Ein Beitrag von Maria Papanikolaou
Qualitätssicherung und Qualitätsentwicklung von E-Learning und Blended-Learning-Angeboten sind wichtige Themen in der heutigen Hochschullandschaft. Ziel des von SWITCH finanzierten Projektes E-xcellence.ch ist die Förderung der Qualität von solchen Lernformen mit Hilfe eines Tool-unterstützten Prozesses. Im Rahmen dieses Projekts haben das learning.lab der HSW und andere Schweizer Hochschulpartner den “5-Step-E-xcellence-Prozess” und ein entsprechendes Online-Tool QualiScan entwickelt. 
Beim Pilotversuch im Bachelor-Studiengang Wirtschaftsinformatik und im Master-Studiengang Business Information Systems im vergangenen Herbstsemester an der HSW zeigte sich, dass die QualiScan-gestützte Evaluation wertvolle Stimuli generiert und zu einer vertieften, strukturierten Auseinandersetzung rund um das Thema E-Learning in einem Studiengang führen kann. Studiengangleitende und Dozierende der HSW, die an der Anwendung von QualiScan interessiert sind, werden vom learning.lab gerne unterstützt.
Please find detailed information in English below.
E-xcellence.ch & QualiScan for quality in eLearning
E-xcellence.ch is a quality self-assessment instrument for e-learning and a project funded by SWITCH involving several higher education institutions in Switzerland.
E-xcellence.ch supports quality management of all aspects in e-learning by supplying institutions with needed tools, processes and networks. The instrument aims at facilitating quality management of e-learning to those responsible for services as well as to study program managers, teaching and non-teaching staff of Swiss higher education institutions.
In particular, the goal of E-xcellence.ch is to develop a comprehensive methodology to:
- perform a self-assessment on the quality of e-learning in a given higher education institution
- a dedicated support and follow up to assist in the self-assessment procedure provided by a pool of national/international experts
- a community of people interested in quality of e-learning in Switzerland
The E-xcellence.ch process includes 5 main phases, namely: evaluation setup, evaluation, analysis, discussion and community of practice.
EVALUATION SETUP
The coordinator sets up the evaluation session, invites participants giving them a role.
EVALUATION
Participants receive the invitation, register to the platform and fill in the survey while the coordinator monitors the process.
ANALYSIS
The coordinator closes the survey, prepares group discussion on the basis of survey results and select participants to join the discussion group.
DISCUSSION
The evaluation group analyzes and discusses the results in order to find concrete solutions to improve eLearning in the institution.
COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE
In the community of practice it is possible to contact e-learning experts, as well as discuss and share experiences with all the community members.
QualiScan
The E-xcellence.ch process is supported by Qualiscan, an easy-to-use online tool that has been developed to facilitate the online surveys (questionnaires) carried out by scalable groups of evaluators, as well as by individual interested persons. QualiScan is designed to guide users (evaluation coordinators and participants) step by step through the evaluation process and provides all functionalities necessary for the professional and impeccable flow of the survey procedure.
Most importantly QualiScan supports evaluators in identifying critical points and weaknesses as well as areas of strength and opportunity in their e-learning programs or services in relation to 6 Domains: Strategic Management, Curriculum Design, Course Design, Course Delivery, Staff and Student Support. The tool does so by compiling the collected data in each Domain into multiple visual representations that help evaluators compare, analyze and interpret the survey results and it sets this way the ground for reflective discussions and creative problem solving. Finally QualiScan supports knowledge sharing and collaboration by facilitating the formation of a community of practice, network of experts and a pool of good practices in the domain of eLearning.
The E-xcellence.ch process accompanied by QualiScan provides a unique platform for the identification of challenges and opportunities and promotes creative thinking and innovation in eLearning in academia.
Link to QualiScan: http://vmelab13.usilu.net:8080/qualiscan/#Start/0/
Participating institutions:
- UAS Northwestern Switzerland – School of Business: Prof. Dr. Urs Gröhbiel, Maria Papanikolaou
- Bern UAS – Specialised Service of Teaching & E-Learning: Christian Schmid
- USI eLab: Dr. Stefano Tardini, Dr. Luca Botturi
- University of Basel – LearnTechNet: Dr. Gudrun Bachmann
- University of Fribourg – NTE: Dr. Hervé Platteaux
- SWITCH Foundation: Dr. Rolf Brugger (SWITCHcollection, for integration in national infrastructure)