O9.4.1

=Success or failure of e-learning initiatives in supporting the achievement of strategy and business goals is regularly monitored.=

Evidence
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). The results of monitoring should be used to inform ongoing and new development, and to support resources and strategy. Information on performance can be used as a tool for improving quality, but only if the information is disseminated. Such validation of e-learning practices 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).

A quality system must be continuously evaluated, updated and improved to be aligned to new developments. In order to personalize ISO/IEC 19796-1 all relevant actors must be identified. This will often lead to changes in job descriptions and agreements. Also, relevant processes need to be identified in the standard. Next, there should be a setting of quality objectives for each process. Finally, instruments and methods should be identified. The selection of adequate instruments is crucial to the success of a quality system. Connected to the choice of instruments and methods metrics and indicators need to be chosen so that success can be assessed and measured.