Slides underpinning a presentation at EDEN 2016 in Budapest. Work in progress related to development of a robust, transparent accreditation system for digital education.

1. DEVELOPING A SYSTEM FOR
THE ACCREDITATION OF
DIGITAL LEARNING IN MALTA
Anthony Camilleri Dr Alex Grech
EDEN Conference 2016
Budapest

3. • Learn about
audience for
whom you are
designing
UNDERSTAND
• Construct point
of view based
on user needs &
insights
DEFINE
• Brainstorm &
develop creative
solutions
IDEATE
• Build a
representation
of one or more
ideas
PROTOTYPE
• Return to
original user
group, test &
secure feedback
TEST
DESIGN THINKING APPROACH
Adapted from: http://www.neomobile-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/DesignThinking.jpg

4. UNDERSTAND
Malta and its strategic
positioning in exploring
alternative and flexible
Education Systems

5. MALTA AS A
LAB
SMALL BUT
PLURALISTIC
QUALITY IS
KEY
CONTEXT
AWARENESS
LEARNER-
CENTRIC
LEARNER-
DRIVEN
RESPONSE
TO
DEMAND
POLICY
IMPERATIVE:
GO GLOBAL
MALTA STRATEGIC POSITIONING

6. MIX MAKES IT
COMPELLING Densely Populated
Geography
Topography
Legacy of testing new technologies
‘Glocal’ – key decision-makers accessible
MALTA AS A
LAB

7. MIX MAKES IT
COMPELLING 12,600 students in
tertiary education
(2014)
Free higher education to Maltese & EU citizens
Education in Malta associated with citizen
empowerment and (increasingly) with need to
upscale 21st century skills to secure meaningful
careers in labour market
High-Profile
universities and HEIs
registered in Malta
University of Malta
Malta College of Arts Science & Technology
Institute ofTourism Studies
European Graduate School
Further 30 (micro)
HEIs and 45 further
education institutions
New intakes more specialist and skills-driven
SMALL BUT
PLURALISTIC

8. DIRECTIVES
FROM
GOVERNMENT
Provide incentives via a robust regulatory
framework to open e-learning institutions within
Malta
Ensure a high level of protection for all students at
the outset
Ensure full compliance between the Maltese
regulatory framework and European instruments for
recognition and portability
Allow for sustainable growth of quality assurance
and accreditation services
POLICY
IMPERATIVE:
GO GLOBAL

9. A ROBUST
QA SYSTEM
1) Accreditation of institutions by law -
self-accrediting
Privilege limited to the three public institutions mentioned
above
2) Accreditation of institutions by the
National Commission for Further and
Higher Education – institutions need to
be a body corporate, as well as meet
criteria linked to:
Having an accredited programme on the MQF or EQF
Performing due diligence tests on the head of institution
and academic staff
Establishing and maintaining an internal quality assurance
policy
Complying with venue regulations
3) Accreditation of courses,
programmes and modules – all
qualifications which are linked to the
Malta Qualifications Framework require
accreditation, either by NCFHE, or by
the self-accreditation institution
QUALITY IS
KEY

10. ACTING IN
CONCERT
Partnership with the
Commonwealth of Learning (COL)
Setting up Centre for Connected
Learning in Malta.
Positioned as a hub for COL with EU
on matters relating to digital education.
Intention to extend any eventual of
accreditation to digital education
granted in Malta within the
construct of theTransnational
Qualification Framework
promoted by COL
Intention to promote TQF within 53
countries
Intention to validate accreditation
system with experts in EU and
USA
CONTEXT
AWARENESS

11. CLEAR
NEED
Non-EU HEIs and
Universities seeking
accreditation
Online degrees
Blended courses
Hybrids Partnerships between different HEIs
New Entrants (Academics forming
NGOs, Business ventures and
incubators etc.)
Focus on skills is
changing the
accreditation landscape
Starting by investigating Levels 5 to 8
RESPONSE
TO
DEMAND

12. STUDENTS
AT THE
CENTRE
Any system should
be developed
around the needs
of the learner
For portability and accreditation
of education
Irrespective of the mix between
face to face and online, and
irrespective of the domicile of
the HEI
Respond to
learners
demanding change
More relevant courses
contributing to 21st century skills
Flexible, value for money,
personal learning
LEARNER-
CENTRIC
LEARNER-
DRIVEN

13. DEFINE
Challenges to Quality System
Design:
Jurisidictional
Quality Management
Data and Trust

14. JURISDICTIONAL ISSUES
Effects of
Unbundling
Privacy and
Protection
Access to Data
and Retention

15. QUALITY MANAGEMENT ISSUES – DEFINING A COURSE
Contact
Hours
activity for the delivery of teaching, whereby
teachers directly communicate knowledge to
students, whether synchronously or
asynchronously.
Supervised
Practice
Hours
activity whereby students have the
opportunity to interact with teachers (such
learner supervision, coaching or mentoring),
whether synchronously or asynchronously.
Self-Study
Hours
activity where the learner understands and
applies knowledge on their own.

16. QUALITY MANAGEMENT ISSUES: TEACHING ACTIVITY TYPES
Purpose of the Contact Hours Traditional Tool Digital Learning Tool
Transmitting Knowledge (i.e. the teachers'
interpretation of information) from the teacher to the
student using a variety of media
Lecture Video-lecture
Answering student queries In-Class Questions
In-Office Visits
Synchronous Communication
Tools (chat, video-conferencing)
Asynchronous Communication
Tools (e-mail, forums, etc)
Supporting Students in Learning Processes Workshops. Workshops performed over
synchronous communication tools
Checking student knowledge In-Class interaction
(raising of hands,
etc)
Formative assessment
questionnaires built into a learning
management system

17. IDEATE Some Scenarios

18. CONCLUSIONS – DESIGN PARAMETERS
1. Provide lightweight accreditation for transnational providers, through exchange of information
directly between quality assurance agencies.
2. Include a method for verification of information received from foreign quality assurance
agencies.
3. Prove equivalence between non-traditional forms of learning and their traditional
counterparts, for the purposes of determining workload, and hence allowing for
credentialisation.
4. Include adequate safeguards to ensure that Maltese regulatory and legislative bodies have full
jurisdiction over all aspects of the operation.
5. Describe all learning and qualifications in terms of existing European transparency and
recognition tools.
6. Make a convincing value proposition for European-accreditation to non-European based
courses and institutions.

19. MALTA: SCENARIOS ENABLED BY ACCREDITATION
FULL (E)CREDIT
PORTABILITY
MAPPING OF
MOOCS TO
EQF
PLUG AND
PLAY QUALITY
SYSTEMS
CENTER OF
EXCELLENCE
NEW
TECHNOLOGY
PLAYGROUND
INCREASED
STUDENT
OPPORTUNITY

20. CONTACT
Anthony Camilleri Dr Alex Grech
anthony@knowledgeinnovation.eu alex.grech@strategyworks.net
@anthonyfc @alexgrech
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