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Total Quality Management (TQM) of Blended E-Learning Systems: A New
Integrated Model and Framework
Hajraf Al-Hajraf
Telecommunication and Navigation Institution
Public Authority for Applied Education
and Training, Kuwait
Salah Al-Sharhan
Computer Science Department
Gulf University for Science and Technology
Kuwait
Abstract
The vast and rapid development in the computer,
communication and Internet technologies has
significantly affected contemporary educational
systems and learning technologies. Today, e-
Learning has been widely proven to be an accepted
way of learning. With the rapid increase of users,
services, and the growth of the education contents,
the quality assurance of the technology-based
educational system become a crucial factor in
implementing such systems. The quality assurance of
educational systems becomes a real challenge
especially with the vast advancement in the
educational components of the system such as the
curricula, instructional methodologies, and
educational technology. This paper presents a new
framework for implementation a quality-based
blended e-learning system that forms a major step
for successful 21st century learning. In addition,
new concepts related to the quality assurance
strategies in conventional and technology-based
educational systems namely blended learning, are
introduced. The work focuses on the critical quality
assurance factors that affect a teaching and learning
in a blended learning system. The work also
introduces a new Quality assurance model that
accommodates different components of the
educational system.
1. Introduction
Recent years have witnessed an enormous growth
in multimedia applications and telecommunication
technology like audio/video conferencing, and live
video streaming, to name a few. In this new era, it
becomes extremely essential and beneficial to take
advantage of latest technical innovation to enhance
existing processes and services in our societies. One
of the most important areas that technology can
heavily contribute is education. Educational
technologies have rapidly developed in the recent
years where new technology-based learning methods
and channels have been emerged and utilize the
communication, Internet, and computers
technologies. E-learning is the main umbrella to all
these educational technologies since it refers to
learning that is delivered via a wide range of
electronic technologies, form computer based
learning to full fledge online learning. For example.
Derek Stockley [16] defines e-learning as “the
delivery of a learning or education program by
electronic means. E-Learning involves the use of a
computer or electronic device (e.g. a mobile phone)
in some way to provide educational or learning
material.”
Quality Assurance in Education is an external
review and audit to establish educational and
academic standards of an institution for maintaining
and improving the efficiency of the institution [1].
QA in Education sector is a growing need not only to
improve the standard and quality of education, but
also to remain competitive in the education market
[2]. However, it should be acknowledged that quality
of a learning process is sustainable and co-operative
work between the learner and the learning-
environment [3,4].
A conventional learning model [5] that describes
the main components of an educational system is
depicted in Figure 1. It is evident that the model is
based on the interaction between the instructors, the
learners and the content. This pedagogical model is
derived from the Cognitive Flexibility Theory.
According to Spiro, et al [6], cognitive flexibility is
the “ability to spontaneously restructure one’s
knowledge in many ways, in adaptive response to
radically changing situational demands.” Cognitive
flexibility theory focuses on learning processes in ill-
structured, context-dependent learning environments.
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In conventional learning environment [7], the
interaction between the three components of the
learning model is conducted in a direct contact
manner or face-to-face environment. In such an
environment, the student and the instructor directly
interact with the content in the classroom.
Oppositely, in a blended e-learning environment [8],
the interaction between the student and the instructor
is based on face-to-face interaction where the
interaction between them and the content is achieved
via a network or commonly via the Internet.
Figure 1. A conventional learning model
In the above model, the quality assurance role is a
vital one in order to sustain a successful educational
system and achieves its strategic objectives [9]. The
role of Educational Quality assurance (EQA) should
mainly constraint on a systematic review of
educational system and its components in order to
ensure that acceptable standards of education and the
required infrastructure are maintained.
2. Blended Learning: A delivery Model
Blended learning model, refers to the
utilization of technology enhances the interaction
between the three elements (student, teacher, and
content) and introduces a new way to interact
between the three of them. The more the tools and
technology are introduced, the more the interaction
between the three elements increases.
A major differentiator in this mode is the
ability of students and teachers to impact content by
giving teachers the ability to use technology to
author content and for the student to rate content,
thus introducing a totally new dimension in the
teacher-student interaction.
In the traditional learning model, the
interaction between the three elements of the system
is done via interpersonal communication, which
allows the students and teachers to interact with the
third element (content) in the classroom. Conversely,
the e-learning blended model changes this
fundamental relationship and into an environment in
which students and teachers interact with the content
in different ways and in different location at different
times.
Al-Sharhan introduced a delivery model for the new
e-learning environment as explained in [17]. In the
model, the learning management system, multimedia
equipped classrooms (smart classrooms), and
network or Internet are considered elements of this
environment. Using the proposed delivery model,
learning activities can be achieved via the following
model that summarizes the blended learning process:
The instructor and his students meet in smart
classrooms; the learning process is guided by the
instructor through the utilization of the online
content accessed by students via the network
(Internet); and the LMS tracks the learning activities
and provides the instructor with a performance report
about the learning process. Figure 2 depicts this
model, which was mainly introduced by Al-Sharhan
in [15,17].
