Self-assessment of Higher Online Education Programmes
Renata Marciniak
Department of Applied Pedagogy, Autonomous University of Barcelona, UAB, Bellaterra-Cerdanyola del Vallés, Spain
Keywords: Higher Online Education, Online Education Programme, Quality, Self-assessment, Model.
Abstract: This paper presents a PhD project which purpose is to design a model to be applied in the self-assessment of
online education programmes. The starting point of the design is a bibliographical-documental analysis of
the elements of online education programmes as well as a specific bibliographical study of the standards,
models and tools created in order to evaluate the quality of online education. Based on the results of the said
analysis, a model for the self-assessment of higher online education programmes is created, composed of
two variables, fourteen dimensions and one hundred eleven indicators. Before creating the definitive model,
two drafts were created and subject to the validation by international online education experts and discussed
in two discussion groups: one composed of experts in online education and the other one composed of
online students. Nevertheless, in order to verify the total utility of the designed model it should be applied in
the self-assessment of various online programmes in different countries.
1 RESEARCH PROBLEM
In order to improve the quality of online
programmes, persons in charge of implementing the
said programmes require, apart from the point of
view offered by external assessments, their own
point of view regarding the condition of the
program, its strengths, weaknesses and improvement
opportunities. This approach is made possible
through self-assessment, which is the first step of the
ongoing improvement process carried out when:
“An academic unit, seeking to create quality control and
guarantee mechanisms, collects substantial information
regarding the achievement of its objectives and analyses
it, based on previously defined criteria and indicators in
order to make decisions that will guide its future actions,
selecting and proposing improving plans” (CNAP
, 2001,
p.10).
As a matter of fact, self-assessment provides
information regarding the modifications that should
be introduced in the learning program in order to
improve it. This means that self-assessment should
always precede any decision or action to be taken by
the university to improve its learning programmes.
Nevertheless, in order for self-assessment to be
an useful tool for the review of online programmes
and introduction of necessary modifications or
improvement actions, it should be conducted
according to a model that takes into consideration
the specific contexts of the online education, as
postulated by Veytia & Chao (2013): “Assessing the
traditional and online education requires different
parameters and models, that respond to the
pedagogical model, upon which they are based on,
as well as to its objectives and student admittance
and graduation profiles” (p. 12).
However, as shown by practice, the current trend
in self-assessing online education programmes,
especially when it comes to universities that offer
both traditional and virtual education programmes, is
to perceive them as a series of activities
complementary to traditional education programmes.
As a result, the quality of online programmes is
assessed in the same manner as traditional education
programmes, that is, by using the criteria and
indicators designed for assessing the quality of
traditional education without applying quality
dimensions specifically designed for virtual
education (Chmielewski, 2013).
At this point, it is worth noting that accreditation
organizations assess and certify online programmes
by applying the same models as the ones applied to
traditional education programmes, as shown by the
results of the research conducted by the Polish
National Centre for Supporting Vocational and
Continuing Education within the project “Diagnosis
of the current situation of distance learning in
Poland and other European countries” cofounded by
Marciniak R.
Self-assessment of Higher Online Education Programmes.
In Doctoral Consortium (CSEDU 2017), pages 3-10
Copyright
c
2017 by SCITEPRESS Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
the European Union. In the report of the said
research we can read, among others:
All higher education programmes in European Union
receive their accreditation based on the same principles
and criteria. This refers both to online and traditional
education programmes. The same applies to countries
with specific proceedings for the accreditation of higher
education online programmes (Germany, Spain and
Norway). Even though, each country has its own system
for the accreditation and monitoring of the quality of
higher education, higher education online programmes
are assessed in the same manner as traditional education
programmes”. (Chmielewski, 2013, p. 49,)
On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that we
can encounter several models developed to assess
virtual education, such as those mentioned by Hilera
(2010) or Motz (2013). Nevertheless, the said
models combine a variety of approaches and,
sometimes, respond to contradictory paradigms and,
thus, propose divergent dimensions and meanings
assigned to these dimensions to assess the quality of
virtual education. The indicators proposed by the
said models rarely underline the need to assess the
quality of the program itself, as well as of its
planning, application and impact (ongoing
assessment), as postulated by Martínez (2013), who
states that:
Program evaluation is the systematic collection of
information regarding a program in order to meet specific
needs, that is focused on 1) the quality of the program
itself, its basic elements, structure and coherence; 2) the
planning of its putting into action, taking into
consideration human, material and organizational
resources, 3) the development of the program and 4) the
program results in the immediate, medium and long term
in order to verify and assess the degree and quality with
which the needs have been met and the problems have
been solved (Martínez, 2013, p. 197).
