e-Quality project main outcomes

Several concrete outcomes are available and ready to be transferred to ODL professional and scientific communities:

• A deep comparative analysis of quality and evaluation issues in the 5 different cultural and educational national contexts, leading to the identification of positive and blocking factors impacting upon the implementation of Quality process in ODL services in Higher Education. (see D2.1)

• An in depth description of 2 major ODL processes (Pedagogical resources production and delivery, Student support), with quality criteria and indicators: it has been difficult to elaborate a common core model of the Quality process in ODL, especially trying to take on board the partners’ cultural and organisational contexts. But, by intensifying efforts to reach a consensus, we succeeded in defining a core glossary unifying terminology between several deliverables. (see D2.2)

• A review of the state-of-the-art of the concepts of quality in general and quality in e-learning in particular, including technical (interoperability, sustainability, learning objects, learning object metadata (LOM), learning objects repositories and learning units). This review leads to guidelines for e-learning developers to help them in developing their own interoperable learning/teaching material or in making their existing material interoperable, and thus sustainable. (see D3.1)

• A database of Best Practices available on line. A Best Practice is described by a title, keywords, content, actor's roles, performed activities, sub process the practice belongs into, the problems solved, difficulties encountered and resources required. The user may enter a new best practice or search for an existing Best Practice by role, activity, keywords or contents. (see D3.3)

• A software (e-Lup) to be used to model quality within e-learning processes, delivered with all data gathered during the project on roles, activities, workflows, artefacts, quality criteria and indicators (from the General Quality Process Charter), linked to the Best Practices existing in the database. The user may browse the quality features (quality criteria and best practices) from an activity or a workflow. In addition, he/she can add his/her own quality features to his/her own model of an e-learning organization. The user can generate pdf or html files to display or print the data entered in eLUP. He/she can also import and export xml files for further data exchanges. (see D3.2)

• A guide to organise and support training sessions on implementation quality in ODL, including training material but also advice for applying quality procedures. This guide is based on several training packages (with a common structure and some shared contents) produced to organise the Pilot Training Session in each partners’ country. It takes also into account their evaluation. (see D4, D5 and D6)

• This website presenting the project outcomes and offering access for downloading all public deliverables, published papers, proceedings and videos from the Final Seminar.

• A DVD including all public information available on the website. (Contact us to get your copy – Be careful! Limited number of copies available)