Title: Quality management in e-courses

Authors: Tomasz A. Walasek; Zygmunt Kucharczyk; Dorota Morawska-Walasek; Krzysztof Szewczyk

Addresses: Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Czestochowa University of Technology, Al. Armii Krajowej 21, 42-201 Częstochowa, Poland ' Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Czestochowa University of Technology, Al. Armii Krajowej 21, 42-201 Częstochowa, Poland ' Department of Emerging Technologies, University College of Social Sciences in Częstochowa, ul. Nadrzeczna 7, 42-200 Częstochowa, Poland ' Electrical Department, Czestochowa University of Technology, Al. Armii Krajowej 21, 42-201 Częstochowa, Poland

Abstract: Quality management of e-courses is crucial for the successful implementation of e-learning process. The paper presents the possibility of using basic seven quality tools to improve the quality at different levels of implementation of the distance learning/teaching process. These tools are widely used in industry for control, visualisation, evaluation and improvement of production and auxiliary processes. The following tools have been described: the flow chart, the check sheet, Ishikawa's diagram, Pareto-Lorenz's chart, the histogram. The authors indicate the possibility of application of the above mentioned tools by course developers at all stages of development and management of an e-course, which further on should lead to the improvement of the e-learning process quality.

Keywords: e-learning; e-courses; quality tools; basic seven; Ishikawa diagram; Pareto-Lorenz diagram; total quality management; TQM; flow charts; check sheets; histograms; electronic learning; online learning; distance learning; process quality; distance education.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCEELL.2014.059331

International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning, 2014 Vol.24 No.1, pp.6 - 21

Published online: 24 May 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article