As in other sectors, digital education is rapidly deconstructing concepts which lie at the core of established educational systems and which form the bedrock of our quality assurance systems. In a digital world, how do we define a Higher Education Institution, how do we define a credential or even, how do we define a course? How do concepts such as formal and non-formal learning stand up to scrutiny? How do we establish jurisdiction for purposes of accreditation? Assuming we can define these concepts adequately, are current system of quality assurance fit for purpose? Is quality assurance merely a protective tool, or can it be used to stimulate and mainstream digital education? The presentation will address all these questions from the perspective of a small EU member state and member of the EHEA, using the under-development Maltese digital accreditation system as a case study.

1. Quality Assurance of
Digital Education
Lessons from the Maltese
Experience

2. Design Thinking

3. 3
Does Digital Education need Quality
Assurance & Accreditation?

4. Purpose of Quality Assurance
4
accountability enhancement
provide information to
assure … the quality of the
higher education
institution’s activities
provide advice and
recommendations on how
(HEI) might improve what it
is doing The ESGs exist to
create a common
basis of trust
between institutions
and systems.Source: European Standards and Guidelines for
Quality Assurance in Higher Education (2015)

5. Trust is about
Perception
Key Concepts
5
I don’t trust what
I don’t
understand

6. Trust is a
Prerequisite
for recognition and
portability
Key Concepts
6
Students should be able
to build up qualifications
made up of different
credits from many
universitiesMinister Bartolo

7. 7
digital education ?
education which occurs primarily
in a
digital space
can we trust

8. digital is different
and thus
not fully
understood or trusted
Key Concepts
8

9. What is different about digital
technology?
9
anonymous distributed amorphous
borderless cheap scalable

10. Concerns
Concern:
– Assessment cannot be
secured
Solution:
– Specify methods of
assessment security
– Specify methods of ensuring
student identity
10
anonymous
amorphous

11. Concerns
Concern:
- persons / organizations ‘escape’
QA through unbundling
Solution:
- check the profiles of all staff
involved: design, delivery, support
- No distinction between
subcontractors and provider
institutions
11
distributed
borderless

12. Concerns
Concern:
- no effective sanction against
abusers
Solution:
- ultimate beneficial owner
disclosed
- legal representative resident in
Malta
- student records must be physically
stored in Malta
12
distributed
borderless

13. Concerns
Concern:
- diploma mill qualifications will
multiply
Solution:
• only accredited institutions may
offer qualifications pegged to the
qualifications framework
• legal sanction for those who peg it
badly
13
cheap
scalable

14. 14
Do we need new forms of
accreditation for digital learning?

15. Subject to
Accreditation
Subject to
Quality Assurance
A Binary Choice?
15
Formal
Education
Occurs in
organized
and
structured
environment
Explicitly
designated
as learning
Typically
Leads to
Certification
Non-Formal
Education
Occurs in
planned
activities
Not
Explicitly
designated
as learning
Typically
does Not
Lead to
Certification
CEDEFOP
Definitions

16. A Simplified Typology of e-Learning
16
Traditional
E-Learning
Replicates a
Formal
University
Education
Formal
Education
Typically
Leads to
Certification
MOOCs,
Flexible &
Open
Education
‘Open’
therefore
unstructured
Non-Formal
Education
Typically
does Not
Lead to
Certification

17. Observation
In such a scenario
existing quality & accreditation
instruments
suffice with small changes
17

18. Subject to
Accreditation
18
Formal Education
Occurs in organized
and structured
environment
Typically
Leads to
Certification
Non-Formal
Education
Occurs in
planned
activities
Not
Explicitly
designated
as learning
Typically
does Not
Lead to
Certification
RecognitionofNon-Formal
&InformalLearning
Recognition of Non-
Formal Learning is a
potential avenue
for MOOC Certification

19. 19

20. Observation
Recognition of Non-Formal Learning
does not scale to millions of students
20

21. Subject to
Accreditation
21
Formal Education
Occurs in organized
and structured
environment
Typically
Leads to
Certification
Non-Formal
Education
Occurs in
planned
activities
Not
Explicitly
designated
as learning
Typically
does Not
Lead to
Certification
RecognitionofNon-Formal
&InformalLearning
Are MOOCs Really
Non-Formal?
Explicitly
designated
as learning

22. Subject to
Accreditation
Subject to
Quality Assurance
A Third Way
22
Formal
Education
Occurs in
organized and
structured
environment
Explicitly
designated as
learning
Typically Leads
to Certification
Semi-Formal
Education
Occurs in
planned
activities
Explicitly
designated as
learning
Typically Leads
to Certification
Non-Formal
Education
Occurs in
planned
activities
Not Explicitly
designated as
learning
Typically does
Not Lead to
Certification

23. This ‘third way’ is already
mainstream
23

24. This ‘third way’ is already
mainstream
24

25. What is a Course?
25
occurs in
organized and
structured
environment
occurs in
planned
activities
under the
direction
(supervision &
control) of an
instructor
under the
(supervision &
control) of the
learner
Teaching
(course)
Self-Directed
Learning
formal
semi-formal

26. What kind of Certification?
26
Typically Leads
to Certification
Accredited
Non-
Accredited

27. Recognition and Assessment
is impossible without a currency
Key Concepts
27

28. Currency is issued
by authorised and
respected institutions
Key Concepts
28

29. The base currency of learning in
Europe is ECTS
Key Concepts
29

30. 31
European Qualifications
Framework
adapts
defines Malta Qualifications
Framework
Recipe for different
qualifications
# of
ECTS
learning
outcomes
level
Degrees
Diplomas
Specialisations
Certificates

31. Best Indicator of a Quality
Qualification
is a Quality Institution
Key Concepts
32

32. Overview of the Maltese System

33. True student choice requires
trusted qualifications
Key Concepts
34

34. Overview of the Maltese System
SEMI-FORMAL
PATHWAY

35. Quality teaching involves determing
fitness for purpose
Key Concepts
36

36. Overview of the Maltese System

37. Scenarios Enabled by
Accreditation
38

38. Scenarios enabled by Accreditation
39

39. 40
Looking Forward to the debate
Anthony F. Camilleri – anthony@knowledgeinnnovation.eu
http://www.slideshare.net/anthonycamilleri