An Enquiry into the Existence of published Open and Distance e-Learning (ODeL) quality standards in Zambia.

Open and Distance e-Learning (ODeL) quality standards in Zambia.

Abstract

The study explored and identified existing quality standards for eLearning in Zambia, compared contents, and offered recommendations for improving what exists. The inquiry pursued an exploratory phenomenological qualitative study by purposively engaging several experts and government agencies, mainly through in-person interviews using open-ended questions. Appropriate interview guides were administered in a more extensive study over five months. The study found that Zambia had draft ODeL standards developed in at least two epochs (2010) and (2021), respectively, by two different units within the government. These standards do not appear to have directly built on each other, though, in principle, they stood for the same thing. The study concludes and recommends that the government should (with relevant stakeholders) coordinate, unify efforts, refine, approve, publish, and implement these standards, and continuously update and improve on these adopted quality standards, bearing in mind emerging issues. The study further recommends that quality assurance systems and processes be enforced at all levels, thereby enabling a universally robust quality assurance system throughout Zambia's education system.