Vol. 9 No. 2
Year: 2012
Issue: Oct-Dec
Title: Quality Assurance in Distance and Open Learning
Author Name: Mohammed Mahafzah
Synopsis:
E-learning has become an increasingly important teaching and learning mode in educational institutions and corporate training. The evaluation of E-learning, however, is essential for the quality assurance of E-learning courses. This paper constructs a three-phase evaluation model for E-learning courses, which includes development, process, and product evaluation, called the DPP evaluation model. Development evaluation includes, course material design, E-learning platform, course Web site design, learning resource, interactivity, assessment, and tutor support. Process evaluation includes technical support, Web site utilization, learning interaction, learning evaluation, learning support, and flexibility. Product evaluation includes student satisfaction, teaching effectiveness, learning effectiveness, and sustainability. This research uses the DPP model to evaluate a purely E-learning course in Distance and open Learning, developed by Philadelphia University. According to summative evaluation through a student E-learning experience survey, the majority of students were satisfied on all E-learning dimensions of an E-learning course. The majority of students thought that the learning effectiveness of this course was equivalent, even better, than face-to-face learning because of cross-border collaborative learning, sufficient learning support, and learning flexibility. This study shows that a high quality of teaching and learning might be assured by using the systematic DPP evaluation procedure. It is hoped that the DPP evaluation model can provide a benchmark for establishing a wider E-learning quality assurance mechanism in educational institutions.
