Quality development and quality assurance in e-learning

Manuela Pächter, Graz, Austria
Karin Schweizer, Braunschweig, Germany

The purpose of this workshop is to given an insight into e-learning and assessments of quality of e-learning courses.
Firstly, an introduction in the theory and practice of e-learning will be given. E-learning is a rather heterogeneous term which embraces very different forms of teaching and learning with digital media. Using a CD with a computer-based training is an e-learning scenario as well as watching the latest lecture on one’s I-pod.
Based on the introduction of different forms of e-learning didactic concepts for assessing the quality of e-learning will be introduced. E-learning quality as it is seen from the viewpoint of the didactic concepts may differ widely from students’ respectively learners’ expectation on and evaluations of e-learning. Based on a nationwide study of e-learning students in Austria it will be explained what expectations students have on e-learning courses and what criteria for e-learning are relevant from their point of view.
Lastly, instruments such as questionnaires or coding schemes for the evaluation of e-learning are presented. The workshop participants are to apply an evaluation instrument to a practice example. They are encouraged to bring their own didactic blueprints to the workshop and to apply various evaluation tools to their blueprint.