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E-learning quality criteria support the development of study offerings

Digivisio’s new digital service, working title Continuous and Flexible Learning Tray, makes the open study offering of all higher education institutions available to everyone easily and effortlessly. How can the learner be sure that the education available on the tray is of high quality and suits their needs? Higher education institutions strive to answer these questions with e-learning quality criteria.

The programme’s steering group approved the first version of the e-learning quality criteria at its meeting on 7 March 2023. The e-learning quality criteria support higher education institutions in producing high-quality educational content for the Continuous and Flexible Learning Tray. The quality criteria are part of the common rules that apply to the activities of higher education institutions on the Continuous and Flexible Learning Tray.

The e-learning quality criteria have been prepared together with higher education institutions’ representatives and networks since autumn last year. The quality criteria are based on the programme’s partial implementator preliminary studies conducted last year and on workshops held for various target groups.

According to the quality criteria, the studies must be research-based, and they must form study modules that can be built modularly and from which the learner can build a cross-institutional set of studies that is suitable for them. Studies built according to the quality criteria must contain diverse alternative ways to complete studies, and the learner must be able to receive and give feedback during their studies. The learner must also be provided with sufficient guidance during their studies. The quality criteria require that the digitally produced studies on the tray be accessible, that is, completing studies using various assistive devices must be possible, and the learning material must meet the accessibility requirements. The quality criteria also contain recommendations related to the usability of the learning platform, according to which the learning process and its progress must be made visible on the higher education institution’s learning platform.

The quality criteria are piloted and further developed in cooperation with higher education institutions during spring 2023. The pilot higher education institutions are piloting the quality criteria and assessing their suitability in relation to different education offering contents. The change coordinator network is working on integrating the quality criteria as part of the higher education institutions’ own planning and quality management processes. No separate quality control system will be created for the educational content produced for the Tray. Instead, each higher education institution is responsible for applying the quality criteria appropriately to their study offering and content on the Tray. Where applicable, the quality criteria will also be integrated into the e-learning training programmes launched in 2023.

Read more about the quality criteria: download the material (pdf).

More info

Programme Manager Tuula Heide

tuula.heide@csc.fi