This document outlines a presentation about quality assurance of e-learning and MOOCs in European higher education. It discusses the SEQUENT project, which produced reports on quality assurance approaches. It also provides information on quality agencies and guidelines in different countries and institutions. The presentation then prompts attendees to discuss their own institutions' quality processes and guidelines for e-learning.

1. The SEQUENT showcases
of nations and institutions
Paul Bacsich, Sero Consulting
Consultant to EADTU
EADTU conference - Fernuni Hagen
29-30 October 2015

2. Outline of presentation
1. SEQUENT, the EU project
2. Key SEQUENT reports
3. Country information: Quality in HE, and quality in
e-learning/MOOCs
4. Institutional information: Quality processes
overall, and for e-learning/MOOCs
2

3. The SEQUENT project
• Consortium of EADTU (lead), ENQA and (until
it closed) EFQUEL
• Finished end March 2015 (ran for two years)
• Final reports written by EADTU with specialist
reports by Paul Bacsich (Showcases) and Keith
Williams (ENQA Standards and Guidelines, for
e-learning)
• Evaluator: Ebba Ossiannilsson
3

4. Key report URLs
– SEQUENT project: http://www.sequent-network.eu/
- see in particular http://www.sequent-
network.eu/instruments
– Showcases Report: http://www.sequent-
network.eu/images/Guidelines/Sequent_Showcases.
pdf - with key extract at
https://www.academia.edu/13020383/Quality_Agen
cies_in_Europe_and_their_approach_to_e-
learning_and_open_learning
– QA policy wonks should also read
http://www.sequent-
network.eu/images/Guidelines/Sequent_Handbook_f
or_Quality_in_e-learning_procedures.pdf
4

5. Context: Key numbers (Europe)
• 7 centralised open universities (UK, NL, ES (2),
PT, DE, CY) and several mini- and micro-OUs
• ?300 EU HEIs with distance learning (100 in UK)
• 10 large VET DL providers (NKI, Klett, CNED etc)
• 81 virtual schools (2012 figure; 2015?)
• 3 million DL students in European HE (IDEAL)
• 1 ENQA member working on guidelines for e-
learning! (Who?)
• Wider context: Adult Education and OER -
http://poerup.referata.com/wiki/ADOERUP 5

6. Findings
And Questions to you

7. Quality agencies who are members of ENQA
• UK
• Ireland
• [now fill in the blanks, as a group]
7

8. Quality agencies with guidelines for
institutional QA procedures
• UK
• Ireland
• [now fill in the blanks, as a group]
8

9. Quality agencies with guidelines for assuring
quality of e-learning programmes
• (UK)
• ((Sweden))
• [Ireland] – soon
• [now strain your brains to fill in any blanks, as
a group]
9

10. Quality agencies with guidelines for assuring
quality of OER and/or MOOCs
• ((((I think we know the answer!)))
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11. Now change from nations/regions…
… to institutions

12. Institutions with a recent public national QA
report on their learning and teaching
• All UK institutions – some not that recent
• (All Ireland institutions) – but often not recent
• [now fill in the blanks, as a group – what
about your institution? URLs wanted]
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13. Institutions with a recent national QA report
also reviewing their e-learning - UK
• See the Showcases QA reports:
– Dundee (2013)
– Edinburgh (2013)
– Heriot Watt (2012)
– Interactive Design Institute (2014) – micro-OU
– Open College of the Arts (2014) – micro-OU
– RDI/Capella (2013) now Arden – alt-OU
– Strathclyde (2014)
– Warwick (2013)
13

14. Institutions with a recent national QA report
also reviewing their e-learning – non-UK
• [now fill in the blanks, as a group – what
about your institution?]
14

15. Institutions with documented quality
procedures
• “many”, but yours?
• [now fill in the blanks, as a group – what
about your institution?]
15

16. Institutions with documented quality
procedures for e-learning
• UK: many since around 2000 – public docs:
– Manchester Metropolitan
– Northumbria
– Oxford
– Warwick
– Yours?
• Non-UK?
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17. Institutions and their quality procedures #1
• Cyprus: University of Nicosia (UNIC)
• Cyprus: Open University of Cyprus (Hellenic Culture Bachelors;
Education Masters)
• Hungary: Budapest University of Technology and Economics
(Designer and Tutor training programme)
• Italy: Polytechnic of Milan
• Lithuania: Kaunas University of Technology (Master Degree in
Information Technologies of Distance Education)
• Netherlands: Delft University of Technology
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18. Institutions and their quality procedures #2
• Portugal: Universidade Aberta
• Spain: UNED
• Sweden: Dalarna University (Faculty of
Languages; and Nursing Programme)
• UK/Scotland: Glasgow Caledonian University
• UK/England: University of Hertfordshire
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19. University of Warwick guidelines: extract #1
1. Has the department made realistic assessments of the staff
time required to develop and update the course materials?
2. Will the department be able to offer a high quality course if
student numbers are lower than expected or key members of
staff leave?
4. Have all issues related to availability, standardisation and
upgrades of hardware and software both for students and staff
been considered carefully?
6. What training and support will staff receive for developing
materials or providing guidance to students?
8. What proportion of assessment (formative and summative)
should take place under controlled conditions and how will the
department verify the authenticity of assessed coursework?
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20. University of Warwick guidelines: extract #2
9. Will there be any special arrangements for progression of
distance-learning students (e.g. in relation to deferring
assessments, granting temporary withdrawal, the overall period
of time allowed to complete the course)?
13. Has the department made all costs and requirements clear to
students including those related to any physical attendance at
the University?
14. How will the department protect its intellectual property
rights over teaching materials made available in hard copy or an
electronic format?
16. Are the arrangements planned for student-student and
student-staff interaction, including feedback on the quality of
modules, workable? and how will their effectiveness be
monitored?
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21. Questions?
(Before we go into groups)

22. And now….
Work in groups: if possible, same
institution, same country

23. Group project
• Ignoring specific criteria, how will your
institution go about creating or updating in a
major way quality guidelines for e-learning?
• Describe the main stages and stakeholders.
• Consider the balance between assurance and
enhancement
• Consider the extent to which your institution
wishes to be a pioneer? In quality, geographic
coverage and scale (numbers)
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24. Thank you for listening
Paul Bacsich, paul.bacsich@sero.co.uk
http://independent.academia.edu/PaulBacsich
http://poerup.referata.com