Another equally relevant issue is the scarce literature
regarding the self-assessment of higher online
education programmes. Neither Spanish, nor English
and Polish literature mention the aforementioned
self-assessment. We do not encounter results
regarding the said self-assessment in any of the
searched databases (ERIC, Francis, Eudised,
Eurybase and Teseo).
The lack of knowledge of the universities when it
comes to the correct self-assessment of higher online
education programmes, the lack of models that
contribute to the said self-assessment and the lack of
detailed bibliography in this area inspired us to
conduct our own research.
2 OUTLINE OF OBJECTIVES
The general objective of the thesis is to design and
validate a model to be applied by universities in the
assessment of online education programmes, which
includes assessment of the quality of the program
itself, as well as its continuous assessment. This way
the model is expected to become an useful tool in
order to evaluate and improve all the elements of
online education programmes, as well as the three
phases of its existence, that is, the initial phase, the
development phase and the final phase.
In the context of the general objective, the
following specific objective have been formulated:
- In the Area of Bibliography:
To identify and describe, through
bibliographical and documentary revision, all
the elements of a higher education online
program that define its quality and can
constitute the dimensions of a self-assessment
model for the said program.
To characterize the assessment of online
programmes.
To identify and analyse different standards,
models and tools developed to assess the
quality of online education that can be used in
the self-assessment of higher online education
programmes.
- In the Area of Empirical Research:
To design a model applicable to the self-
assessment of higher online education
programmes, that integrates the assessing of
the quality of the program itself, as well as the
ongoing assessment of the program.
To validate the model by different audiences
and analytical proceedings.
To verify the utility of the designed model by
applying it in the self-assessment of different
online programmes.
- In the Area of the Proposed Own Solution:
To present the model of self-assessment of
higher online education programmes.
To make different proposals in order to
facilitate the implementation of the model.
3 STATE OF THE ART
Currently, there are many models that can be used to
assess online programmes. These models can be
divided in two groups:
1) Traditional models created to assess traditional
education programmes and adapted to assess
online education programmes and
2) Models developed with the purpose of assessing
online education in general which are used as
reference to assess educational online
programmes.
As for the models of the first group, among the
traditional models recommended by many authors
(Bieliukas and Ornes, 2014; Díaz-Maroto, 2009;
Ruhne and Zumbo, 2009) for its use in the
assessment of online programmes, we encounter:
Tyler’s Objective Model, Stake´s Respondent
Assessment Model, Scriven’s Goal-free Assessment
Model, Kirkpatrick’s Four Level Assessment Model,
Stufflebeam’s CIPP Model and Pérez Juste’s
Integrated Assessment Model.
When it comes to the models developed to assess the
quality of online education, Rubio (2003) divides
them in two types, which, though different, can be
complementary:
3.1 Models with a Partial Approach
These models are focused on the following
assessments:
a) Models focused on assessing the educational
activity
These models are focused on assessing a
particular online educational action, such as a course
or a programme. The purpose of this assessment is
based on three main aspects: verification of the
degree of fulfilment of the educational goals, the
improvement of the educational action itself and the
determination of the return of the investment (Rubio,
2003). The assessment should be applied to all the
elements of the educational action. According to
García Aretio (2014), among others, it is important
to assess the following aspects of the said action:
educational goals, contents, activities,
documentation and materials, the activity of the
online teacher, online methodology, technological
environment (virtual platform).
