Title: Unit 3: Quality in Technology-Mediated Education
Course: Quality Assurance of Blended and Online Learning > Section: Quality in Technology-Mediated Education

Models, frameworks, and design factors that affect quality in blended, distance, and online learning environments.

Learning Journey

There are four units in this course, and each explores a specific aspect of principles and practices involved in assessing learners online. Let's now look at Unit 3. Quality and Quality Assurance in Education (Completed) Methods and Tools of Quality Assurance (Completed) Quality in Technology-mediated Education (Up next) COL's Quality Assurance Tools (Upcoming) 1 2 3 4

Migration source: module15/p75

Unit 3: Quality in Technology-mediated Education

Introduction Education is increasingly mediated by technology, despite the apparent resistance to embrace technology from many educational institutions and the wide differences in learners' access to relevant technology. The Covid-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions on movement and physical contact resulted in the sudden and unplanned closure of educational institutions for the greater part of 2020. This development catalysed the adoption and use of technology to support new forms of teaching and learning. However, it cannot be overemphasised that education institutions had started using technology for teaching and learning long before Covid-19. Virtually all institutions in all countries had already started tinkering with one form of technology or another to try and enhance the quality of teaching and learning. The advent of Covid-19 catalysed this practice. This development brought quality issues to the fore, as many people raised concerns about how learning was taking place using technology.

Migration source: module15/p09

Unit 3: Quality in Technology-mediated Education (Continued)

In this unit, we will learn about the different models and frameworks for quality assuring technology-mediated education. These models will show you important aspects of technology-mediated teaching and learning that should be quality assured.

Migration source: module15/p10

Learning Objectives: Methods and Tools of Quality Assurance

Upon completion of this unit, you are expected to be able to:
- Identify and explain the different types of technology-mediated delivery modes used in teaching and learning
- Explain quality issues that are involved in technology-supported educational delivery
- Describe the various models and frameworks for assuring the quality of blended and online learning
- Apply some of the models and frameworks for the quality assurance of blended and online learning

Migration source: module15/p32

The Disruptive Nature of Technology in Education and Implications for Quality

Before going through this section, watch the following video that highlights the impact of technology on education.
Select Play to watch the video.
The video will open in another window.
Influence of Technology on Teaching and Learning video transcript.The transcript will open in another window.

Video Attribution: “Influence of Technology on Teaching and Learning” by Commonwealth of Learning is available under a CC BY-SA licence

Related links

- Open resource on col.org
- Open resource on creativecommons.org
- Watch video

Downloads

- influence of technology on teaching and learning a.pdf

Migration source: module15/p24

The Disruptive Nature of Technology in Education and Implications for Quality (Continued)

The use of technology in education is fast gaining currency. However, this phenomenon is not new, as various forms of technology have been in use in education for several decades. For example, the use of television and radio broadcasts to support distance learning. These technologies were popular in education in the 1960s (Nwaerondu & Thompson, 1987). They were followed by Computer-assisted Instruction (CAI), also known as Computer-based Training (CBT), which refers to instruction presented through a computer.

Migration source: module15/p12

The Disruptive Nature of Technology in Education and Implications for Quality (Continued)

Some of the positive features of Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) programmes are that they:​ Why are we discussing all these technologies from the past?
To answer this question, let's learn about how to use old and new technologies for learning. Interact with learners and can illustrate a concept through attractive animation, sound and demonstration
Provide immediate feedback, letting students know whether their answer is correct; if the answer is not correct, the programme shows students how to correctly answer the question
Allow students to progress at their own pace and work individually or solve problem in a group
Offer a different type of activity and a change of pace from teacher-led or group instruction (Wawasan Open University, n.d.)

Migration source: module15/p14

Using Old and New Technologies for Learning

In this unit, we will not focus on older educational technologies since they are no longer popular in teaching and learning. They have been replaced by new information and communication technologies that are Web based and that allow greater social interaction in the learning process. The point of mentioning the old technologies is to capture earlier principles of learning that seem to have spanned different generations of technology. These principles include: Communicating content to the learner Learner-centred approaches that promote active learning The importance of timely feedback The individual pace of learning These features have implications for the quality of learning and are still cherished where modern technologies are used in teaching and learning. Observing them in blended and online course design and delivery enhances the quality of technology-mediated learning.

