L4 4 3

=Feedback collected regularly from staff regarding the effectiveness of the communication channels. =

Evidence
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).

Quality dimensions need to be validated and refined by primary research. For example, it is not yet known whether e-learning saves time or takes time off the lecturer. This needs to be established by assessment and feedback.

Student perspectives are not the only ones necessary to assess. Usoro and Abid (2008) emphasize the importance of including academics and stakeholders views to ‘achieve a comprehensive measure of quality’ (p. 77-78).

Resources
The e-learning environment presents many new and/or different teaching and learning challenges that can benefit from valid, reliable, and informative feedback from teachers. Laurillard (2002) recommends the establishment of a forum for teachers to “discuss their experience of learning technologies, and the academic issues surrounding the balance of learning methods”(p. 227).

According to Jamieson (2004) e-learning represents ‘the emergence of a significant online pedagogy [which] raises host of issues…concerning the complex and idiosyncratic nature of online learning’ (p. 22). A key issue is the erosion of ‘traditional teacher-centred pedagogy…as online environments provide learners with greater flexibility over when, where, how, and with whom they learn’ (p. 22). Jamieson discusses a flexible learning programme for academics, which includes a weekly discussion group and regular anonymous evaluation responses that demonstrate the variety and value of communities of learning practice.

Communities of practice are discussed by Gray (2004) who emphasises the benefits that the online environment offers for collegial information sharing. However she recommends that an accomplished moderator be employed to facilitate formal and informal discussion across e-learning’s technical, social, organisational, and pedagogical functions (p. 33).