Quality assurance models suitable for consortium-based e-universities;
quality assessment criteria for e-courses.

Authors:
Thematic Manual:
• Reelyka Läheb, Tallinn University (Estonia)

Analysis of projects:
• Teemu Leinonen & Laura Oikkonen, University of Art and Design (Finland) – MENU: A Model for a European Networked University
• Rolf Dalin, Mid-Sweden University (Sweden) – Quality Criteria in ICT-supported Distance Education, a Swedish Net University Project
• Reelyka Läheb, Tallinn University (Estonia) – Meca-ODL (Methodology for the Analysis of Quality in ODL through Internet)
• Reelyka Läheb, Tallinn University (Estonia)- The Le@rning Federation (Australia): Quality Assurance Framework for Online Content Development

1 Introduction
The main objective of subgroup QA was to develop e-learning quality assurance model, suitable for consortium based e-university and to describe quality assessment criteria for e-courses.
Quality of e-learning could be followed through different stages of lifecycle of e-learning: preparing, developing, delivering, and finishing the course. There are different approaches and methodologies to measure quality and describe overall approach to quality framework. There are attempts to unify models and criteria, but so far, there are no common standards, although there are general agreements on some topics (accessibility, instructional design lifecycle etc.).
The workload of QA subgroup was planned as following:
• Identification of different e-learning QA models and approaches.
• Selection of four different examples (projects, frameworks, models) for further analyze.
• Summarising the analysis according to given framework.
• Resuming analysis to description of QA model, suitable for consortium-based e-university.
• Description of quality criteria for e-courses.

The identification of e-learning QA models and approaches resulted in several examples, from which four most complete, interesting and different from others were chosen.