1. DLAE Conference, Berlin, 1st December 2004 Authors: Lutz P. Michel / Julia Flasdick / Lorenza Leita 1 „How about accrediting your e-learning courses?“ Highlights of a survey of e-learning providers in Europe

2. 1st December 2004Authors: L.P. Michel / J. Flasdick / L. Leita2 Methodological background 31 providers of eLearning courses took part in our survey 21 universities 10 private providers of vocational training Function of interviewees: e.g. director of studies, CEO, research associate Kind of courses offered by the interviewees: e.g. European Net Trainer, Business Information Technologies, Tele Trainer, Master of Business Administration Note This survey is exploratory and does not claim to give representative results

3. 1st December 2004Authors: L.P. Michel / J. Flasdick / L. Leita3 Accreditation in e-learning Is your course accredited? Reasons for renouncement no legal requirement at time being no strong regulation to accredit courses without BA /MA- certificate quality is implicit in the course no national standard up to now no advantages for the market Yes (16) No (14)

4. 1st December 2004Authors: L.P. Michel / J. Flasdick / L. Leita4 Criteria of accreditation judgement

5. 1st December 2004Authors: L.P. Michel / J. Flasdick / L. Leita5 Aspects of accreditation judgement

6. 1st December 2004Authors: L.P. Michel / J. Flasdick / L. Leita6 General object of accreditation... the course (nominated 26 times) easier to accreditate the accreditation procedure doesn‘t take so much time it is a quality criteria for the client / the customer... the institution (nominated 17 times): it is a quality criteria for the client / the customer if an institution has proved a high level of quality about some years, the accreditation body should take this into consideration Accreditation should testify...

7. 1st December 2004Authors: L.P. Michel / J. Flasdick / L. Leita7 Vocational training institutes Management, Pedagogy/Didactics Communication Other: Concept as a whole, formal framework, e.g. contracts, cost benefit analysis Universities Management, Pedagogy/Didactics Communication Other: Quality of education, content, target group, concept as a whole, location, staff (teachers, tutors, etc.), platform of the provider, support, services, learner outcomes, market relevance, cooperation Favourite objects of accreditation

8. 1st December 2004Authors: L.P. Michel / J. Flasdick / L. Leita8 Accreditation: Test-methods

9. 1st December 2004Authors: L.P. Michel / J. Flasdick / L. Leita9 Accreditation: Preferences

10. 1st December 2004Authors: L.P. Michel / J. Flasdick / L. Leita10 Accreditation: Reasonable price The reasonability of the price depends on several aspects: accreditation object (course or institution) Number, volume and duration of the course(s) expenditure of the accreditation suggestion: dynamic model: price of the accreditation is based on the price of the course

11. 1st December 2004Authors: L.P. Michel / J. Flasdick / L. Leita11 Accreditation: Problems & Requirements External evaluators have external criteria which do not always fit with the realities of the institution Students and alumni should be taken into account much stronger Unique definition of „quality“ E-learning is quite new to most of the evaluators, this leads to inconsistent criteria Extreme standardisation may lead to arbitrariness (anything can be accreditated) Not always enough information about the reputation of the accreditation body (important for the acceptance in the market) The evaluator‘s „e-pedagogical“ competences should be as good as the provider‘s

12. 1st December 2004Authors: L.P. Michel / J. Flasdick / L. Leita12 Requirements on the optimal accreditation It should be: Fast, to make sure that the provider has no drawbacks in business Standardized, to make it fast Transparent, to make it comparable to others Affordable

13. 1st December 2004Authors: L.P. Michel / J. Flasdick / L. Leita13 Thank you very much for your attention! For more information: dlae.enpc.fr