Benchmarking e-learning in higher education:Lessons learned from international projects

Popular Abstract in Finnish Yliopistokoulutus on talla vuosisadalla suurien haasteiden edessa. Yksilollinen, joustava ja avoin opetus ovat tarkeimpia kehitysta ajavia voimia. Tassa ymparistossa opetuksen laatuvaatimukset ovat tarkeita. Tama laadullinen monitapaustutkimus keskittyy e-lerningin benchmarkkaukseen yliopistoissa. Tutkimuksen tulokset tarjoavat kasitteellisia linsseja, joiden avulla voidaan keskustella ja ymmartaa e-lerningin benchmarkkauksen kompleksisuutta avoimessa oppimisymparistossa. Tutkimus on osoittanut, etta tarvitaan uusia viitekehyksia e-learningin laadun varmistamiseen. Benchmarkkausta kaytettaessa teoreettisen perustan valinta vaikuttaa kaytannon toteutukseen ja vertailukohteiden valintaan. Tutkimus tarjoaa vinkkeja ja suosituksia, miten e-learningin benchmarkkausta tulisi toteuttaa yliopistoissa, joissa oppilaat opiskelevat avoimessa ymparistossa ja voivat tyoskennella ja elaa ajasta ja paikasta riippumatta siten, etta heilla on kaytettavissa globaalit resurssit elinikaiseen oppimiseen. Tutkimuksessa havaittiin, etta suurin haaste liittyy siihen, miten e-learningin bechmarkkaus liitetaan yliopistojen yleiseen laatujarjestelmaan. Tata integraatiota ei nykyisin taysin ymmarreta. Tutkimus osoittaa, etta benchmarkkausmenetelmalla on merkittava vaikutus yliopistojen yleiseen laadunvarmistamiseen. Tutkimus osoittaa, etta on haastavaa integroida sisaisesti organisoitu benchmarkkaus ulkoisiin laatuauditointeihin. Laatuauditointeja jarjestavien tahojen ja auditointeja seka akreditointeja suorittavien viranomaisten tulee tehda metodologisia muutoksia toimintaansa, jotta e-learning voidaan integroida laatujarjestelmiin. E-learningin kompleksisuus ja erityispiirteet tulisi myos ymmartaa. Varsinaiset haasteet eivat niinkaan ole jarjestelmassa, sen menestystekijoissa tai benchmarkeisssa vaan siina, etta paattajilla ja kayttoonottajilla on liian vahan tietoa ja kokemusta elearningista. Kasite benchlearning nousi esille tassa vaitostutkimuksessa kuvaamaan problematiikkaa. Popular Abstract in Swedish Hogre utbildning star infor en rad stora utmaningar under det tjugoforsta arhundradet. Personligt, flexibelt och oppet larande utifran ett livslangt larande perspektiv ar av storsta vikt. E-larandet ses som en av de drivande krafterna for denna utveckling dar kvalitet ar av avgorande betydelse. Denna kvalitativa studie, fokuserar pa benchmarking e-larande i hogre utbildning. Potentiella fordelar och utmaningar, fokuseras samt hur benchmarking av e-larande bor integreras som en naturlig del av ordinar kvalitetssakring. Resultaten visar pa konceptuella perspektiv och komplexiteten av benchmarking av e-larande inom hogre utbildning i stretchade och granslosa miljoer. Det finns behov av nya referensramar for kvalitet inom e-larande. Forskningen ger anvisningar och rekommendationer for framtiden nar det galler hur man kan utfora benchmarking e-larande i stretchade inlarningsmiljoer dar studenterna kan studera, arbeta och leva oberoende av tid och rum med globala resurser till sitt forfogande i livslanga larande miljoer. Den storsta utmaningen som identifieras i denna studie for att integrera benchmarking e-larande i den allmanna kvalitetssakring ar behovet av att fullt ut forsta komplexiteten och sardragen gallande e-larande Forskningen visar att benchmarking som metod kommer att ha betydande inverkan pa ordinarie kvalitetssakring i den hogre utbildningen. Denna doktorsavhandling visar pa utmaningar for att integrera extern kvalitetsgranskning och internt driven benchmarking. Studierna har ocksa visat pa behovet av metodforandringar for kvalitetssakring och for myndigheter som utfor revision och ackreditering for att integrera e-larande i kvalitetssakring, samt behovet av att fullt ut forsta komplexiteten och sardragen i e-larande. Formodligen ligger utmaningen inte i metoden som sadan eller, i framgangsfaktorer och benchmark, utan i brist pa kunskap och erfarenhet av e-larande bland de som ansvarar for implementering. Konceptet benchlearning infordes som en del av benchmarking.

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