Sustainable framework for Quality in Europe One of the main aims of the TRIANGLE project is to establish a sustainable framework for European e-learning stakeholders to work on the quality issues that are related to any services around the delivery of e-learning. Thus the idea of a European-wide foundation that could attract those stakeholders to become a forum of discussion and to further advance the stage of European quality for e-learning without restrictions related to the short-lived cycle of project-based work.

The European Foundation for Quality in eLearning (EFQUEL) was established in the summer of 2005 under Belgian legislation. The Foundation intends to become a sustainable and proactive network providing valuable services to the European elearning community. It aims to involve actors in a European community of users and experts to share experiences on how e-learning can be used to strengthen individual, organisational, local and regional development, digital and learning literacy, and promote social cohesion. The TRIANGLE project partners are among the ever-growing number of funding members of the EFQUEL. The membership is a one-time payment which guarantees membership for life.

Work on your interest area – SIGs
EFQUEL will provide a platform to explore key issues in quality from quality policies to e-learning futures and from accreditation of quality to quality for social inclusion. There will be special interest groups (SIGs) organised on the emphasis on innovation. In the first place, the establishment of a number of groups will be explored, including:
— Standards by CEN/ISSS;
— Framework for Quality of Learning Resources;
— Quality of global learning;
— eLearning quality in Russia
— Healthcare sector
— The e-learning quality inside managerial education;…
— Quality Mark
— EPortfolio
— Quality in lifelong eLearning
— Training teachers for Quality in the knowledge society
— Learner oriented quality/role of the learner in e-learning quality

EUN pooling efforts to advance the Framework for Quality of Learning Resources European Schoolnet (EUN) has an interest in helping to better assure the quality of digital learning resources in the European e-learning landscape. EUN is committed to its vision of a European Learning Resource Exchange (LRE), an enhanced architecture for digital learning resources in Europe. EUN will continue the development of the LRE, involving a variety of stakeholders from content providers, both public and commercial, to end-users in European schools. With this in mind, but also to enlarge EUN’s view by sharing it with other interested players in the field, EUN has proposed a Special Interest Group with the Swedish Flexible Learning association (CFL3). The SIG on the Framework for Quality of Learning Resources will start its work by looking at the different processes during the life of a learning resource; what are the aspects of quality that are related to the creation of material, its storage, discovery and eventually its use and re-use for learning purposes. Sub-SIGs could be formed to focus on different processes that matter to participants and fit their interests.

The following processes could be of interest:
— creation of learning resources: technical aspects concerning the construction of a learning object, its interoperability, accessibility, transferability, repurposing and re-use
— description of learning resources: metadata (semantics, pedagogical, technical), DRM
— approval and publishing processes: different prior/during/post review mechanisms
— discovery of resources: searches, recommendations, information visualisation, social networks
— evaluation of learning resources and 3rd party metadata
— processes related to the resolution and obtaining of resources
— use of learning resources (current national initiatives related to the criteria of digital learning
resources)
— integration, repurpose and reuse (adapted into different language, cultural, pedagogic contexts, aggregation and disaggregation)  This SIG aims to launch discussion on the a

European level using national initiatives as a starting point. The workshop seeks to involve a wide user community and provide a bridge between end-users and content providers seeking solutions, such as ways to indicate quality of digital learning resources in repositories and federated networks by using adequate solutions. 

The Common Evaluation Framework (CEF) aims to assist schools in coming to an objective view of the extent to which ICT is embedded in their practice. The framework covers policy, planning and practice to maximise the potential of ICT to enhance all aspects of a school’s work, including its impact on standards. It was developed by representatives from a wide range of Government and other agencies, as well as schools.

Note:
1 Call for proposals - Preparatory and Innovative Actions 2002/b – eLearning Initiative http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/elearning/projects_descr_en.html#2002
2 EFQUEL: http://www.qualityfoundation.org/
3 http://www.cfl.se