Quality Assurance of e-Learning in Greece

More than ever, in the last couple of years, education has become more digital, if not totally digital, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The occurrence of the pandemic, the restrictions, and the great need for social distancing, forced the digitalisation of education in a short period, and e-learning became a priority all over the world.

The transition to digital education was not smooth or easy because it took place under pressure. Neither the students or the teachers/trainers were ready or qualified to support this change and most of the time, the tools that already existed were not totally useful or compatible with the needs of different types of education, besides the attempts of every stakeholder to adapt to the new era.

In this context, documents, essays, and surveys were published, on a global and European level, in order to assist this transition and specially to assure an official framework for the quality of online courses provided. At national level and specifically in Greece, still no official framework for quality assurance in e-learning exists, neither for higher education institutions nor for VET providers.

An aspect that could ensure quality assurance of e-learning is self-evaluation, which could take place through self-assessment tools, e.g., questionnaires to be completed by every possible stakeholder and especially the beneficiaries. These tools could focus on:

• The clear presentation of the organisation who provides the course/training and the instructor.
• The objectives of the course/training and the measurable outcomes.
• The instructor's pedagogical and technical qualification to teach the course.
• The alignment of assessment tools. They should be appropriate for e-learning.
• The provision of online resources and material.
• The attempt to make the course interactive and appealing for students and related to their interests.
• The availability of technology resources and assistance for instructors and students by the VET provider.
• The accessibility and sensitivity of the course for students with disabilities.

These are some of the factors that should be included in an evaluation process in order to assure the quality of the courses that are being provided online, both in the private and public sector and can be related to any education level.

To conclude, as we already mentioned, even though the quality assurance of e-learning is a priority and a great demand, there is no official framework in Greece yet. Some actions are taking place and will hopefully lead to the expected result.