CREATING QUALITY GUIDELINES


INTRODUCTION

The Canadian Association for Community Education [CACE] and its partners are proud to sponsor this project to create quality guidelines for on-line education and training in Canada. Partner organizations include: CADE – the Canadian Association for Distance Education AMTEC – the Association for Media and Technology in Education in Canada CanLearn – the HRDC education web portal for higher education and training TeleLearning Network – the Centre of Excellence providing research in this area Commonwealth of Learning New partners are welcome LICEF TeleUniversity (University of Quebec) SchoolNet of Industry Canada
With funding from the Office of Learning Technologies [OLT] of Human Resources Development Canada [HRDC], CACE has engaged FuturEd to do the project work. FuturEd has prepared this draft set of quality guidelines, based on an extensive literature review of quality, distance education and learning technologies.

Until August 2001, FuturEd will be conducting a consultation with providers and consumers of on-line education in order to create a set of quality guidelines that are consensus-based, consumer-oriented, comprehensive, futuristic, and recommended only. Guidelines are needed by students to help make informed choices from among on-line education and training options. Developers and providers need guidelines to meet consumer needs and expectations.

This project will conclude with a “consumer’s guide to on-line education” -- a set of questions for learners to ask in the process of choosing between on-line learning products and services in order to maximize the return on their investment.

Your input to this project is much appreciated.



INSTRUCTIONS

This workbook, available in both English and French, contains the draft guidelines for on-line learning options and questions to focus your input. You can write answers to the questions and you can write on the document where you would recommend changes, additions or deletions.

1.	If you would like to fill out this questionnaire online please proceed. complete it and send it as an attachment to consult@futured.com print it, write on it as you wish, and mail or fax it to FuturEd [see cover page]
2.	If you are part of a workshop or focus group, or would simply like to print this out please download the pdf file and print it out. Please write as much or as little as you like and make sure it gets to FuturEd.

3.	WE'D APPRECIATE KNOWING SOMETHING ABOUT YOU, BUT THIS IS OPTIONAL :

	My primary interest in e-learning is as: (please select the appropriate box)

		teacher/professor
		instructional designer
		student or potential student
		parent or student advisor
		educational administrator
		commercial producer or service
		other

	I am in the following age group: (please select the appropriate box)

		15 - 19
		20 - 29
		30 - 49
		+ 50

	I am responding from this province:

		British Columbia
		Alberta
		Saskatchewan
		Manitoba
		Ontario
		Quebec
		New Brunswick
		Nova Scotia
		Newfoundland
		Prince Edward Island
		Northwest Territories
		Yukon
		Nunavut
		Outside Canada

	I reside: (please select the appropiate box)

		in a town or city
		in a rural or remote location

	Specific to e-learning, I have a particular interest in: (please select if any apply)

		women's learning issues
		services to persons with disabilities
		support to First Nations learners
		other

	As a student, My learning goal is to: (please check the appropriate box or boxes)

		complete an undergraduate university or college degree
		complete a graduate degree
		upgrade my workplace skills
		pursue a new interest for personal growth
		other

	You can contact me directly about the study. (please enter your email)



	This consultation document is in three parts. Completing it will take more than an hour, and you can submit each part separately at different times. After the consultation, the guidelines will be used as the basis for a consumer’s guide to e-learning. Thanks for taking the time to contribute to the development of a quality guidelines for e-learning.