University of Tasmania, Australia

The Base QA Standards set out minimum, realistically achievable criteria online units. Consideration of these standards is a requirement for unit coordinators who wish to use MyLO and associated support services.

• Base QA Standards
• Quality Assurance Checklist

Exemplary QA Standards complement these Base QA Standards, and set out elements of recognised good practice. They do not form part of the unit release and reporting functions described below.

Purpose and benefits of the QA standards

The purpose/benefits of the standards for faculty (teaching, development and management staff) are:

1. Benchmarks for the design of online units
2. Criteria for the evaluation of online units
3. Supports the collection and reporting of QA data to faculties and schools
4. Assurance (for students) of a base level of quality in the online unit
5. A base level of consistency in the presentation of online units
6. Compliance with external requirements - such as copyright and accessibility.

QA standards and the unit activation process

When an online unit is ready for release (or re-release) to students, the unit coordinator is required to complete and submit a Base QA standards checklist using the MyLO Manager.

For further information on the unit activation process including completing the Base QA standards checklist see Setting up an online unit.

Use of the base standards in practice

It is recognised that the purposes a unit coordinator may have for 'going online' may vary, and MyLO usage may correspond to any one of three general models:

• Web supported - where MyLO is used to supplement or augment other forms of course teaching and delivery, but is in itself not an essential utility for students to access
  
• Web dependent - where MyLO is used to complement the teaching of a unit, and its use is blended with other teaching strategies and is thus integral to the program from the students' perspective
  
• Web based/fully online - where MyLO is the primary means of unit delivery.

The Base Standards criteria are sufficiently general and applicable to cover these differing applications of MyLO. The minimalist model of use of the web for online learning and teaching is covered by the web supported model; and the Base QA Standards are targeted at this model.

More advanced online units (i.e. web dependent and web based models) will have these standards as a minimum and, where appropriate/desired, exemplar/benchmark standards may also apply.

How QA information is used

CALT has the responsibility to provide and update the QA Standards, and provide other tools to assist faculty in their quality assurance processes. Faculty is responsible for quality assurance of the units they teach, and hence faculty has the responsibility to see that the Standards are followed as appropriate, and to 'sign off' online units components for release to students.

The QA checklist provides the mechanism for reporting QA information on each unit, and the subsequent release of the unit to students. CALT does not enforce or audit this information. It is collected and stored in a database for reporting purposes.

CALT reports QA information to Heads of School and designated faculty officers on the status of units offered through MyLO (e.g. conforming/not conforming to the Standards). This is for the purposes of school/faculty review, and to offer assistance to meet standards identified by faculty that may need to be addressed.

For further information

For assistance with activating an online unit, and use of the standards/checklist call +61 03 6224 1818.