Title: Unit 4: COL's QA Tools
Course: Quality Assurance of Blended and Online Learning > Section: COL's QA Tools

Commonwealth of Learning quality-assurance instruments and their application to institutional and course practice.

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 4. Quality and Quality Assurance in Education (Completed) Methods and Tools of Quality Assurance (Completed) Quality in Technology-mediated Education (Completed) COL's Quality Assurance Tools (Up next) 1 2 3 4

Migration source: module05/p02

Unit 4: COL's Quality Assurance Tools

Introduction Over the years, Commonwealth of Learning (COL) has supported many institutions and governments across the Commonwealth countries in adopting quality assurance practices for distance and online learning. This is mainly because of the organisation's commitment to not only support access to education but also ensure that the education provided is of good quality. Through its quality-support work, COL has developed several tools that are meant to be used by institutions to enhance educational quality. These tools are openly licensed and therefore free for use by anyone to enhance the quality of education. Familiarisation with these tools will help you save time by avoiding reinventing the wheel, as you can simply adapt the existing tools for your purposes. This unit has five sections that highlight some of COL's quality assurance (QA) tools. The sections guide you on how to use these tools effectively in enhancing the quality of technology-mediated teaching and learning. For each tool covered in the unit, there is a video that explains the features of the tools and how you can use them.

Migration source: module05/p17

Learning Objectives: COL's Quality Assurance Tools

Upon completion of this unit, you are expected to be able to:
- Recognise the features of the quality assurance guidelines and tools offered by Commonwealth of Learning(COL)
- Critically examine the process to adopt the guidelines for developing quality massive open online courses (MOOC's), open educational resources (OER) and blended learning
- Use the tools to improve the quality of technology-enabled learning

Migration source: module05/p03

Quality Assurance of MOOC's

Massive open online courses (MOOC's) have become very popular as educational innovations with great potential to increase access to and improve the quality of education. While there are some advantages of using MOOC's, there are certain limitations to their usage that you need to consider. Advantages
- MOOC's are short courses that one can complete over a fairly short space of time.
- They can be done at one’s own pace, and they have a lot of flexibility in terms of the time one can take to complete them.
- Also, people choose which MOOC's to take depending on their needs.

Limitations
- The opinion is divided on the quality of MOOC's, especially given that learning is entirely independent, with no support.
- One of the main concerns raised about MOOC's is the extremely low completion rate.

It is in light of these concerns that Commonwealth of Learning (COL) has developed quality guidelines that can be used by various stakeholders with an interest in MOOC's – to improve the quality assurance of such innovations. Here is where you can download a copy of Guidelines for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of MOOC's [PDF].

Related links

- Open resource on oasis.col.org

Migration source: module05/p07

Key Features of the Guidelines

The Guidelines are explicit on the purpose and perspective of massive open online courses (MOOC's) as key variables determining how the quality of a massive open online course (MOOC) is perceived. Purpose refers to the reasons the MOOC has been developed and facilitated, and perspective refers to who is measuring the quality (COL, 2016). Different stakeholders have different interests and expectations of these MOOC's. It was, therefore, necessary to make the distinction between varied stakeholder interests in the development of the guide so as to have guidelines that speak to the different stakeholders such as governments, accreditation agencies, institutions and learners.

Migration source: module05/p18

Key Features of the Guidelines: Quality Metrics

In developing the guidelines, a range of metrics that can be used to measure quality at different stages of the massive open online course (MOOC) lifecycle is identified. These metrics are classified into three categories: before taking the MOOC (presage metrics), during the course of taking the MOOC (process metrics) and after taking the MOOC (product metrics). Measures for each of the stakeholders are therefore defined under each of the three metrics.
Select the icons to know when each metric is used.
Presage Metrics Process Metrics Product Metrics These are used to measure quality before learning. Typical metrics include instructional design quality and media quality. These metrics measure quality during learning. These metrics are not as well developed as presage metrics but offer real insight into whether the MOOC supports learning.
These metrics measure quality after learning. Typical measures include completion rates or employment statistics. These metrics are commonly used in conventional, campus-based education, but they are less useful for massive open online courses (MOOC's) (COL, 2016).
Download the PDF to view the guidelines for different stakeholders.

