Presenter Names & Short Bio:

Dr. Harvey Mellar - Reader in Technology Enhanced Learning at the London Knowledge Lab, and Head of Learning Technologies Unit at the Institute of Education. His present research interests are concerned with e-assessment,  flexibility of educational provision and the application of ICT in the development of adult literacy and numeracy.

Brian Sayer - Distance Learning Adviser in the University of Londons External System. His work has included establishing the Centre for Distance Education, building a growing research programme and supporting development of a wide range of degree programmes.

Dates: Sunday 15 of March 2009
Time: 1:00 Pm – 5:00 Pm
Place: Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Hall – AlFaisaliah Hotel

Fees: SR 1000

Intended Audience:
Staff at institutions of higher education (universities) both in central units and at faculty/school level who are in positions of responsibility for quality assurance/quality enhancement and teaching and learning. This will include directors, officers or managers academic/teaching staff,and also those who support the development and embedding of e-learning.

Prerequisites:
Participants should:
- have experience in either teaching/supporting e-learning courses (blended or fully online) at university level, and/or managing internal quality assurance and enhancement procedures in universities
- be able to use and understand English confidently.

Description of Presentation Format:
Outline the type of format of the presentation (i.e. lecture, panel presentation, facilitation of small group discussion, combination).

The workshop will combine presentations with small group discussions.

Workshop Description and Aims:
External examiners, annual and periodic reviews, student questionnaires, student representatives, course validation, peer reviews and team meetings are among the common internal quality assurance procedures used by universities to monitor, assure and ultimately enhance the quality of their e-learning programmes.
Results from research looking at e-learning and quality assurance showed that the on-line mode of delivery, coupled with the complex institutional environment in which these courses are located, are affecting the application of quality assurance mechanisms, obstructing their capacity to assure and enhance the quality of the courses. Consequently, it is necessary for campus-based higher education institutions to start to approach quality assurance of these courses from a different perspective.
Based on this research, data collected by the QAA in their institutional audits, and the review of the e-learning research, and practitioners’ experience, this workshop aims to raise awareness of and discuss the issues regarding the effective implementation of QA/QE procedures in e-learning courses. Participants will discuss the relationship between assurance and enhancement and how different techniques can be applied to their own context. Finally it will offer participants the opportunity to analyse the strategies in place at their institutions a plan for the enhancement of their own courses to ensure quality of content and improvement of the student learning experience.

Workshop Outline:
Part 1 - Making terms explicit & Internal Quality Assurance procedures
Part 2 - Issues affecting effective implementation of internal QA/QE procedures in e-learning courses
Part 3 - Planning actions to improve the effective application of QA/QE procedures to e-learning courses

Computer requirements :

Laptop is not required.