Quality Assurance Framework for the Design and Delivery of Virtual, Real-Time Courses
Designing and delivering outcome-based courses that emphasize learner-centric educational discourse and active learning is challenging, especially in online learning environments. Ensuring quality in the design and delivery of such courses in the virtual space requires a well-defined framework with...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Information |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/12/2/93 |
| _version_ | 1797395549190619136 |
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| author | Marcel Karam Hanna Fares Salah Al-Majeed |
| author_facet | Marcel Karam Hanna Fares Salah Al-Majeed |
| author_sort | Marcel Karam |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Designing and delivering outcome-based courses that emphasize learner-centric educational discourse and active learning is challenging, especially in online learning environments. Ensuring quality in the design and delivery of such courses in the virtual space requires a well-defined framework with key constituents that interact based on ordered sequences of events. Despite the pressing need for a quality assurance system for today’s virtual, real-time courses, such a system has not been systematically designed. A coherent quality assurance system requires a clear framework that defines the interacting constituents. This work proposes a conceptual and generic “Quality Assurance” (QA) framework, based on experiences primarily in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, for the effective design and delivery of outcome-based virtual, real-time courses that incorporate active learning practices. This Quality Assurance framework may be adjusted to serve as a blueprint that, once adjusted by institutions to accommodate their missions, guides institutions in developing or amending their policies and procedures for the design and delivery of virtual, real-time courses; in addition, such a framework is important for institutions to develop Quality Assurance systems that integrate mechanisms for continuous improvement. The proposed quality assurance framework includes three constituents: a “Teaching and Learning Support” (TLS) that trains educators on pedagogical approaches and the capabilities of the institution’s Learning Management System (LMS); an “Information and Communication Technology Support” (ICTS) that assists educators with the technologies and tools available in the learning management system; and a “Course Management System” (CMS) that encapsulates course design, delivery, and assessment; this study focuses primarily on this “Course Management System” constituent. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:37:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-07f73dd0879746289874c88f897195cf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2078-2489 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:37:06Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Information |
| spelling | doaj.art-07f73dd0879746289874c88f897195cf2023-12-11T18:03:47ZengMDPI AGInformation2078-24892021-02-011229310.3390/info12020093Quality Assurance Framework for the Design and Delivery of Virtual, Real-Time CoursesMarcel Karam0Hanna Fares1Salah Al-Majeed2Department of Information Technology, Saint George University of Beirut, Beirut 1100-2807, LebanonDepartment of Biology, Saint George University of Beirut, Beirut 1100-2807, LebanonDepartment of Computer Science, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN6 7TS, UKDesigning and delivering outcome-based courses that emphasize learner-centric educational discourse and active learning is challenging, especially in online learning environments. Ensuring quality in the design and delivery of such courses in the virtual space requires a well-defined framework with key constituents that interact based on ordered sequences of events. Despite the pressing need for a quality assurance system for today’s virtual, real-time courses, such a system has not been systematically designed. A coherent quality assurance system requires a clear framework that defines the interacting constituents. This work proposes a conceptual and generic “Quality Assurance” (QA) framework, based on experiences primarily in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, for the effective design and delivery of outcome-based virtual, real-time courses that incorporate active learning practices. This Quality Assurance framework may be adjusted to serve as a blueprint that, once adjusted by institutions to accommodate their missions, guides institutions in developing or amending their policies and procedures for the design and delivery of virtual, real-time courses; in addition, such a framework is important for institutions to develop Quality Assurance systems that integrate mechanisms for continuous improvement. The proposed quality assurance framework includes three constituents: a “Teaching and Learning Support” (TLS) that trains educators on pedagogical approaches and the capabilities of the institution’s Learning Management System (LMS); an “Information and Communication Technology Support” (ICTS) that assists educators with the technologies and tools available in the learning management system; and a “Course Management System” (CMS) that encapsulates course design, delivery, and assessment; this study focuses primarily on this “Course Management System” constituent.https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/12/2/93quality assuranceoutcome-based educationactive learningvirtualreal-timecourses |
| spellingShingle | Marcel Karam Hanna Fares Salah Al-Majeed Quality Assurance Framework for the Design and Delivery of Virtual, Real-Time Courses Information quality assurance outcome-based education active learning virtual real-time courses |
| title | Quality Assurance Framework for the Design and Delivery of Virtual, Real-Time Courses |
| title_full | Quality Assurance Framework for the Design and Delivery of Virtual, Real-Time Courses |
| title_fullStr | Quality Assurance Framework for the Design and Delivery of Virtual, Real-Time Courses |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quality Assurance Framework for the Design and Delivery of Virtual, Real-Time Courses |
| title_short | Quality Assurance Framework for the Design and Delivery of Virtual, Real-Time Courses |
| title_sort | quality assurance framework for the design and delivery of virtual real time courses |
| topic | quality assurance outcome-based education active learning virtual real-time courses |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/12/2/93 |
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