Migration source: module15/p58

Strengthening the Quality of Technology-enabled Learning

Numerous frameworks for the quality assurance of technology-mediated teaching and learning are available. Many are already in use in many educational contexts. In fact, some of them developed out of practices in progressive institutions that showed concern about maintaining quality when using technology in teaching and learning. In this section, we cover examples of frameworks for assuring the quality of blended and online learning. We hope these frameworks will show you how quality can be built into the design and delivery of blended and online teaching and learning.

Migration source: module15/p57

Quality in Online Programmes and Courses

Although certain generic quality aspects apply to all modes of delivery, there are unique aspects peculiar to blended and online learning. Where learners learn for part or all of their study time away from the teacher and using technology, there are additional quality aspects that have to be considered to ensure that effective learning takes place. Select each tab to view some examples along with quality assurance (QA) guidelines and criteria.
Examples of these aspects are:
- The types of learning resources learners engage with
- Learning activities they do
- The motivation provided to learners
- The feedback they receive while learning independently

Such aspects need clear quality guidelines whenever technology-mediated learning is used.
Many quality assurance guidelines and criteria have been developed for online learning. Some of these quality criteria were developed through practice, others out of researching good practice. Based on their review of the quality assessment of distance and online delivery in a large number of institutions around the world, Jung and Latchem (2012) conceptualised the following points about the quality assurance of distance and online learning:
- Focus on outcomes as the leading measure of quality
- Take a systemic approach to quality assurance
- See QA as a process of continuous improvement
- Move the institution from external controls to an internal culture of quality
- Poor quality has very high costs, so investment in quality is worthwhile (Jung & Latchem, 2012)

Migration source: module15/p17

Quality in Online Programmes and Courses: The Common Trend

The common trend in most institutions is that more and more of the good-quality programmes traditionally offered face-to-face and formally accredited are being moved to blended and online delivery modes. This transition is not necessarily matched by corresponding quality assurance processes that ensure the quality of provisioning remains high. Either institutions are in too much of a hurry to pay particular attention to quality or there is a lack of capacity to quality assure such technology-mediated learning. The result is a watering down of the quality of educational offerings, which, in turn, has a negative impact on public perceptions of these technology-enhanced delivery modes. In many countries, there is growing public concern about the quality of programmes that are offered fully online. In this unit, we emphasise the importance of implementing rigorous quality assurance measures for all aspects of blended and online delivery.

Migration source: module15/p15

Tony Bates's Nine Steps to Quality Teaching in a Digital Age

In Unit 1 of this course, we highlighted the contested nature of quality, especially in education. Our understanding of quality has implications for how we quality assure learning, even when we use technology. Bates (2019) argues that quality in learning means using teaching methods that successfully help learners develop the knowledge and skills they will require in a digital age. His view of quality is that it should be linked to learning outcomes, which, in turn, should be linked to the demands of the digital age. The following five aspects form what he considers to be the foundations for quality teaching in an institution: Download the PDF to learn more about these aspects.
- Institutional and degree accreditation
- Internal (academic) quality assurance processes
- Differences in quality assurance between traditional classroom teaching and online and distance education
- The relationship between quality assurance processes and learning outcomes
- “Quality assurance fit for purpose” — meeting the goals of education in a digital age (Bates, 2015)

Migration source: module15/p59

Tony Bates's Nine Steps to Quality Teaching in a Digital Age (Continued)

To enhance quality in technology-mediated learning, Bates proposes using a nine-step approach that helps improve the quality of the design of blended and online programmes: Step 1:
Decide how you want to teach. Download the PDF to learn more about these steps and the Quality message. Although the nine steps are given in linear form, in practice, they actually operate in parallel. For in-depth discussion on the nine steps, we recommend you spend some time on Chapter 12 of Tony Bates's book Teaching in a Digital Age. Step 2:
Decide on mode of delivery. Step 3:
Work in a team. Step 4:
Set appropriate learning goals. Step 5:
Master the technology. Step 6:
Build on existing resources. Step 7:
Design the course structure and learning activities. Step 8:
Communicate, communicate, communicate. Step 9:
Evaluate and innovate.

