1. Denise Kirkpatrick Pro Vice-Chancellor The Open University, UK Quality Assurance in Distance Education

2. QA is about questions of academic standards & quality QA includes internal and external QA –External quality audit & accreditation (QA agencies, professional and statutory bodies) –Internal QA processes Is QA for DE any different from QA for an on campus institution? In what ways? Additional areas of focus?

3. Quality Assurance Quality as ‘fitness for purpose’ Look for evidence of –Systematic evaluation processes - monitor & review performance, identify quality outcomes, & recommend improvement# – Reflective self evaluation –How do we know that what we do is effective? –Response & improvement

4. Accreditation examines and makes a judgment about how the fundamental features of an institution’s operation that are important to quality are affected by distance learning challenges. These features are institutional mission, organization, resources of the institution, curriculum and instruction, faculty support, student support, and student learning outcomes. Accreditation undertakes this examination, in some cases, based on new standards and processes that have been developed specifically to assure the quality of distance learning. In other cases, accreditors have modified existing standards or processes to achieve the same goal. (CHEA)

5. One view of areas of accreditation Institutional Mission. Institutional Organizational Structure. Institutional Resources. Curriculum & Instruction Faculty Support. Student Support. Student Learning Outcomes.

6. Distance education in UK context Academic standards and attainment by students must be equivalent to that of whole higher education sector Use of national Quality Assurance Agency Academic Infrastructure Quality management audited by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education - external peer review, used for all universities

7. UK QAA Academic Infrastructure

8. QAA Code of Practice 1.Postgraduate research programmes 2.Collaborative provision and flexible and distributed learning (including e-learning) 3.Students with disabilities 4.External examining 5.Academic appeals and student complaints on academic matters 6.Assessment of students 7.Programme design, approval, monitoring and review 8.Career education, information and guidance 9.Work-based and placement learning 10.Admissions to higher education

9. 'Flexible and distributed learning' a student's place of study is not physically located within the institution (the awarding institution) whose academic award is being sought a student's programme of study is not necessarily delivered directly by the awarding institution a student is not necessarily directly supported by staff of the awarding institution a student is not routinely working with other students do not necessarily require assessment of a student's achievement to take place at the location of the awarding institution

10. Key areas of focus for QA University governance Admissions procedures Design, pedagogic & technical quality of the learning materials Delivery methods & teaching/tuition Support of students as learners Confidence & security of academic standards of the award & assessment of the achievements of students Information provided to students Quality assurance and enhancement mechanisms & processes

11. Admissions Procedures entry requirements & academic prerequisites recognition of foreign qualifications & credits arrangements for the accreditation of prior learning & the assessment of prior experiential learning language proficiency information about the status of students in relation to the awarding institution cultural assumptions about higher education learning methods

12. New Courses Decisions about the approval of new courses, awards & programmes relate to academic content & integrity the ability to match the investment of resources to the likely demand over a short or long term the fit of the new course, award or programme to the strategic objectives of the University

13. Students should have access to … documents that set out the respective responsibilities of the awarding institution descriptions of the component units or modules of a programme to show the intended learning outcomes and teaching, learning and assessment methods of the unit or module a clear schedule for the delivery of their study materials and for assessment of their work

14. Students should have … #2 a schedule for any learner support available to them through timetabled activities clear & up to date information about the learning support available to them locally & remotely documents that set out their own responsibilities as learners, & the commitments of the awarding institution

15. Students should have… #3 an identified contact (local or remote) who can give them constructive feedback on academic performance & authoritative guidance on their academic progression; where appropriate, regular opportunities for learner- learner discussions about the programme, to facilitate collaborative learning opportunities to give formal feedback on their experience of the programme

16. Students should have… #4 information on the ways in which their achievements will be judged, & the relative weighting of units, modules or elements of the programme in respect of assessment overall timely formative assessment on their academic performance to provide a basis for individual constructive feedback & guidance, & to illustrate the institution's expectations for summative assessment

17. Institutions should ensure … the reliability of the delivery system contingency plans in the event of the failure of the designed modes of delivery the delivery system is fit for its purpose, and has an appropriate availability and life expectancy the delivery of any study materials direct to students is secure and reliable, & there is a means of confirming its safe receipt

18. Institutions should ensure… #2 study materials meet specified expectations of the awarding institution in respect of the quality of teaching and learning support material for a programme or element of study leading to one of its awards the educational aims and intended learning outcomes of a programme are reviewed periodically for their continuing validity and relevance

19. Institutions should ensure… #3 that prospective students receive a clear and realistic explanation of the expectations placed upon them for study of the programme the nature and extent of autonomous, collaborative and supported aspects of learning is communicated to students

20. Institutions should ensure… #4 staff who provide support to learners have appropriate skills, & receive appropriate training and development support for learners meets specified expectations of the awarding institution for the quality of learner support for a programme of study leading to one of its awards

21. Institutions should ensure… #5 that a student’s assessed work is properly attributed to them, particularly in cases where the assessment is conducted through remote methods it is capable of confirming that a student's assessed work is the original work of that student only that any mechanisms, such as web-based methods or correspondence, for the transfer of their work directly to assessors, are secure and reliable, and that there is a means of proving or confirming the safe receipt of their work

22. Course & Program Review Annual Course Review Includes data on course populations, retention, pass and performance rates, student feedback & narrative External Examiners report. Course Team should act on its own account to propose & carry through changes where no new resource is involved Annual course review reports, course post-launch & life- cycle reports and external examiner reports for the compulsory and core optional courses, are considered by Programme Committees or their sub-groups.

23. Course Reviews Reports & data considered at Faculty or School level As well as ensuring that appropriate scrutiny has been carried out, this process enables discussion of the recommendations requiring new resources. University oversight of the processes through the University Student Experience Advisory Group (SEAG). Reports from course reviews are considered by Programme Committees as part of an Annual Review Process of Awards. Programme Committees review & assess the continuing standards and quality of the awards for which they are responsible.

24. Program Review Cycle of Program Reviews Review Panel (internal & external), self-review document, supporting evidence including marked student assessment tasks & meets students & tutors Review Report submitted to Programme Director for checking matters of factual accuracy, to PVC (LTQ)) for University approval. Report submitted to the Quality Assurance & Enhancement Committee & recommendation to Senate.

25. Core areas of focus Different emphasis