QAA Code of practice: Collaborative and flexible and distributed learning (including e-learning)

1. QAA Code of practice: Collaborative and flexible and distributed learning (including e-learning) David Buckingham Assistant Director Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

2. Collaborative provision • educational provision leading to an award, or specific credit toward an award, which is delivered and/or supported and/or assessed through an arrangement with a partner organisation

3. Flexible and distributed learning (FDL) • educational provision leading to an award, or specific credit toward an award, which is delivered and/or supported and/or assessed through means which do not require the student to attend particular classes or events at particular times and particular locations • FDL includes ‘e-learning’

4. Why put these together in one code? From the point of view of an HEI there is much in common in the challenges of managing its collaborative provision and its FDL provision - both introduce additional potential risk to the security of standards and the quality of learning opportunities

5. Where is the partnership in this risk volume? Higher risk? New partnership Established partnership Limited delegation Culturally distant Much delegation Culturally similar

6. Reasons for revising the 1999 distance learning guidelines • limited (and dated?) models of distance learning in the distance learning guidelines • expansion of e-modes of provision • ‘learning’ not necessarily at a ‘distance’ • concept of ‘equivalence’ • availability of the Academic Infrastructure to provide outcomes-based reference points

7. The Academic Infrastructure • Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education (the Code) • Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ and SCQF) • subject benchmark statements • programme specifications

8. E-learning • does e-learning need separate treatment? Not if we • focus on students’ experience of learning • treat e-modes as part of flexible and distributed modes of learning, but • note particular e-features of delivery, support and assessment

9. Approach to revision of the 1999 Guidelines for distance learning • recognise that distance is less significant than learning • move from process-based approach to an outcomes-based approach • offer ‘explanations’ rather than ‘guidance’ • consider a student’s expectations of - delivery - learner support - assessment of students

10. Format of revised code – Part A • recognise that collaborative and FDL arrangements have common features in respect of the management of standards and quality • precepts identify responsibilities of a UK HEI in respect of the collaborative and FDL arrangements that lead to its academic awards • they are supported by explanations of the reasoning behind them

11. Format of revised code – Part B • precepts relate to output expectations of FDL provision from a student’s view • they are grouped by - delivery - learner support - assessment of students • they are supported by explanations of the reasoning behind them

12. Approach to revision of the 1999 Code put emphasis on … • outcomes (academic standards, students’ experience of learning) rather than on process (franchise, validation, etc) • the distinction between standards (of awards) and quality (of provision) • the awarding institution’s ability to assure itself of the standards of its awards and satisfy itself of the quality of provision, whatever the process

13. In summary, the revision has tried to … • re-arrange the precepts of the earlier Code and Guidelines to make their purposes clearer – there is little here that is new • make more of the academic infrastructure and the distinction between standards and quality • in Part A, the focus is on the managerial responsibilities of an awarding institution which offers provision off site, by whatever method • In Part B, the focus is on the rightful expectations of students for provision offered through FDL - or any indeed of any provision

14. Key principle of the code • collaborative and FDL arrangements, wherever and however organised, should widen learning opportunities without prejudice to - the academic standard of the award - the quality of what is offered to students

15. Where are your students in the learning volume? Predominantly FDL and e-modes Predominantly face-to-face modes Cohort learners Off site learning Lone learner On site learning