Related links

- Open resource on pressbooks.bccampus.ca

Migration source: module15/p65

Jisc's Model of Effective Practice with E-learning

What are your institution's strategic aims for learning, teaching and assessment?
What points for improvement have been identified in programme/module reviews or external inspection reports?
What learning outcomes are you trying to achieve?
In what context will the learning take place?
What technologies are available to enhance learning?
What support do you need?
What do you already do well?
In their guide Designing Learning and Assessment in a Digital Age, Jisc gives a useful framework for how to achieve quality in blended and online learning. The organisation encourages designers to think of the following questions whenever they design online learning: Here is where you can access the guide Designing Learning and Assessment in a Digital Age.

Related links

- Open resource on jisc.ac.uk

Migration source: module15/p04

Jisc's Model of Effective Practice with E-learning (Continued)

By answering the above questions, you clarify the approach you choose to use in your blended or online course. The model provides a four-stage process that a provider should go through in planning for online learning. These stages are:

Figure 5. The four-stage process (Ferrell et al., 2018)

Download the PDF to learn more about the four stages.

Migration source: module15/p13

Jisc's Model – A Good Example

The Jisc model is a good example of the importance of planning when an institution goes the blended or online route. Such technology-enhanced learning should not be introduced overnight, without any pre-planning. Quality online learning requires thorough planning and then constant review once programmes are rolled out.

Migration source: module15/p03

Badrul Khan's Eight-dimensional E-learning Framework

Khan (2001) believes that when using technology in teaching and learning, one has to carefully analyse how to use the attributes of the Internet and digital technologies in conjunction with instructional design principles. The interplay of digital technologies and the instructional design principles used gives rise to a particular online environment that can be conducive to or a constrain to learning. Thus, knowledge of the affordances of available technologies and of appropriate learning design principles is important if one is to create an enabling online learning environment for a distributed class. It is always useful to consider some of the issues that affect the design of an online learning environment. According to Khan, important factors that affect the quality of online courses include pedagogical, technological, interface design, evaluation, management, resource support, ethical and institutional factors (Khan, 2010). These factors constitute Khan's Eight-Dimensional e-Learning Framework, which is illustrated in Figure 6.

Figure 6. An octagon with the word "e-learning" in the middle. Each edge is labelled with the following: Pedagogical, technological, interface design, evaluation, management, resource support, ethical, and institutional.

Download the PDF to learn more about the eight dimensions.

Source: "E-learning, blended learning framework and model" by Khan (2001) is licensed under a CC BY-SA 3.0 licence.

Related links

- Open resource on commons.wikimedia.org
- Open resource on creativecommons.org

Migration source: module15/p61

Community of Inquiry Framework in Online Learning

To maximise learning gains and motivate learners to engage with content, learning should be designed in such a way that social presence, teaching presence and cognitive presence become essential elements that facilitate successful educational experiences in online distance learning environments. Technologies that are available today, like screencasts and voiceover recordings, have immense potential that introduces social and teacher presence. For online learning to be effective, learners need to make adjustments with respect to these three presences. Download the PDF to know what adjustments learners need to make.

Figure 7. A Venn diagram depicting the three types of presences in an online learning environment.

(Source: Garrison et al., 1999).

Migration source: module15/p62

Community of Inquiry Framework in Online Learning (Continued)

Drawing on available technologies will facilitate deep learning by bringing together these three presences in online learning experiences. We need to mention that technical skills to use these technologies appropriately are needed if the benefits are to be realised. Figure 7 illustrates the interplay of the three presences in an online learning environment.

Figure 7. A Venn diagram depicting the three types of presences in an online learning environment.

(Source: Garrison et al., 1999).

