Transcript European Institute for E

eQuality: a learning
cycle for elearning
territories
eLearning Regions & Cities 2004
La Rochelle 17-18 May 2004
Why eLearning Regions & Cities 2004?

2002, call for tenders from the EC on Quality for
eLearning

EIfEL took the opportunity to build a partnership to
explore its vision of the organic link between
 learning individuals manage their own learning, knowledge,
competencies and continuing professional development
 learning organisations provide a framework for
organisational knowledge and develop staff competencies
 learning cities and learning regions provide a framework for
innovation, development and social inclusion
Supporting Excellence in E-Learning

Supporting Excellence in E-Learning (SEEL)
explores the link between :
 Learning,
 Quality,
 Innovation and
 Development

How to reconcile quality with innovation?

Looking at the territory as a learning entity
What have we achieved?

Regional Benchmaking System

Quality Guidelines

Regional Centres of Excellence

Quality Award

Cooperation with other initiatives
 Europe: SEEQUEL, EQO, ReLL, R3L
 Canada – Open eQLS
What are eLearning Regions and Cities?

Google says
 "learning region" + "learning regions" > 11,000 entries
 "learning city" + "learning cities"
> 14,000 entries
 "digital city" + "digital cities«
> 440,000 entries

There are many projects
 Germany

72 learning regions projects (www.lernende-regionen.info)
 Europe


17 learning regions projects: R3L (ReLL)
Carrying different visions
 Extrinsic: the training territory
 Intrinsic: the learning territory
What is an eLearning territory?

What does eLearning territory mean?
 digital (learning city/region) or learning (digital city/region) ?
 It is certainly not a territory providing ‘online training’!

An eLearning territory is a territory that uses
knowledge, information and learning technologies
(KILT) to
 value all its assets, human, cultural, patrimonial, etc.
 build partnerships for interactive learning, with public and
private actors, organisations and citizens
 support lifelong and lifewide learning policies for social
inclusion, cultural and economic development
Learning territories technology layers

Infrastructure
 Broad band, schools equipment, including trainer training, etc.

Applications
 Information Portals, community Portals, …

Services to individuals, organisations and policy makers
 Support to networks and associations; business networks
 Information on learning provision, skill provision
 Value individuals and provide social recognition – e.g. ePortfolio for
all, Parthenay, Wales
 Support new forms of partnership and ‘interactive learning’ between
public an private actors, organisations and citizens

local learning partnerships (LLP): employment agencies, schools and
training providers, social services, …
 Dashboards, accountability systems
Issues for eLearning Territories

Is technology used to reduce duplication of provision, if yes how? Through
a regional/local portal?

How is technology used to reduce duplication and co-ordinate efforts
between local, regional and national authorities?

Is technology used to track the response to learning inquiries? (customer
service)

Is technology used to facilitate the management/access of learning
records?

Is technology used to provide dashboards and increase accountability of
decision makers responsible for learning policies?

How is technology used to support the quality assurance of the
assessment process?

Have regional/local authorities a QA scheme for their services to the
citizens, and learning citizens in particular? A customer chart?

How do the local authorities facilitate local learning networks, learning
communities, associations, research dissemination, link between research
and SMEs, clusters of learning organisations, etc.

…
The link between
learning territories and quality
Partnerships for learning
Local /
Regional
government
Leadership
Strategies
&
Objectives
Impact & Evaluation
Citizens
Individuals’
achievements
Learning and
professional
communities
Learning
communities’
achievements
Education and
learning
providers
Investments
Infrastructures
Services
Processes
Learning
providers’
achievements
Organisations’
achievements
Businesses
Innovation and learning
Key Territorial
learning and
innovation
achievements
Social
inclusion
e.LRC Quality Award categories

Innovative local and regional learning strategies – e.g. innovative vision, crosssector strategic planning building

Innovative learning products and services for local and regional actors – e.g.
regional portal to link learning demand to provision

Quality assurance implementation – e.g. quality label, quality resource centre

Developing learning communities – e.g. encouraging local associations to value
human and patrimonial resources

Valuing informal learning – e.g. valuing cultural heritage as a source of learning

Promoting lifelong and life-wide learning – e.g. developing summer courses,
evening classes

Social inclusion and accessibility – e.g. providing flexible access to learning to
disfranchised groups

Investing in people – providing flexible access to accreditation of competencies

Business-education partnerships – e.g. public-private partnership to twin
schools

Accountability and transparency – e.g. regional or thematic observatory
Quality Guidelines

Four flavours





Learning Resources Providers
Learning Delivery
Supporting learners and organisations
Learning Strategy
Based on the experience of BAOL (BLA) Quality Mark
Strategic Framework:
Regional Centres of Excellence

Initially: more ‘static’
 ‘traditional’ information centre
 Access to resources about
quality
 Perhaps some ‘consulting’

Now: ‘dynamic’, proactive
 Helping territories to
establish strategic plans
 Inter-regional benchmarking
 Observatory

Interesting related initiative:
France Qualité Publique
 France Qualité Publique : a
vision of ‘quality’ as a
learning cycle for territories –
e.g. building a transport
policy
• Made up of members from key
strategic partners
• Responsible for setting Strategic Goals
Regional E-Learning
Strategy Forum
National / Regional
Strategy
Local Strategic Partners
Joined Up Thinking
Regional
Group of
LLPs
input
input
Local Strategy for E-Learning
Regional Centre of Excellence
for e-Learning
Local
partnerships
representing
learners LLPs
Voice of
The Learner
R
O
L
E
S
Provision of
independent information
e.g on latest research,
Standards.
Buyers Guides
Promoting, Profiling,
Measuring,Championing
• Employer Groups
• IAGs
•Training Providers
• Strategic & Economic
Partners
PRIORITIES
Voluntary
Organisations
Determined
by the
Strategy and
Training
Providers
Strategy
Forum
Learners
Employers
Support
Groups
Schools
Colleges
HE
Regional Benchmarking
The SEEL benchmarking system is based on six principles
1. Formative Approach: the system is designed to support a process of selfassessment in order to help regions to identify strategies and actions that will
help improve their performance related to their vision/strategy toward quality in
eLearning
2. Region as an evolutionary and learning reality: the benchmarking system has
to consider the dynamism of the regional context and has to include an
intrinsic principle of flexibility
3. Process that is both focused and manageable: the benchmarking system has
to be easy to manage while at the same time it has to be very focused on its
purpose.
4. Stakeholders’ perspectives have to be strongly considered before defining
criteria and indicators.
5. Context in which it is applied: the benchmarking system must consider the
specificity and “maturity” of the context in which it is applied.
6. Collaborative nature of the activity: the process must stimulate collaboration
and the exchange of information, ideas and experiences.
Conference objectives

Present the work of the SEEL project

Get feedback

Echange regional experiences

Exploit the work done during 18 months





European network of Excellence Centres
Implement the Guidelines
Organise Benchmarking Systems
Organise the 2005 Quality Award!
Find a host for the 2005 conference!
We want to
learn from you!
Thank You