Title: Quality mark e-learning: developing process- and product-oriented quality for learning, education and training

Authors: Jan M. Pawlowski

Addresses: University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute for Computer Science and Business Information Systems, Information Systems for Production and Operations Research, Universitatsstr. 9, 45141 Essen, Germany

Abstract: Quality marks intend to improve the quality of organisations and/or products and services by certification. Their scope, objectives and outcomes, however, vary. Therefore, it is necessary to match the objectives of a quality mark with the requirements of an educational organisation. Sometimes, the only outcome of a quality mark is the marketing effect. Quality marks, however, can start and maintain a quality development process in organisations. Therefore, the main research question is to design a quality mark that is adaptable to the requirements of organisations and takes the strengths of existing approaches into account. The Quality Mark E-Learning (Qualitatssiegel E-Learning, QSEL) is a holistic quality mark: it is derived from requirements of organisations and integrates existing approaches. It analyses the quality of an organisation and its products and services. In this article, the requirements for a holistic quality mark are derived. The paper shows how the quality development process can lead to a change process. The objective is to establish a learning, quality-aware organisation.

Keywords: quality marks; e-learning; qualitaetssiegel; QSEL; quality management; QM; quality standards; quality development; ISO/IEC 19796-1; DIN PAS 1032-1; learning technology; quality assurance; online learning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLT.2007.012367

International Journal of Learning Technology, 2007 Vol.3 No.1, pp.51 - 71

Published online: 07 Feb 2007 *

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