Association of Academic E-learning - Activity

The Association of Academic E-learning aims at promoting and developing e-learning in academic education. Having among its ranks experts both practically and theoretically involved in e-learning the Association focuses on enhancing the quality of distance teaching with the use of the latest technology, setting standards and accreditation procedures, promoting good practices as well as actively shaping the model of academic education through technology and the idea of an information society;

Standards and Accreditation

The role of e-education has been gaining importance both as a complementary form of education and in organising whole studies. E-learning is becoming an inseparable element of the education process and virtualization of higher education. Its application may also bring benefits to the quality of education. That is why it is the Association's goal to prepare accreditation standards which will allow for a comprehensive assessment of e-learning development at Polish post-secondary institutions.

Working on methods for setting accreditation standards

Work on accreditation standards and procedures has been preceded by a thorough analysis of their possible scope and form. For this purpose a special team for the methods of setting standards has been formed within the Association. During succesive meetings the team analysed diverse variants of accreditation standards, and their possible relations to two other projects concerning the place of e-learning in academic education and designing a questionnaire for a good online course.

Questionnaire for a good online course

Organising and conducting an online course means meeting specific conditions both in respect of methodology and technology. That is why the Association has undertaken to develop assessment criteria for course contents, form and technical requirements in the form of a special questionnaire. Those criteria can help not only to evaluate the already existing solutions but also serve as a model for those just beginning to design their online courses and are in search of reliable standards and good practices in this field. Those criteria are being developed by four AAE teams - each being responsible for one of the key areas: Organisation, Course development, Conducting classes and Evaluation.

Working on key assessment areas of online courses

The development of a questionnaire and assessment criteria was preceded by a comprehensive analysis with respect to possible key assessment areas of an online course. For this purpose, a special team for online course key assessment areas has been formed within the Association which identified and defined four such areas: Organisation, Course development, Conducting classes and Evaluation.

Resolution on distance education

The Ministry of Science and Higher Education has been working on requirements that must be met in order to hold academic classes with the use of distance learning methods and techniques. A draft resolution was distributed in the academic community for consultation (August 2006), in response to which the Board of the AAE took its stand. A successive opinion was sent by the Board to the Ministry in October 2006. According to the AAE the document needs further improvement and in view of this a team for draft resolution was established within the Association. Their work resulted in a new draft resolution along with a detailed explanation of particular provisions of the draft resolution. The documents were presented to the Ministry - on 7th February representatives of AAE were received by Minister prof. Stefan Jurga, Barbara Wierzbicka Head of the Department of Student Affairs and Doctoral Studies, and Cezary Kościelniak (assistant Secretary of State).
The draft resolution prepared by the AAE along with the commentary was also published in the bimonthly "e-mentor".

On 25th April this year the Ministry distributed another draft resolution for community consultation. The Association prepared an opinion concerning the document and it was sent on 15th May 2007 not only to the Ministry but also to the State Accreditation Committee (PKA), the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (CRASP), the Central Council for Higher Education (RGSW), the Students' Parliament of the Republic of Poland (PSRP), the Confederation of Polish Employers (KPP) and the Polish Rectors' Foundation.

The place of e-learning in higher education

The draft resolution developed by the AAE contains a general outline of placing e-learning in higher education. Thus there is a need to prepare a more comprehensive study based on the abovementioned document.

E-learning Practitioners' Seminars (EPS)

Within the activity of the Association a series of consultative seminars has been organized entitled "E-learning Practitioners' Seminars". By the end of 2006, for one and a half years, E-learning Practitioners' Seminars constituted an independent platform for exchanging opinions between those practically involved in e-education. For more information on this topic go to http://spe.e-mentor.edu.pl. In December 2006, E-learning Practitioners' Seminars became an integral part of the Association of Academic E-learning and is available to all Association members. The work of the EPS is supervised by the Chairman of the Association Programme Board.

Discussion forums

Association members have an opportunity to participate in online discussions on e-learning. This form of online activity helps to broaden the knowledge of e-learning and exchange opinions as well as wonderfully complements traditional meetings and tasks performed within working teams.