Nevertheless, we encounter models for the
assessment of online educational actions which
present an approach differing from the one presented
by the aforementioned author (OLC, 2002;
Rekkedal, 2006; Attwell, 2006; Díaz-Maroto, 2009;
Lam & McNaught, 2007; University of Wiscosin,
2008; Giorgetti et al., 2013; Ajmera &
Dharamdasani, 2014; Marshall & ,
Mitchell 2006).
b) Models focused on assessing the materials for
online education
These models are focused on determining to
what extent the materials have characteristics that
are considered desirables and that have been
specified based on previously established criteria
(Opdenacker et al., 2007; Morales, 2010; Fernández-
Pampillón et al., 2013). In general terms, these
models indicate different contextual dimensions that
should be taken into consideration when it comes to
assessing or designing teaching materials for online
education programmes. Among other dimensions,
we would like to highlight: the suitability in terms of
the receivers of the programme, the coherence of the
curriculum, the pedagogical and graphic design, the
quality of the contents, the suitability of the learning
activities, the facility of use, the style and language
used and the flexibility and efficiency.
c) Models focused on assessing virtual platforms
These models are focused on assessing the quality of
the virtual platform used in the implementation of
the online programme (ISO/IEC 9126:2000;
Zaharias & Poylymenakou, 2009; Giannakos, 2010;
Al-Ajlan, 2012; Abdulaziz et al., 2014). A more
detailed analysis of the models proposed by the
aforementioned authors shows that, in general terms,
the assessment of a virtual platform is carried out by
analyzing different dimensions of its quality, such
as, administrative tools, tools for the course
management by users, synchronous and
asynchronous communication tools, assessment,
monitoring and self-assessment tools and
compliance with standards.
3.2 Models with a Global Approach
These models includes two kind of models:
a) Models and/or standards of total quality.
These systems include standards, ISO norms and
assessment models of TQM (Total Quality
Management). Currently, work is carried out in
order to introduce TQM in online education. García
Aretio (2014) states that a large share of the quality
proposals and quality models for online education is
based on the TQM model, as they are focused,
mainly, on customer satisfaction. The customer
satisfaction, in turn, depends on the continuous
improvement, measurements and utmost attention to
processes, teamwork and individual responsibility.
Regarding this point, apart from the existing ISO
norms and quality standards (ISO/IEC 19796-
1:2005, CWA 15660:2007, CWA 15661:2007,
UNIQUe, EFMD CEL, UNE 66181:2012, PAS
1032-1, BP Z 76-001, BCTD Quality Mark, ICT
Mark Standard, NADE's Quality Standards for
Distance Education), we can highlight the model
designed by the European Foundation for Quality
Management (EFQM) and the Balanced Scorecard
Model, as confirmed by Ehlers (2012). This author
states that more than 600 models used across Europe
were encountered within the project titled “European
Quality Observatory carried out in 2005. The most
widely used were the following: ISO norms, EFQM
model, Balanced Scorecard Model and the SCORM
standard.
b) Models based on benchmarking practice.
The purpose of these assessment models is to
identify the key factors that lead online programmes
to success. Recently, we can observe that the
relevance of benchmarking in online education is
rapidly growing, as confirmed by various authors
(Devedžić et al., 2011; Keppell et al., 2011; Op de
Beeck et al., 2012; Marciniak, 2015, 2017) and
different benchmarking projects, such as BENVIC,
CHIRON, ELTI, ACODE, MASSIVE, MIT90s,
PICK&MIX, OBHE, OpenECB, eMM, E-
xcellence+, SEVAQ+ and others. Among these
projects we encounter the BENVIC project
(Benchmarking of Virtual Campus) focused on the
development and application of assessment criteria
in order to promote quality standards in online
education in particular and distance learning in
general. The main areas or dimensions of online
education taken into consideration are: institutional
basis and mission when it comes to student service,
learning resources, teacher support, assessment,
accessibility, effectiveness (related to the financial
aspects), technological resources and institutional
execution.
