Quality Assurance of Digital Education

Lessons from the Maltese Experience

Design Thinking

3

Does Digital Education need Quality Assurance & Accreditation?

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Purpose of Quality Assurance

accountability enhancementprovide 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)

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Trust is about Perception

Key Concepts

I don’t trust what

I don’t understan

d

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Trust is a Prerequisite

for recognition and portability

Key Concepts

Students should be able

to build up qualifications made up of

different credits from

many universities

Minister Bartolo

7

digital education ?education which occurs primarily

in a

digital space

can we trust

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digital is different and thus

not fullyunderstood or trusted

Key Concepts

9

What is different about digital technology?

anonymous distributed amorphous

borderless cheap scalable

10

ConcernsConcern: – Assessment cannot be

secured

Solution: – Specify methods of

assessment security– Specify methods of ensuring

student identity

anonymous

amorphous

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ConcernsConcern: - persons / organizations ‘escape’ QA

through unbundling

Solution: - check the profiles of all staff

involved: design, delivery, support- No distinction between

subcontractors and provider institutions

distributed

borderless

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ConcernsConcern: - no effective sanction against

abusers

Solution: - ultimate beneficial owner

disclosed- legal representative resident in

Malta- student records must be

physically stored in Malta

distributed

borderless

13

ConcernsConcern: - 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

cheap

scalable

14

Do we need new forms of accreditation for digital learning?

Subject toAccreditation

Subject toQuality Assurance

A Binary Choice?

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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

CertificationCEDEFOP

Definitions

A Simplified Typology of e-Learning

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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

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ObservationIn such a scenario

existing quality & accreditation instruments

suffice with small changes

Subject toAccreditation

18

Formal EducationOccurs 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

Recognition of Non-Form

al &

Informal Learning

Recognition of Non-Formal Learning is a potential avenuefor MOOC Certification

19

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Observation

Recognition of Non-Formal Learning

does not scale to millions of students

Subject toAccreditation

21

Formal EducationOccurs 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

Recognition of Non-Form

al &

Informal Learning

Are MOOCs Really Non-Formal?

Explicitly designated as learning

Subject toAccreditation

Subject toQuality Assurance

A Third Way

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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

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This ‘third way’ is already mainstream

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This ‘third way’ is already mainstream

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What is a Course?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

formalsemi-formal

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What kind of Certification?Typically Leads to Certification

Accredited

Non-Accredite

d

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Recognition and Assessment is impossible without a

currency

Key Concepts

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Currency is issuedby authorised and

respected institutions

Key Concepts

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The base currency of learning in Europe is ECTS

Key Concepts

31

European QualificationsFramework

adapts

defines Malta QualificationsFramework

Recipe for different qualifications

# ofECTS

learningoutcomes

level

DegreesDiplomas

SpecialisationsCertificates

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Best Indicator of a Quality Qualification

is a Quality Institution

Key Concepts

Overview of the Maltese System

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True student choice requirestrusted qualifications

Key Concepts

Overview of the Maltese System

SEMI-FORMALPATHWAY

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Quality teaching involves determing

fitness for purpose

Key Concepts

Overview of the Maltese System

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Scenarios Enabled by Accreditation

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Scenarios enabled by Accreditation

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Looking Forward to the debate

Anthony F. Camilleri – anthony@knowledgeinnnovation.eu http://www.slideshare.net/anthonycamilleri