Migration source: module15/p18

Community of Inquiry Framework in Online Learning (Continued)

Of importance to note is that the three presences illustrated in Figure 7 are actually underpinned by learning theories that advocate for learning as:
- a social activity, an activity that at some point requires the support of a more knowledgeable other (Aminesh & Asl, 2015) and
- a cognitive process that involves organising knowledge, information processing and decision-making (Asubel et al., 1979).

In online learning, students direct and take responsibility for their own learning. They collaborate with their peers, their teacher and other relevant people in their environment, and in the process, they construct and confirm meaning. The Community of Inquiry Framework clearly shows key learning components technology should facilitate in an online environment. The design of such learning is therefore critical if the technology is to leverage deep learning.​

Migration source: module15/p21

Quality Standards for Online Learning

In addition to the quality frameworks, a lot of work has been done to develop quality standards and criteria that are used to assure the quality of technology-mediated teaching and learning.

Migration source: module15/p22

National Standards for Quality Online Teaching (iNACOL)

One of the important quality standard frameworks for online teaching and learning, which has been widely used in the United States of America (USA), is the National Standards for Quality Online Teaching. These standards are one of three sets within the National Standards for Quality Online Learning, which also include the National Standards for Quality Online Courses (2011) and the National Standards for Quality Online Programmes (2009). The quality standards, which are illustrated in Figure 8, were developed by a group of American non-profit organisations with an interest in promoting the quality of online education. These organisations, which included Quality Matters (QM) and the Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance (VLLA), led a broad-based effort to revise and maintain the National Standards for Quality Online Learning, building upon the work started by the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL, 2011).

Figure 8: National Standards for Quality Online Learning (Source: International Association for K-12 Online Learning, 2022).

Migration source: module15/p08

National Standards for Quality Online Teaching (iNACOL) (Continued)

The purpose of these standards is to help educational institutions evaluate and improve online courses, online teaching and online programmes. Although they were developed for the K-12 system in the United States of America (USA), which is at the schooling level, the three sets of quality standards can also be used at the tertiary level. Each defined quality standard has a number of indicators under it, which guide the user in identifying the key ingredients of the quality standard. In this course, we focus on the National Standards for Quality Online Teaching (NSQOT). The NSQOT are organised into the following eight categories, each of which has a set of indicators. To help you understand the NSQOT better, we give some more details about what is included under each of the eight categories listed above. The content in this section is paraphrased from the National Standards for Quality Online Teaching: Version 2 (2011). Standard A:
Professional
Responsibilities
Standard B:
Digital
Pedagogy
Standard C:
Community
Building
Standard D:
Learner
Engagement
Standard E:
Digital
Citizenship
Standard F:
Diverse
Instruction
Standard G:
Assessment and Measurement
Standard H:
Instructional
Design

Migration source: module15/p28

Learning Journey

Under this standard, the online teacher is expected to demonstrate professional responsibilities in keeping with the best practices of online instruction (National Standards for Quality Online Teaching, 2019, p. 8). There are nine indicators under this standard, which guide users on what is expected under the standard. Examples of aspects included in some of the indicators are that the online teacher: 1 Should be a reflective practitioner 2 Pursues knowledge and skills related to online pedagogy 3 Serves as an ambassador of knowledge to stakeholders 4 Demonstrates knowledge of the role of online learning in preparing learners to participate as global citizens 5 Demonstrates an understanding of effective time management strategies (National Standards for Quality Online Teaching, 2019, p. 8)

Migration source: module15/p16

Standard B: Digital Pedagogy

In this standard, the online teacher is expected to employ sound digital pedagogy to facilitate teacher presence, social presence and learner presence. There are five indicators under this standard, stating the online teacher should: 1
Use digital pedagogical tools that promote effective communications and interaction
2
Use appropriate technologies and resources that meet the needs of individual learners
3
Use digital tools to motivate learners and monitor their engagement with the course
4
Support learners by addressing basic technical challenges faced by learners in a timely way
5
Create a safe digital learning environment for all learners, which entails knowledge of online learning etiquette