Migration source: module05/p20

Quality Assurance and Accreditation of MOOC's

Before going through this section, watch the following video which highlights the impact of technology on education.
Select Play to watch the video.
The video will open in another window.
Quality Assurance and Accreditation of massive open online courses (MOOC's) Video Transcript. The transcript will open in another window.

Video Attribution: “Quality Assurance and Accreditation of MOOCs” 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 assurance and accreditation of moocs acces.pdf

Migration source: module05/p08

Quality Assurance of Open Educational Resources

As the use of open educational resources (OER) became more and more prominent in education, Commonwealth of Learning (COL) developed a framework for quality assuring OER. The framework provides criteria that end-users, who may also be creators of OER, can use in deciding on the quality of OER. The development of the quality guidelines started with an extensive review of more than 30 frameworks/lists of criteria for quality assurance in related fields.

Migration source: module05/p21

Standards in the COL Quality Assurance for OER Tool

The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Quality Assurance for open educational resources (OER) Tool consists of 38 criteria grouped under four broad headings: 1. Teaching and learning 2. Information and content 3. Presentation 4. Technology Download the PDF to understand these criteria with the help of the TIPS Framework for OER Quality. Here is where you can view a copy of OER TIPS version 2.0.

Related links

- Open resource on oasis.col.org

Migration source: module05/p04

Quality Assurance for OER

The Toolkit has a four-point scale that can be used for reviewing open educational resources (OER): Not visible Shows little evidence Fairly demonstrates this criterion Very much demonstrates this criterion Developers of OER can also use the same scale to assure quality when they develop OER. The following video summarises what you have just learned about the quality assurance of OER. Select Play to watch the video.
The video will open in another window.
Quality Assurance Guidelines for OER Video Transcript.
The transcript will open in another window.

Video Attribution: “Quality Assurance for OER” 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

- col quality assurance guidelines for oer 147.pdf

Migration source: module05/p05

Quality Assurance of Blended Learning

As highlighted in Unit 1, blended learning refers to a whole range of ways in which people mix conventional face-to-face and online learning in a complementary manner. This mode of delivery is widely used in education, so it is important that rigorous quality assurance processes be implemented to ensure that the quality of education remains comparable to traditional face-to-face education. Commonwealth of Learning (COL) plays a key role in enhancing the quality of blended learning.

Migration source: module05/p24

Quality Assurance of Blended Learning (Continued)

The Quality Assurance (QA) Rubrics
Education institutions need to convince the public that going the blended route does not amount to neglecting students and reducing the amount of learning.
To support institutions in upholding the quality of the design and delivery of blended learning, Commonwealth of Learning (COL) developed a quality assurance tool for this mode of delivery, the Quality Assurance Rubric for Blended Learning. In this section, we highlight key features of the tool and how you can use it to enhance the quality of blended learning in your institution.

Migration source: module05/p26

Community of Inquiry Framework in Online Learning

The Quality Assurance Rubric for Blended Learning was developed by the Commonwealth of Learning as part of a bigger project implemented in East Africa, the Partnership for Enhanced Blended Learning (PEBL) project. The PEBL project involved supporting a network of institutions located in East Africa to move toward utilising more blended learning (Perris & Mohee, 2020). Here is where you can access the document Quality Assurance Rubric for Blended Learning. Download the PDF to know the purpose of the rubric.

Related links

- Open resource on oasis.col.org

Migration source: module05/p11

Rubric Guidelines – Formative and Summative Assessments

The rubric is meant to be used for doing both formative and summative assessment of a blended learning course. According to the rubric guidelines, it can be used from planning to implementation for a given blended learning course. Select each tab to understand the formative and summative assessments.
At the formative stage, the rubric can be used to ensure that various quality elements are being carefully considered, embedded and refined in a course that is being developed.
For example, course developers are reminded to build into their courses such critical aspects as:
- Defining appropriate learning outcomes that promote higher-order thinking skills
- Aligning course content, assessment and learning outcomes in the early stages of course development

At the summative assessment stage, a fully developed blended course can be reviewed by peers using the rubric, and areas that require improvement can be identified.