Each of the aforementioned models seeks to
assist universities to improve the quality of their
online education. Nevertheless, these models do
present certain limitations, as great majority of them
do not duly focus on the assessment of the
educational programmes which the education is
based on. The dimensions and indicators proposed
by these models rarely respond to the need of
assessing the pedagogical-didactic and technological
elements of the programme, as well as its planning,
application and results. To fill this void, the project
will propose an integrated model that allows to
assess in a complex manner all of the
aforementioned elements of the programme, while
also allowing to carry out its ongoing assessment.
4 METHODOLOGY
According to Hernández et al. (1991), a research can
include different types of study methods at the
various stages of its development. Accordingly, in
this research we encounter:
4.1 In the Area of Bibliography
Bibliographical and documentary analysis of
online higher education and higher online education
programmes. The main emphasis is set on the
elements that compose the said programmes, as well
as on the assessment of their quality.
Documentary study regarding different
initiatives designed worldwide to assess the
quality of online education in order to identify
which of them provide indications and
suggestions regarding the process of self-
assessment of higher online education
programmes. The said initiatives are:
standards, models and tools designed by
researchers, universities and accreditation
organizations.
4.2 In the Area of Empirical Research
Validation of the model by international expert
judgment.
Quantitative validity of the model by
calculating the facial validity index, the
contents validity index and the interjudge
reliability index for all the indicators
composing the model.
The qualitative validation of the model.
Discussion group.
Data triangulation.
Pilot application of the model.
5 OUTCOMES
5.1 In the Area of Bibliography
The bibliographical revision shows that online
modality requires the educational program to be
composed of all the relevant pedagogical and
technological elements such as: program
justification, program objectives, student profile,
thematic contents, online teacher profile, learning
activities, teaching resources and materials, teaching
strategies, learning assessment strategies, tutoring
and virtual classroom. These elements describe the
quality of online programme itself, and for this
reason should be assessed constantly in order to
improve it.
The results of the bibliographical analysis
regarding assessment of the quality of online
programmes show that, apart from the elements of
the programme, the assessment of online
programmes should include the assessment of all the
stages the programme goes through during its
existence, that is, of its initial, development and final
stage. The purpose is to review what have been
planned, organized and prepared in order to know
whether the programme can be launched, as well as
how the programme has been developed and, finally,
whether the objectives of the programme have been
reached (measuring of the effects).
The results of the analysis of the scope of the
standards, rules and instructions for the self-
assessment of online programmes show that, even
though we encounter different standards applied to
virtual education, none of them has is focused on the
self-assessment of online higher education
programmes.
Once the main part of the existing guides and
tools to assess and improve online education has
been analysed, we can conclude that there is a
limited number of tools for the self-assessment of
this kind of education. This scarcity of literature
appears both at a national and international level.
Moreover, it can be concluded that there is no tool
that allows to assess both the quality of the
programme itself, as well as of each of the stages of
its existence (initial, development and final stage).
Different models seek to provide a response to
the issue of the assessment of the quality of virtual
higher education programmes. Some of them have
been adapted from models applied to traditional
education, while others developed with the purpose
of assessing virtual higher education programmes.
Nevertheless, so far none of the said models
manages to satisfy on its own all the educational
needs of the said programmes. Among these needs,
we encounter the need for the application of
different dimensions and indicators allowing the
persons in charge of the programme and/or the
universities to measure the quality of the programme
itself and of each of the three stages of its existence
(initial, development and final stage) in order to
verify the degree and the quality with which the
programme has been planned and implemented, as
well as to evaluate the results of the programme,
according to the set goals.
5.2 In the Area of Empirical Research
The documentary and bibliographical revision has
made it possible to determine the variables of the
first draft of our model and its dimensions, as well as
to determine its operative definitions presented in
table 1.
