O4.3.2

=Institutional support standards are defined for the use of digital information in e-learning design and (re)development.=

Evidence
Standards and guidelines define the quality of teaching, build consensus about the process of developing a course and help staff learn good practice. They can help to ensure that resources are well used. They can also serve as a check list when evaluating online learning (Milne & White 2005). However, it is noted that quality standards and guidelines must not become more important than outcomes. And also, as reiterated by Meyer (2003), some guidelines are not based on research.

Inglis (2005) notes that guidelines should be developed in consultation with all stakeholders. Guidelines alone may not ensure quality (Meyer 2003), but should be used in conjunction with a number of sources that give evidence of quality within and specific to the organization and its expectations.

Resources
Milne & White (2005) collect together twenty-three sets of e-learning quality guidelines from an array of geographical regions. Such guidelines, or something like them, should be part of the support offered to staff by their organizations. Staff need guidelines, and examples of good practice.

Interoperability standards and also resource discovery standards are discussed by Marshall (2004b). Interoperability standards are important so that different systems can talk to each other and share data, e.g. student information. And resource discovery standards are important so that items can be stored and reused.