E3.5.2

=Information on the success or failure of e-learning technologies guides the allocation of support and resources for technology use. =

Evidence
Attwell’s review (2006) emphasizes the need for iteration between theory and practice. This means courses must be redesigned in an ongoing manner according to evaluation. Also, due to the initial costs of implementing e-learning programs it is important to conduct ongoing evaluation. Attwell further notes that a large portion of the evaluation literature on e-learning focuses on descriptive rather than analytic or predictive studies. There are surprisingly few robust comparison studies of e-learning compared with traditional learning.

Roberts & McInnerney (2006) in their summary of ten good practice guidelines for successful e-course delivery, explain the importance of appropriate feedback mechanisms to enable continuous improvement. These mechanisms must cover academic staff, administrative staff and students. It should not just be feedback forms that are used, but intelligent use of good clear communications technology as well. With careful monitoring of mechanisms such as email lists and chat rooms problems can be found, understood and hopefully solved.

There is an ongoing need to monitor the use of e-learning and ICTs for course delivery because there is as yet no consensus about what constitutes quality e-learning (Usoro & Abid 2008). These authors state that, ‘effective quality strategies, initiatives and tools are very important for convincing lecturers and other stakeholders to adopt e-learning’ (p. 80). Kidney et al. (2007) believe that, ‘a quality online course would be the direct result of a course creation process that included quality assurance strategies’ (p. 18).

To improve e-learning outcomes it is important to learn from past mistakes, according to Ehrmann (2002), who argues that tracking progress is not only necessary to stay on course but also to identify solvable problems that can attract fresh resources (p. 55).

Validation of e-learning processes and resources is a significant stage in the full cycle of organisational learning that describes success in terms of ‘student performance, student satisfaction, staff experience, and cost effectiveness, as judged in relation to the original intentions’ (Salmon, 2000, p. 236). Salmon discusses validating as one of six activities in the iterative process of creating an effective learning organisation infrastructure that enables ‘the system to learn about itself’ (p. 237).

Kidney et al. (2007) believe that, ‘a quality online course would be the direct result of a course creation process that included quality assurance strategies’ (p. 18). This is exactly what is described by Abdous (2009) in a pilot programme.

The results of the evaluations should be used to inform ongoing and new development, and to support resources and strategy.