Table 1: Operative definitions of the dimensions o the
model for the self-assessment of higher education online
programmes.
Variable 1: The assessment of the quality of the online
education program itself
Dimension Operative definition
Online
Program
Justification
It determines the reason for the existence
of the online program, by making
reference to why the student should
participate in the program.
Online
program
objectives
It describes the objectives that are aimed
to be reached through the online program.
Access and
graduation
profile
Access profile should be understood as a
set of knowledge, skills and attitudes that
the person willing to take part in the
program should possess in order to
complete it in the most successful way
possible. Graduation profile defines the
skills that the student should develop and
acquire thanks to participating in the
program.
Thematic
contents of
the online
program
It presents the themes and topics that
constitute the program in order for the
student to address, in general terms, the
issue presented by the virtual program.
Learning
activities
It refers to the different tasks through
which the teacher applies teaching
methods, strategies and techniques in
order to facilitate the learning process.
Online
teacher
profile
A set of particular features that
characterize the person who teaches the
virtual program.
Educational
resources
Any resource that provides the students
with all the necessary information in order
to carry out the learning activities, as well
as the resources used by the teacher in the
teaching process.
Educational
strategies
Strategies and technologies used by the
online teacher in order to support the
teaching-learning processes.
Tutoring Coaching process during the learning
process carried out by the online teacher
through individual attention.
Assessment
of learning
Procedures related to how or whether the
university assesses the student's learning
experience.
Quality of
the virtual
classroom
Technological tools that work as a support
for virtual education, that is, a software
that allows educational contents to be
distributed and to carry out online
educational programmes.
Table 1: Operative definitions of the dimensions o the
model for the self-assessment of higher education online
programmes (Cont.).
Variable 2: Ongoing assessment of the online program
Dimension Operative definition
Initial
assessment
of the
programme
It allows to verify what has been planned,
organized and prepared in order to know
whether the programme can be launched.
The assessment of this stage should be
carried out one week before the planned
start of the programme online.
Processual
Assessment
of the Online
Programme
The second stage of the programme. It
allows to verify how the programme has
been developed. The assessment of this
stage should be carried out in the medium
stage of its realization.
Final
assessment
of the online
programme
The last stage of the programme. It allows
to verify, among others, whether the
educational objectives have been
achieved. The assessment of this stage
should be carried out immediately after
the completion of the online programme.
The first draft of the model was validated by 23
international experts, who validated the model when
it comes to its univocality, suitability and relevance
of each of the indicators composing the model, as
well as the suitability of the calculation formula of
the indicator and the relevance of the evidence
required to assess the degree of its fulfilment.
Based on the results of the said validations, the
quantitative and qualitative validity of the model
was verified. The quantitative validity was verified
by calculating the facial validity index, the contents
validity index and the interjudge reliability index for
all the indicators composing the model. The
qualitative validation of the model was verified by
collecting all the comments made by the experts to
justify their answers, as well as their suggestions for
the improvement of the model.
In general terms, the results of the quantitative
validity show that the model is a tool with good
psychometric properties, that is, that it is valid and
reliable when it comes to the assessment of the
quality of online programmes, given that E:
- Its facial validity with experts is high with an
acceptability index of 0.91;
- The validity of the contents of the model based
on the Lawshed Method modified by Tristán
shows that, in general, the indicators are typical
of theoretical domain as their Global Validity
Index is of 0.92.
- The reliability determined by the Kappa de Fleiss
(k) index shows a global index of k=0,73, which
shows a good concordance among the experts,
according to the Altman classification, under the
five criteria assessed by them.
The results of the qualitative validation of the model
carried out by a group of experts show that all the
proposed indicators were assessed as univocal or
appropriate to the dimensions under which they were
included and relevant to assess higher education
online programmes, with the exception of the
indicator “Variety of Teaching Materials and
Resources” which, according to the experts, does not
affect the quality of the assessed programme.
