Distance Education Quality Assurance

Distance Education Quality Assurance

Higher education has become a worldwide enterprise, a key part of a knowledge-based economy of enormous proportions. Public universities compete with private universities for students and higher education institutions worldwide struggle to meet growing student needs with reduced funding in a time of cross-border economic recession. Online distance education has answered much of the increasing need for access and provided innovative solutions to some of the ongoing funding constraints. Distance delivery platforms have become stable and secure and online delivery has been growing dynamically in the U.S., the U.K., and the E.U. over the past decade. The benefits of distance education environments include not only expanded access to students but savings in accommodation and travel costs. The challenges include the need for the training of higher education instructors for distance teaching, the incorporation of emerging online tools and technologies into instruction, new pedagogical models for distance learners, and quality assurance mechanisms that address the changing nature of early 21^st Century higher education.

These changes have seen the adoption of the regional accrediting agencies’ new quality standards for online certificate and degree programs in U.S. higher education (Best Practices for Electronically-Offered Degree and Certificate Programs, 2007).

United States Quality Assurance

The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) does not accredit but does officially recognize accrediting organizations. Accreditation and quality assurance systems for its 4000 plus degree-granting higher education institutions is done through its eight regional accreditation organizations. Their standards and processes are recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Recognition confirms that there is consistency between academic quality and accountability expectations (Council for Higher Education Accreditation, 2010). Additionally, the regional accreditation organizations have established specific evidence-based quality standards for online certificate and degree programs (Best Practices for Electronically-Offered Degree and Certificate Programs, 2007). The Best Practices delineate 28 major policies and practices across five areas of institutional activity: institutional context and commitment, curriculum and instruction, faculty support, student support, and evaluation and assessment.

The nature of U.S. higher education accountability is described by the President of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). “All the national activities provide tools or frameworks by which higher education informs students and society about what is being done to promote student learning and advance institutional performance” (Eaton, 2009, p. 1). The aims of these efforts are towards, “(1) making conscious decisions to assertively address accountability, (2) locating and judging accountability at the institutional level and (3) acknowledging and embracing faculty leadership as central to academic judgments” (Eaton, 2009, p. 1).