Milan, 16/2/2004

Italian Report

Videoconference, 16th february 2004

Milan, 16/2/2004

Items of the survey

DETC - Distance Education and Training Council (US)

Accreditation process for Educational Institutes

Intra-governmental Commission – Directive for e-learning quality

Proposal of guidelines and Vademecum for e-learning quality projects in PA

ASFOR – Association for business management training

Proposal of an accreditation process for E-learning Masters

Milan, 16/2/2004

DETC No profit associationFounded in 1926National institutional accrediting body for post-secondary

institutions

Target

• for educational institutes predominantly by distance• federal recognition for post-secondary institution• next step: extension to professional doctoral level degrees• target: US + abroad• 80 accredited institutions; 500 different course offer; 3 mln end-users

Costs: for accrediting, 10.000-15.000 $ (estimation)For membership, 1.500 – 10.000 $ (estimation)

Milan, 16/2/2004

Accrediting Body

Officers of the Commission:

Chief Vice Chief Secretary and executive

Director

Treasurer

Accrediting Commission’s Members:

Public Commisioners (4) Representatives of outside

field institutions

Institution commisioner (7) Representatives of member

institutions

DETC Committees:

Academic and/or administrative expertise

Standards

Finance, Budget and Audit

Award and Recognition

Nominating

Milan, 16/2/2004

Accrediting Process

(3)

Examination

Election of(2)Institution

·CEO·Senior staff members: 1 min.·100 students·personnel

DETC Accrediting Commission

Examining Committee·Chair·Educational standards examiners·Business standards examiners·Subject Specialists·AC observer·State observers

Accreditation request (1)

Decision on Accreditation (4)

Accrediting Time

Up to 9 months Up to about 3 months

Application SER submission On-site visit AC Response

Milan, 16/2/2004

Application Content:

I. Institution mission and objective

II. Educational program objectives, curricula and materials

III. Educational services

IV. Student Services

V. Student achievment and satisfaction

VI. Qualification of owners, governing board members, staff/faculty, administrators

VII. Admission practices and enrollment agreements

VIII. Advertising, promotional literature, recruitment

IX. Financial responsibility and Ethics

X. Tuition policies, collection procedures, refunds

XI. Plant, equipment and record protection

XII. Research and self-improvement

Milan, 16/2/2004

GOVERNMENTAL COMMISSIONTemporary commission, founded in June 2003Composed by MIT- MFP - CNIPA National relevance

Target

• Public Administration as committer and end-user of eL projects

•Educational Institution

Main Task •On-going project for proposing e-learning guidelines & Vademecum for PA

•No accreditation of e-learning providers neither programmes

Milan, 16/2/2004

Commission structure

With contribution of local agencies, providers and end-users

MIT

Ministry of Innovation and Technology

CNIPA

National Centre for IT in PA

MFP

Ministry of Public Affairs

University experts

ASFOR

ISFOL

……

Milan, 16/2/2004

Application contents

•Professional training and long life education

•All the e-learning process form the Concept to the Release phaseMacro areas of quality criteria

•a)       ICT facilities to buy, that’s hardware and software facilities, applications and tools

•b)       Learning contents and services production and updating

•c)       Project management

•d)       Quality criteria for service evaluation

Milan, 16/2/2004

ASFOR Association for Business Management TrainingFounded in 1971no profit private associationNational relevanceStaff: ISVOR FIAT, MIB- School of Management; TELECOM Italia; SDA Bocconi; IBM Business Consulting; Confindustria,

etc.Membership: more than 60 institutions and biggest companies

Target of the special Work Commission

• Educational institution providing masters on line

Main Task •On going project for defining an Italian accrediting process for on line master programmes

Milan, 16/2/2004

Application contents• Master in General Management• Specialist masters•Master in Business Administration

Criteria of eligibility Minimum

duration Project work

Stage Hours in class

Hours of frontal lessons or virtual class synchronous

% maximum to manage online

hours of asynchronous activity of e-learning (no self learning)

Master Business Administration

500 hours Yes Optiponal 200 200 300

Master General Management

1500 hours

Yes Yes 800 250-400 400-550

Master Specialistic

1200 hours

Yes yes 600 150-300 300-450

Milan, 16/2/2004

Focus points of criteria

I. Admission procedures

II. Didactic methodologies

III. Duration and articulation

IV. Faculty

V. Evaluation process

VI. Tutorship and didactical services

VII. Technical and support equipment, standards

VIII. Customer satisfaction

IX. Other criterias already identified for residential courses

Milan, 16/2/2004

Further resources

1) ODL QC - Open and Distance Learning – Quality Council

Standards: Sections and specific criteria

2) SEEQUEL – Sustainable Environment for the Evaluation of Quality in e-learning

http://www.education-observatories.net/seequel/index

E-learning quality Forum + Laboratory

The SEEQUEL project aims at taking the required step to establish a European "eLearning Quality" Forum, that will address the following issues:

Quality assessment, evaluation and conformance practice;

Cases of "good practice" and design guidelines;

Quality assurance frameworks (with criteria and standards).