E-Learning Quality Assurance: A Perspective of Business Teacher Educators and Distance Learning Coordinators

Abstract Background: Business teacher educators and distance learning coordinators have the responsibility to deliver quality online courses and programs. Therefore, they must make sure that quality assurance benchmarks are present in online business education courses and programs. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which quality measures or benchmarks are present in e-learning business education courses and programs. Method: Survey research was conducted to determine whether benchmarks developed by the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) are present in online business education courses and programs. Results: Statistical analyses revealed that business teacher educators and distance learning coordinators agreed that IHEP benchmarks are present in their courses and programs. Both the business teacher educators and the distance learning coordinators considered rich course content and interaction to be important additional topics to address when assessing the quality of e-learning courses and programs. Conclusions: The educators and coordinators agreed that the IHEP quality assurance benchmarks are present in their e-learning courses and programs. And both groups think additional benchmarks, such as course content, interaction, reliability, and user-friendliness are also important benchmarks that should be included in e-learning course and program assessments. Recommendations: All new online programs should be assessed using both the IHEP standards and the new benchmarks that were identified in this study. Additional research should expand the scope and size of this study and possibly identify additional quality benchmarks that will help to ensure the highest quality of online courses. Introduction E-learning continues to be a major form of instructional delivery in many educational institutions. Teaching and learning in the virtual environment are increasingly popular since the setting offers students accessibility, flexibility, and convenience in their pursuit of continuous learning as well as economic incentives for educational institutions (Yeung, 2002). According to Allen and Seaman (2006), more than 96% of the largest postsecondary institutions offer e-learning courses. As a result of the growing popularity of e-learning, educators must ensure that quality instruction and successful learning are occurring in the e-learning environment. With the constant push to incorporate e-learning into curricula, effective assessment methods and strategies are also major concerns for educators. Purpose of the Study Business teacher educators have been leaders in the area of distance learning and Web-based instruction (Tesone, Alexakis, & Wayne, 2003). Often, business teacher educators work closely with distance learning coordinators at their institutions to offer quality e-learning courses and programs. A review of the literature revealed that online instruction and its effectiveness has been widely researched (Henderson, 2005; Henderson & Chapman, 2007). Research showed that online instruction is as effective as traditional instruction (Russell, 1999; Allen & Seaman, 2004). However, a limited numbers of studies address the problem of how quality is measured. This study will examine the extent to which quality measures or benchmarks are present in e-learning business education courses and programs. Research Questions The study attempted to answer the following questions: 1. What are the personal and employment characteristics of business teacher educators and distance learning coordinators who offer business teacher education programs at their institutions? 2. To what extent are quality assurance benchmarks present in institutions that offer business education programs? 3. To what extent are additional quality assurance benchmarks considered important by business teacher educators and distance learning coordinators? …