Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Distance Education and e-Learning

Models, Policies and Research

Colin Latchem author Insung Jung author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd

Published:15th Nov '11

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Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Distance Education and e-Learning cover

Quality assurance (QA) in open and distance learning (ODL) can be a contentious issue. Some argue that it should be judged by the same criteria and methods as face-to-face education, while others claim that it is so different in its organization, enrolments and operations that conventional QA mechanisms cannot apply. Some advocate the use of specific guidelines and standards for e-learning; others believe that, regardless of the technology, the basic principles of quality teaching and learning should apply. Providers who have enjoyed freedom from external scrutiny may resist attempts at external regulation and auditing and look upon QA as yet another imposition of corporatization and bureaucracy on education. Others see it as a means of establishing a culture of quality, self-reflection and self-improvement.

There is little research-based literature to guide policy-makers, managers and practitioners in applying QA in education and training to ensure the right balance is found between accountability and autonomy, as well as assuring quality for the time and costs involved. In this respect, Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Distance Education and e-Learning is a book that is long overdue. It explains what is involved in QA and accreditation in education. It describes and analyzes applications of these practices in open, distance, dual-mode and conventional universities throughout Europe, North America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific, looking at open schooling, e-learning in conventional schools, non-formal adult and community education, and corporate and small-to-medium enterprises.

Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Distance Education and e-Learning is edited and authored by experts with extensive international experience in ODL, e-learning and QA who give careful consideration to the possibilities and challenges involved. The book will be an invaluable guide for all policy-makers, managers, practitioners and researchers in the field.

"The book that Jung and Latchem pulled together provides much-needed discussion on just what quality assurance in distance education is. It also provides conceptual organizational models and practical strategies for continually working towards quality improvement and for transparently tracking and documenting outcomes. Most importantly, this book finally brings quality assurance from being a lofty ideal into the realm of practical discussion." —The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning

"With its in-depth, cogent examination of structure and organization of worldwide distance education systems, this book can serve as an effective teaching resource, as well as an invaluable reference for administrators and policy-makers. Undoubtedly, it will prove to be an enlightening and useful contribution to the field of distance learning."
—Educational Technology

"This volume makes a valuable contribution to the growing body of assessment-related work in this area, and as it is co-edited by two well regarded researchers, we can be assured that it includes authors whose chapters have been carefully vetted. The book’s organization presents an effective topical sequence, with chapters focusing on assessment-related issues in specific contexts- higher education, online education, international, regional, types of institutions, specific institutions, consortia, and corporations- then finishing with a broader discussion of quality assurance in the final chapters to nicely pull the entire body of work together. This approach allows the reader to be selective in choosing those chapters most relevant to their particular organizational setting, though all should be sure to absorb the beginning and ending chapters to gain an overall perspective."–Dr Michael Beaudoin, University of New England

"In terms of content, this instructive, inspiring, and rich book can be considered as a platform and even a complementary work for current and future research on QA in ODL. The present book as a roadmap of research on QA in different ODL settings, and as a guide, promising that regardless of activities reported here, there will be many opportunities and new horizons for the development of interesting projects covering a broad range of QA topics through a variety of research approaches, has taken a successful step towards such a development in theory and practice, though in effect, it leans somewhat toward the side of practice. I believe that reading such a valuable quality work will be of interest and benefit for researchers, students, professors, managers, authorities, policy makers and decision makers, practitioners, and, above all, end-users of services provided through ODL."– Dr A. Isfandyari-Moghaddam, Islamic Azad University

ISBN: 9780415887359

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 430g

310 pages