Quality Assurance in Open and Distance Education: Experience from Universitas Terbuka

Purpose: This article discusses quality assurance in the teaching process with open and distance methods that are offered by Universitas Terbuka. Approach: This article is the result of a study with a qualitative approach conducted at Universitas Terbuka. Primary data is obtained from the results of interviews with several heads of study programs, heads of UT branches in the region area, auditors of quality management, and observations in the field. Secondary data includes UT policy documents, related research, and other literature studies. Findings: The conclusion of this study were: 1). UT develops quality through the development of distance learning management standards implemented in 39 UT branches (Distance Learning Program Unit / Unit Program Belajar Jarak Jauh/UPBJJ) with reference to ISO 9001: 2015 standards; and the development of the academic management standards of the Study Program with reference to the Higher Education National Standards set by the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education. 2). The application of quality assurance opens opportunities for continuous improvement, which drives innovation in distance education, according to the needs of the community. Implications of this study are: 1). UT needs to further examine the effectiveness of quality assurance in teaching innovation and the implementation of open and distance education; 2). UT needs to conduct a comparative study on the implementation of quality assurance and continuous improvement of face-to-face universities in Indonesia and other countries that apply open and distance educatio

The Role of Universitas Terbuka-Indonesia in Improving Higher Education Services in Indonesia

This study examines UT Indonesia's experience and learning in an effort to expand the quantity and improve the quality of higher education in Indonesia. The aim is to comprehensively analyze the role of UT Indonesia in providing higher education services, increasing the outreach of higher education, and quality assurance. This study uses literature studies to assess, critique, and synthesize literature on research topics that allow for the emergence of new theoretical frameworks and perspectives. The review process includes four phases: design, implementation, analysis, and finally writing a review. Studies show that UT Indonesia has a very important role in optimizing the field of higher education for the community. UT's excellence as a distance university is largely determined by the quality of service in the form of student satisfaction. In addition, with the characteristics of the distance education system, UT can be considered as a solution to various educational problems, especially those related to equity and democratization of education, as well as expanding access to quality education for all levels of society across time and space. Lastly, high-tech learning models and quality assurance systems can be implemented based on ICT. It is important to use a quality circle approach in developing DE courses and learning materials for students. UT has an important role in improving the accessibility and quality of ICT-based education in Indonesia because of its cost effectiveness and flexibility in the implementation of learning

Quality enhancement for e-learning courses: the role of student feedback

The collection of student feedback is seen as a central strategy to monitor the quality and standards of teaching and learning in Higher Education Institutions. The increasing use of technology to support face-to-face, blended and distance courses has led managers as well as practitioners to become increasingly concerned to identify appropriate ways of assuring the quality of this e-learning provision. This paper presents a study of the collection of student feedback in higher education elearning courses and the use of this feedback for quality assurance and enhancement. We carried out a series of case studies of the procedures in place in four e-learning courses, and in each case study we collected the quality assurance documentation and interviewed stakeholders (administrators, educational technologists, tutors and students). The comparative examination of these two sets of data showed that the main strategies for collecting student feedback - module evaluations and student representation - were both strongly affected by the distinctive features of the mode of delivery in e-learning courses, and as a consequence they were not able to adequately support quality enhancement. The remote location of the students impacted on both student representation and on the response rates for module evaluations. The enhancement function of the module evaluations were adversely affected by lack of appropriate course management arising from the disaggregation of course processes and the resulting ambiguity in the allocation of responsibilities

E-xcellence methodology: lessons learned over ten years of development and implementation

The E xcellence methodology for quality assurance of e learning in higher education has developed into a flexible and effective approach to quality assurance. It has proved suitable to meet the needs of a diverse range of institutions and national quality assurance regimes, and is applicable to both distance and blended modes. The E xcellence resources (http://e-xcellencelabel.eadtu.eu/) include a quality manual, guidance for institutions and assessors, and an online Quick Scan self-evaluation tool. The manual was updated in 2012 and 2016 to reflect evolving changes in practice. The E-xcellence methodology provides 35 benchmark statements, grouped under six headings: Strategic Management, Curriculum Design, Course Design, Course Delivery, Staff Support and Student Support. Higher education institutions self-assess their capabilities against each of the benchmark statements on a four-point scale. They also prepare a roadmap of future actions which can be mapped to benchmark statements. A visit by external reviewers enriches and complements the self-assessment. This study is based on an analysis of E xcellence self-evaluations and roadmaps at twenty higher education institutions. Tabulating those benchmarks that are rated as not yet adequate, and those which attract the most planned actions, highlights the aspects that institutions have found most challenging as they develop and implement online and blended learning programmes. This profiling exercise indicates that institutions regard issues of strategy, curriculum design and staff support as presenting the greatest challenges. Particular problems include staff workload and developing an online academic community for students. In contrast, the provision of reliable IT systems and hardware is unproblematic

Challenges of Implementing Quality Assurance Systems in Blended Learning in Uganda: The Need for An Assessment Framework

In order to deal with the increasing demand for higher education against acute shortages of academic staff and infrastructure in the growing numbers of institutions of higher learning, some of the campus-based face to face institutions are now turning to blended learning, “a convergence of distance learning and conventional learning,” modes of delivery to their students in the campuses. This paper uses the case of Uganda in discussing issues confronting institutions of higher learning in their efforts to provide opportunity for the increasing demand for higher education while at the same time trying to maintain quality of instruction for large classes. The methodology employed in this study was entirely literature-based. Blended learning is described with examples of its application referenced to existing programmes at some universities. A discussion of the challenges of implementing quality assurance systems is included. The paper concludes with the need for an assessment framework and a summary of the plausible proposals for ensuring quality in the delivery blended learning.Keywords: Blended Learning, Quality Assurance, Assessment Framework, Ugand

