Abstract
As higher education institutions (HEIs) make growing use of online education, enhancing and ensuring quality in online education (QOE) have become increasingly important for their competitiveness. Researchers and both national and international organizations have developed a variety of models, frameworks and guidelines for QOE. However, selecting from these a holistic quality framework that meets the needs and requirements of HEIs is challenging. This study reviews current QOE frameworks, guidelines and benchmarks used in diverse contexts, with reference to an analysis of 72 publications between 2000 and 2019, then introduces the ISO/IEC 40180 framework for quality assurance, quality management and quality improvement in IT-enhanced learning, education and training. The findings show that while no holistic quality framework for open education exists currently, ISO/IEC 40180 is a flexible and adaptable framework for revolutionary organizational change, meeting the needs of multiple stakeholders of educational organizations at the macro, meso and micro levels. Therefore, HEIs seeking to foster growth, competitiveness and international recognition are advised to consider adopting the ISO/IEC 40180 framework, which should be integrated into national quality education standards.
Highlights
The widespread adoption of online education makes it increasingly important for higher education institutions (HEIs) to enhance and ensure quality in online education (QOE) to maintain a competitive advantage
The purpose of the present research was to review several QOE frameworks, guidelines and benchmarks currently used in HEIs, to determine the value of International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 40180 for quality assurance, quality management and quality improvement in IT-enhanced learning, education and training, comparing it with other frameworks
What are the characteristics of the ISO/IEC 40180 framework relevant to the quality standards of online education in the context of HEIs?
Summary
The widespread adoption of online education makes it increasingly important for higher education institutions (HEIs) to enhance and ensure quality in online education (QOE) to maintain a competitive advantage. A European survey by Ehlers et al.[2], to analyze quality in e-learning in general and participants’ experience of using quality instruments in e-learning, found that quality plays a key role in the success of e-learning, that educational organizations should treat quality development as a core process and that open quality standards should be implemented widely. To this end, HEIs must implement certain quality standards to ensure sustainable quality in education [3]. There is a need to derive a comprehensive QOE framework by reviewing existing models and frameworks with a view to adapting international standards to the local needs of HEIs [5,7,8]
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