slides – Colin Raban

QAQE conference slides – Eileen Webb and Maria-Christiana Papaefthimiou

QAQE conference slides – Mark Gamble

QAQE conference slides – Dave OHare