The Quest for Quality Assurance in Open and Distance Learning Practice in Tanzania

Open and Distance Learning rather than conventional learning, commands a higher potential in engendering a knowledgeable society and related socio–economic transformation benefits. Using desktop survey methods, the study has identified ODL providers in the country, assessed the scope of programmes being offered, performance, and the nature of quality assurance mechanisms in place. It was found that in spite of the liberalisation of educational delivery in Tanzania, ODL provision is still carried out mostly by public institutions like Moshi University College of Cooperative and Business Studies (MUCCOBS), Institute of Adult Education (IAE), The Open University of Tanzania (OUT) and the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM). The potential of these and other ODL providers in the country to promote mass access to quality education at all levels of the education system has hardly been tapped due to policy and resource limitations. Although each institution has put in place internal quality assurance mechanisms and structures for peer review, mechanism for accreditation by independent and competent ODL organisation is yet to be put in place. Lack of a National ODL Policy or even a pressure group to provide guidance on the procedures for putting in place and managing quality structures effectively, account for this significant lacuna in ODL practice in Tanzania. Besides examining the implication of this situation, the paper proposes measures to redress it.Keywords: Quality Assurance, Open and Distance Learning (ODL

The standard measurement in online learning: a rubric as a focus on teaching-learning practices to move up quality education

The main objective of this paper is to facilitate the 21st century’s quality assurance for learning and distance learning to measure learning outcomes and enable students to achieve skills and knowledge in global transformative education. Technologies in education have provided a common platform for transforming education into online learning practices throughout the global COVID-19 affliction. Accordingly, the transformation of modern technologies in education has opened up many challenges and reliability issues in teaching and learning processes. The paper highlights the rethinking of rubric perceptions, uses, and design in learning, including online learning, in an interactive way to promote quality education. The research methodology involved a systematic review of the literature and data analysis synthesized using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Rubrics, as an influential assessment instrument in learning, have been applied along with standardizing the quality of students in higher education for almost three decades globally. This study is significant in focusing on the rubric, the practical instrument, which is helpful for great accomplishments and challenging skills, and creativity in tertiary education. Well-designed and carefully designed rubrics and e-rubrics help students become more rational judges of the quality of their work by identifying the essential criteria and targeting the goals and learning outcomes of education. Rubrics enhance students\u27 competency to communicate their ideas effectively, which correlates with the standard of sustainable quality education. Further examination of the rubric is needed to identify the challenges of reliability and authenticity in digital education

Review Study on E- Learning in Higher Education Administration and Management

Traditional learning methods like classroom teaching and distance learning have their own limitations. Current educational trends, the emergence of the knowledge society, societal changes, and globalization influenced the higher education at the greater level and thus resulted in a quality education and quality assurance, the transformation of the education system and changes in teaching and learning approaches like virtual learning and more technologically enhanced learning. Among a wide range of ICT tools, Learning Management System has been introduced to academic institutions and industries not more than two decades. It is an effort which points towards the role of the LMS in teaching and learning pedagogy, access and flexibility, and cost effectiveness in higher education and it is suggested for higher education institutions to integrate the LMS into their teaching and learning process in order to achieve effective learning outcome. It allows the users to experience meaningful learning by different learning styles, matching individual’ Sneed, self-paced learning, and promoting lifelong learning. Most significantly, Learning Management System has provided easy access to and thus promoted flexibility in learning that one can learn from anywhere and at any time without place and time constraints. Learning provided through Information Technology (IT), to some extent ensures high quality learning by providing necessary information at a convenient place and suitable time. It is clearly observed that e-Learning emphasizes on quality and effective presentation of information. E-learning is a technology which supports teaching and learning via a computer and the web technology. It bridges the gap between a teacher and a student in two different geographical locations. Advancement in internet and multimedia technology is the basic enable for e-learning. E-learning applications facilitate online access to learning content and administration. This paper presents literature based study only

Examination of the QM Process: Making A Case for Transformative Professional Development Model

Distance learning has altered the landscape of higher education, and the rapid proliferation of online courses and programs present new challenges for both faculty and administrators. The literature suggests that faculty must have a wide range of technical and pedagogical skills to be successful online teachers (Betts, 2009; Koehler, Mishra, & Yahya, 2007; Puzziferro & Shelton, 2009). To ensure quality and consistency of online courses, many universities have adopted an industry-standard, quality assurance review framework. In this case, faculty members are required to attend a basic professional development seminar outlining the parts of the rubric and the submission and review process. The study attempts to answer the question: To what extent does the use of an industry-standard, quality assurance rubric for online course evaluation generate any noticeable transformation in the instructional practices of college faculty members? Using the theoretical lens of Transformative Learning Theory (Mezirow, 1991), a qualitative document analysis (Bowen, 2009) was used to examine the Quality Matters™ reviews of 32 online courses. Findings show a high degree of consistency within the course designs, solid alignment between learning outcomes, assignments, and assessments, and standard elements within the course presentations. Using an industry-standard rubric is a good first step for faculty development, but it is not sufficient to produce significant and transformational changes in online teaching practices. The authors suggest a stronger focus on professional development that requires systematic reflection on the design, development, and delivery processes as a way to transform instructional practice