Migration source: module05/p27

Rubric: Four Qualifiers

Select the tabs to know when each qualifier is filled. This is filled in when the quality element has been fully achieved. This is filled in when the quality element is in progress. Testing is underway, and some updating has been carried out. This is filled in when no implementation has been carried out. This is filled in when the quality element is not applicable (or relevant). Like in many quality assurance criteria used for programme accreditation, the rubric has four qualifiers that serve as checks to verify whether a certain quality element has been met. These qualifiers are listed below.

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An Important Note on Rubric

- It is important to note that when you use the rubric to assess a blended course, quite a lot of qualitative data are collected. For example, improvements that are needed per quality element should be specified where the quality element is not fully met.
- A summary report should also be given at the end of each quality standard with recommendations for the overall improvement of the standard. Useful feedback is thereby provided based on the assessment results, which are used to improve the course.

Migration source: module05/p01

Quality Assurance Rubric for Blended Learning Courses

The following video consolidates what you have learned about assuring the quality of blended learning.
Select Play to watch the video.
The video will open in another window.

Quality Assurance Rubric for Blended Learning Courses Video Transcript.
The transcript will open in another window.

Video Attribution: “Quality Assurance Rubric for Blended Learning Courses” 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 assurance rubric for blended learning acce.pdf

Migration source: module05/p29

TEL Benchmarking Toolkit

The implementation of technology-enabled learning (TEL) has become mission-critical in many institutions as a way of ensuring the delivery of quality programmes and courses. Substantial investment is being made in mainstreaming technology in the teaching and learning processes. However, this is a new development that many staff and students are not yet familiar with. Ensuring institutional readiness for TEL is critical if the benefits of using this mode of delivery are to be achieved. To support institutions in achieving quality through benchmarking their TEL implementation, Commonwealth of Learning (COL) provides a TEL Benchmarking Toolkit. This toolkit is based on COL's three pillars for the successful implementation of TEL in an institution – Preparation, Development and Maturation.

Migration source: module05/p30

TEL Benchmarking Toolkit (Continued)

Three Pillars of Technology-Enabled Learning (TEL) Each phase of the toolkit is associated with activities that need to happen as the institution implements TEL, and these activities inform benchmark domains in the toolkit. Select each phase to expand it.
- Strengthening infrastructure
- Blended course development
- Blended courses in use

- Evaluation of blended learning
- Community of practice
- Benchmarking TEL

- Baseline survey
- Policy development
- Capacity building

Download the PDF for detailed information about the benefits, benchmarks and usage of the toolkit.

Migration source: module05/p06

Summary

In this Unit, we learned about the importance of improving the quality of your technology-enhanced teaching and learning through benchmarking. Let's review the key learning points we covered along the way. Select each icon to recall the learning journey.
Benchmarking is a quality process used to evaluate performance by comparing institutional practices to sector good practices in other institutions. COL developed the Benchmarking Toolkit for Technology-Enabled Learning (TEL), which you can use for benchmarking the implementation of TEL in your institution. This toolkit is based on the three pillars of Preparation, Development and Maturation. The toolkit consists of ten quality benchmarks, each with four to six performance indicators that can be scored on a five-point scale. Qualitative data can also be collected on performance indicators. Once all the indicators under each benchmark are scored, an average score for the benchmark is calculated and recorded on a Radar Chart. The summary scores for the benchmarks recorded on the chart give a clear picture of where improvements are needed in your institution. This information is also augmented by qualitative comments that are given in the Summary Comments, Reflections and Future Actions section of the toolkit.

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Summary (Continued)

Watch the following short video clip, which summarises the importance of benchmarking Technology-Enabled Learning (TEL) and how to use the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) benchmarking tool to enhance the quality of your blended and online learning.
Select Play to watch the video.
The video will open in another window.
Benchmarking of Technology-enabled Learning Video Transcript.
The transcript will open in another window.

Video Attribution: “Benchmarking of Technology-enabled 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

- benchmarking of technology enabled learning access.pdf

Migration source: module05/p34