A quarterly publication of AQU Catalunya

91

October 2018

Universities and higher education institutions across Europe and in a large part of the world have rapidly incorporated new teaching and learning methods connected with information and communication technologies (ICT), in what is now referred to e-learning provision (which includes both distance learning and blended learning). While universities and higher education institutions have adapted rapidly to this new scenario, quality assurance agencies have in general been slow to deal with the specific aspects of quality assurance in e-learning.

ENQA (the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) has addressed this shortcoming through the setting up of a working group that focuses on the analysis of the European standards (ESG, 2015) from the perspective of e-learning. The main purpose of the working group has been to provide a common framework of understanding between higher education institutions and QA agencies as regards e-learning.

The working group, which is comprised of members from ten European QA agencies, has been chaired by AQU Catalunya. The findings of the group's work are set out in the document titled Considerations for quality assurance of e-learning provision, recently published by ENQA. The document includes the definition of e-learning and its different forms, together with the analysis of the standards for quality assurance from the point of view of both higher education institutions and QA agencies.

The working group's main conclusion refers to the fact that the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG, 2015) are applicable in the same way to all types of programme, although an interpretation of the various different standards is necessary in the case of e-learning. It can therefore be affirmed that the European standards are not incompatible with the generation of new opportunities for the innovation and enhancement of QA procedures, including e-learning.
The working group has analysed each of the European standards although it is noted that they are not all equally important, which is highlighted in the ENQA document.

To sum up, the considerations set out out in this document should serve to help QA agencies develop review and evaluation methodologies that take into account the specific aspects of e-learning. Traditional universities that provide e-learning and blended programmes will in turn need to adapt the systems they apply for the internal quality assurance of their teaching and learning processes.