Migration source: module15/p06

Standard C: Community Building

Good practice in this standard entails facilitating interactions and collaboration to build a supportive online community that fosters active learning. Under this quality standard are five indicators: Using learner-centred approaches in teaching Setting norms and expectations for online interactions Managing learners of diverse cultural backgrounds to create an online learning community Promoting the development of higher-order thinking skills among learners Meeting the learning needs of learners from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds

Migration source: module15/p26

Standard D: Learner Engagement

The essence of this standard is for the online teacher to promote learner success through interacting with learners and other stakeholders and facilitating meaningful learner engagement in learning activities. The learner engagement standard has seven indicators that show what the online teacher should consider when planning learner engagement: 1 Using digital tools that help promote individual learner's growth 2 Promoting learner agency 3 Enabling a learner-customised pace of learning and meeting learners' needs 4 Using various forms of communication to forge positive teacher–learner relationships 5 Promoting learning by providing timely feedback 6 Providing sufficient learning resources and ensuring that learners perform their tasks well and in time 7 Regular communication with stakeholders on learner progress and on strategies for supporting learner engagement

Migration source: module15/p01

Standard E: Digital Citizenship

This standard is about modelling, guiding and encouraging legal, ethical and safe behaviour related to technology use. The four indicators included under this quality standard are that the online teacher should: Facilitate learning experiences that model and promote digital citizenship Establish standards for learner behaviour that are designed to ensure academic integrity and appropriate use of the Internet and that adhere to programme-level policies Model and comply with intellectual property policies and fair-use standards, and reinforce their use by learners Implements policies, including federal, state and programme-level policies. This last indicator is particularly applicable to the American context, for which the guidelines were specifically developed, although it may also be relevant in some other contexts

Migration source: module15/p68

Standard F: Diverse Instruction

This standard states that the online teacher should personalise instruction based on the learners' diverse academic, social and emotional needs. It is about customising instruction to suit the needs of a wide range of learners in a course. There are seven indicators under this standard:​ 1. Monitoring learner progress with a view to providing timely support to those that need it, including learners with special needs 2. Identifying and implementing any changes required to accommodate the needs of learners 3. Making use of student data to identify the kind of support students need 4. Providing learning materials in various formats to cater for different student needs 5. Bringing in assistive technology to support learners with special needs 6. Providing for learners' growth and enrichment 7. Providing a forum for sharing and promoting the varied skills learners bring to the online learning environment

Migration source: module15/p07

Standard G: Assessment and Measurement

This standard addresses the systematic measuring of student performance. The online teacher creates and/or implements assessments in online learning environments in ways that ensure the validity and reliability of the assessment instruments and procedures. The teacher measures learner progress through assessments, projects and assignments that meet standards-based learning goals and evaluates learner understanding of how these assessments measure achievement of the learning objectives. The seven indicators defined under this standard are: 1
Use of appropriate assessment tools that allow students to demonstrate mastery of content
2
Validity and reliability of assessment
3
Promotion of learner integrity and security of assessment
4
Use of a variety of assessment strategies
5
Use of both formative and summative assessment
6
Alignment between assignments, assessments and course outcomes
7
Using assessment data to inform personalised instruction

Migration source: module15/p27

Standard H: Instructional Design

The last standard is on the design of instruction, and it states that the online teacher curates and creates instructional materials, tools, strategies and resources to engage all learners and ensure the achievement of their academic goals. It has the following six indicators: 1. Learning experiences are designed in such a way that learners use technology to effectively engage with content.
2. A formative approach is used to design the learning process.
3. Multimedia is incorporated in designing learning.
4. Subject-specific and developmentally appropriate digital learning resources are built into online learning modules.
5. Online courses are reviewed regularly to ensure alignment with learning outcomes and course expectations.
6. Course content is aligned with associated standards-based learning goals.
The National Standards for Quality Online Teaching are user-friendly in that they are stated in an unambiguous style, they have easy-to-follow indicators, and examples are given for each indicator in order to make the application of the standards easy.

