1. Benchmarking, standards and quality
assurance of e-content: an institutional
perspective from the UK
British Council Visit
Indira Gandhi National Open University
Gwen van der Velden
Director of Learning & Teaching Enhancement
University of Bath

2. Quality and Academic standards
Academic standards Quality Assurance
Intellectual achievement The process of learning
National Subject Academic Staff
Benchmarks Development
External Examiners and Student feedback on
Professional Bodies teaching and learning
Annual course result Course evaluations by staff
reviews
Degree Scheme Reviews Peer review of teaching

3. UK discussions on e-learning quality and
benchmarks
• Discussion over the manner in which e-
learning is quality assured
• Tensions between e-teaching as equivalent to
other teaching (equivalence of status and
recognition) or
• Acceptance of the different nature of e-learning
and teaching
• E-learning curriculum not separately assured,
same academic standards expected

4. National expectations
• Quality Assurance Agency
• Professional Bodies
• Employer expectations
Jung & Latchem (2012) Quality Assurance and
Accreditation in Distance Education and e-Learning

5. UK avoidance of distance and e-
learning credibility concerns
• Highly regulated HE sector
• Few private providers, but this is changing
• Credibility specifically of the UK Open University
• E-learning mostly as a blended learning hybrid
• Credibility and standing of providing institutions

6. The University of Bath perspective
• Top ten university nationally
• Top three with Oxford and Cambridge for
teaching excellence according to The
Times Good University Guide
• Integrated quality assurance and
development model, driving quality as a
function of learning and teaching, not
administration

7. The University of Bath e-perspective
• First university to use open source virtual learning
environment
• Extremely high uptake of VLE usage
• OER development, JORUM steering, JISC projects
• Quality management of e-learning as all learning
• High level of use of student feedback and external
examiners
• 16% of students on postgraduate distance learning
programmes

8. Thanks for your attention…
Your questions are welcome
Gwen van der Velden
Director of Learning & Teaching Enhancement / University of Bath
E-mail: G.M.Vandervelden@bath.ac.uk