As for the assessment criteria “Suitability of the
calculation formula”, even though all the formula
were considered appropriate by the experts,
according to their comments, some of them should
be modified in order to improve them. According to
the said comments, the required evidences for some
of the indicators should be reformulated, even
though all of them were considered relevant or
highly relevant.
Once the qualitative validation was completed,
the results were triangulated with the results of the
quantitative validation and specialized literature,
which allowed us to make decisions regarding the
maintenance, modification or removal of an
indicator and, as a result, to create the provisional
model II (second draft) for the self-assessment of
higher education e-learning programmes. According
to the results of the carried out triangulation, the
number of indicators was reduced to a total of 118
(two indicators less than the total number of
indicators of the provisional model I).
The second draft of the model was validated by
two discussion groups: one composed by seven
experts from the Universidad Virtual de la
Universidad de Guadalajara (México), and another
one composed by five Spanish users (students) of
online education. The validation carried out by the
persons participating in the two discussion groups
has allowed us to adjust and improve the model
according to the comments made by them. These
comments, which were incorporated in the model,
were applied to draft the definitive model for the
self-assessment of higher online education
programmes are presented in Table 2.
Table 2: The structure of the definitive Model for the Self-
assessment of Higher Online Education Programmes.
Variable 1: The assessment of the quality of the
online education program itself
Dimensions and sub-dimensions
Nr of
indicators
1. Justification of the online programme 3
2. Educational objectives of the online
programme
5
Table 2: The structure of the definitive Model for the Self-
assessment of Higher Online Education Programmes
(Cont.).
Variable 1: The assessment of the quality of the
online education program itself
Dimensions and sub-dimensions
Nr of
indicators
3. Student profile 7
3.1. Access profile 3
3.2. Graduation profile 4
4. Thematic contents/Syllabus of the
online programme
5
5. Learning activities 8
6. Online teacher profile 3
7. Teaching materials and resources 38
7.1. Teaching unit 23
7.1.1. Name of the teaching unit 2
7.1.2. Index of the teaching unit 2
7.1.3. Introduction to the teaching unit 3
7.1.4. Educational objectives of the
teaching unit
2
7.1.5. Development of the contents of
the teaching unit
7
7.1.6. Bibliography of the teaching
unit
3
7.1.7. Other elements of the learning
support
4
7.2: Teaching Guide 11
7.3: Other teaching materials and
resources
4
8. Teaching strategies 3
9. Tutoring 7
10. Assessment of the learning progress 4
11. Quality of the virtual classroom of
the programme
9
Variable 2: Ongoing assessment of the online
programme
12. Assessment of the initial stage of the
programme
4
13. Assessment of the development stage
of the programme
7
14. Assessment of the final stage of the
programme
8
Total indicators 111
6 STAGE OF THE RESEARCH
The definitive model for self-assessment of higher
online education programmes was designed. It was
validated by different audiences and analytical
proceedings. It was also applied in the self-
assessment of four online programmes. However, it
is still necessary to carry out the following activities
in order to increase the utility of the model and
facilitate its implementation at the universities in
different countries:
To apply the model to a selected sample of
online education programmes offered by
universities in different countries in order to
identify their stable elements and the elements
that can be adjusted to the specific context of
each university.
To design a “Guide” for the correct
understanding and use of the model by the
persons interested in its use. The “Guide” should
include the self-assessment methodology, the
vocabulary and various illustrative annexes of
the self-assessment process.
To design and apply the online self-assessment
protocol which would facilitate the said process.
To design and validate a questionnaire in order to
obtain knowledge regarding the students’
satisfaction with the online program in its
processual and final stages.
7 CONCLUSIONS
It is too early to make final conclusions. It is
necessary to complete the planned research, but the
pilot application of the model in the self-assessment
of four virtual programmes allowed to verify its
potential while assessing the quality of the said
programmes through the detection of their strengths
and weaknesses in order to design an action plan for
their improvement.
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