Migration source: module15/p19

ENQA Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance

To support quality assurance agencies in evaluating online courses and help institutions design high-quality e-learning courses, the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) working group on quality assurance and e-learning developed a set of quality guidelines. The working group started by systematically examining both the applicability and the relevance of existing standards as defined in the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education et al., 2015).

Migration source: module15/p23

ENQA Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (Continued)

The result of the systematic review was two sets of related quality guidelines and standards, one for institutions (Considerations for Higher Education Institutions) and the other for external quality agencies (Considerations for QA Agencies). The former guidelines were mainly aimed at enhancing the internal quality assurance processes of institutions, and the latter were meant to be used for external quality assurance processes. For each standard, specific elements of e-learning that should be considered were identified, while indicators for fulfilling the standard in question were also given. Download the PDF to view elaborate explanations for each quality standard and its quality indicators.

Migration source: module15/p02

Use of Quality Standards and Criteria

It is one thing to have quality standards in place and another to use them in ways that make a difference in the quality of online or blended learning. Effective use of quality standards should always happen at the smallest academic level, on a regular basis and in a systematic way. Academics who design, develop and deliver courses should use quality standards to check the efficacy of their work. They can do this individually or as a small departmental team or even with a colleague. Let's recall what you learned about peer reviews in Unit 1.

Migration source: module15/p63

Use of Quality Standards and Criteria (Continued)

Peer-reviews
As you learned in Unit 1, peer reviews are an important quality enhancement approach at an institution. Using quality standards and criteria in conducting such peer reviews will go a long way in improving the quality of blended and online learning, and of any delivery mode, for that matter. When such self-reviews take place from the lowest academic levels, quality assurance becomes an organic process in an institution, with academics assuming full ownership of the process. This enacts a quality culture in the institution where nothing passes through the cracks without undergoing quality scrutiny. Where there is a vibrant quality assurance academy, the quality standards become dynamic instruments that are constantly improved to keep them relevant. For the quality assurance regime of an educational institution to be complete, as was highlighted in Unit 1, internal quality assurance needs to be supported by external quality assurance processes. The latter also makes use of agreed quality standards to review institutional processes and confirm that arrangements for acceptable quality assurance are implemented in an institution.

Migration source: module15/p25

Quality Assuring Technology-mediated Teaching and Learning

To consolidate what you have learned in this unit, watch the following video to get hints on how to quality assure technology-mediated learning.
Select Play to watch the video.
The video will open in another window.
Quality Assuring Technology-mediated Teaching and Learning video transcript. The transcript will open in another window.

Video Attribution: “Quality Assuring Technology-mediated Teaching and Learning” by Commonwealth of Learning is available under a CC BY-SA licence

Related links

- Open resource on col.org
- Open resource on creativecommons.org
- Watch video

Downloads

- quality assuring technology mediated teaching lear.pdf

Migration source: module15/p20

Summary

In this unit, we learned about the different quality frameworks and quality standards and criteria we can use to strengthen the quality of blended and online learning. Let's review the key learning points we covered along the way. Select each number to recall the learning journey.
Tony Bates' Nine-step Framework gives the stages you should go through when you want to deliver technology-mediated learning. The Jisc Model of Effective Practice with e-learning gives seven guiding questions you should seek to answer when you design for online learning. Badrul Khan's Eight-dimensional E-learning Framework gives you key quality dimensions to consider in order to enhance the quality of online learning. The Community of Inquiry Framework in Online Learning developed by Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2000) emphasises the role of social presence, teaching presence and cognitive presence in online teaching and learning. You also learned about quality standards and guidelines for quality assuring blended and online learning. The National Standards for Quality Online Teaching (iNACOL) gave you valuable hints on quality guidelines and standards you can use to enhance the quality of your technology-enhanced offerings. The ENQA Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance developed for the European higher education system also provided you with useful quality guidelines for blended and online learning. The main message in this Unit is that there are various quality frameworks and quality standards and criteria for ensuring the quality of blended and online learning. You should draw on these resources to enhance the quality of your technology-mediated courses. Do not compromise the quality of provision, as this erodes the value of education.

Migration source: module15/p29