Figure 2, The e-learning Model [17]
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Figure 3. A framework for e-learning Implementation
The above model incorporates the following projects
in order to have a full-fledge e-learning
implementation:
1. Infrastructure Project: Aims to create a high-
performance data center in the head office and
provide the required servers and network
infrastructure in the schools. This project includes
the high speed fiber-optics network project, which is
responsible for directly connecting all schools to the
head office.
2. Learning Gateway Project: A single-sign-on
portal provides a complete learning management
system and collaboration tools for the learning
process. This portal has to provide a complete
hierarchy of public websites for the different
stakeholders in the e-learning initiative such as
student and teacher.
3. E-content Project: This project aims to digitize
conventional curricula by converting all textbooks
into interactive online courses to be hosted on the
Learning Gateway and tracked via the LMS.
4. Smart Classroom Project: The target of this
project is to convert regular classrooms into smart
ones by providing them with equipment such as
smart interactive boards, projectors, teacher stations,
and wireless access.
5. One-to-One Project: The project goal is to
provide each student and teacher with a laptop; it
aims to make the laptop the only tools the student
needs to access interactive digital content from their
laptops in school.
6. Smart Schools and Classrooms: Providing each
school with full wireless accessibility, IP telephony,
and video conferencing will allow each student to
access the portal using their laptops and allow video
conferencing between the school and ministry
management.
7. Digital Library Project: This project aims to
establish a large digital library of scientific and
international research databases with a huge library
of eBooks and other online resources.
8. Training Project: The successful adoption of e-
learning challenges the technical skills of the
teachers. It aims to prepare teachers to be ready for
new technologies and new teaching paradigms and
methods.
9. Media and Awareness Camping: Changing
societal culture in order to deal with e-learning
projects. It targets a variety of levels in society such
as students, teachers, educational management,
parents, business, and governmental sectors.
Figure 3 depicts incorporated e-learning projects in
which one project failure may cause serious
problems to the whole implementation.
2. The Importance of Quality Assurance
The importance of academic standards describes
the level of achievement that the educational process
and strategies achieve its broader objectives. QA in
education works around the academic infrastructure
and the developmental work which lays the
foundation of quality of the institution [10].
On the other hand, developmental work in quality
assurance in education is important because it
enhances the management of their quality and
standards by methodical study and analysis of audit
and review reports. This helps to identify themes of
good practice and difficulties commonly
encountered in maintaining quality.
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3. Benefits of Educational Quality
Assurance
Educational Quality Assurance guarantees
benefits to all the stakeholders in the educational
systems and ensure achieving the strategic objectives
of the system. These benefits and advantages span
all the schools institutions, students, teachers and the
whole society. Generally speaking, the following can
be considered as main advantages of implementing
quality assurance system in education:
1. Implementing a proper system of Quality
assurance ensures the integrity of educational
and learning process and form a monitoring
system similar to accreditation procedures.
2. Providing accountability and responsibility of
the educational systems and institutions to
different stakeholders
3. Encouraging the continuous improvement of the
learning process and hence reflects on the whole
educational system.
4. Forming a solid foundation for an efficient
higher education.
4. A New Education Quality Assurance
(EQA) Model
As mentioned above, the quality assurance of an
educational system is a crucial success factor of
creating an effective education. Worldwide, there are
a vast number of initiatives to implement and enforce
an educational quality assurance system. These
initiatives are driven by the fact that EQA can be a
very effective tool for schools’ management to
provide an excellent education. However, it can also
be an adversity and a burden if it is not implemented
correctly [11]. Hence, few of them have achieved a
real success. A major reason of quality assurance
systems’ failure is the missing a complete EQA
model and framework for adopting the system. In
K12 schools the challenge to implement successful
QA systems is even greater and more complex due to
the fact that it touches the foundation of the
education system. Obviously, the proper selection of
the implementation model is the key of a successful
implementation.
In this work, we present a new Educational
Quality Assurance model and framework. The
proposed model takes into consideration the factors
related to the foundation of an education system, or
what we call the internal factors, in addition to the
environments factors, or the external factors. Figure
4 depicts the proposed model.
Figure 4. EQA Model
4.1 Effectiveness of e-learning System: A
quality Dimension
The quality of the e-learning system is directly
related to the effectiveness of implementation and
operation of the system. Based on the model
introduces in section 2, and effective implementation
can be directly related to the first level principle.
David Merrill’s First Principles and Blooms level of
Instruction [18] which believes that effective
learning environments are created around problems
relevant to learners based on Blooms Level as shown
Figure 5.
Figure 5. Merills First Principles of Instruction
The principle proposes that the most effective
learning environments are problem based and
involve the student in four distinct phases of learning
namely, activation of prior experience,
demonstration of skills, application of skills, and
Integration of skills into real -world activities.
The first principles of instructional states that
learning is facilitated when:
Learners are engaged in solving real world
problems.
New knowledge builds on learner’s existing
knowledge.
New knowledge is demonstrated to the learner.
New knowledge is applied by the learner.
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New knowledge is integrated into the learner’s
world.
4.1. Description of the QA proposed model
The educational systems evolve over many years
till we reach the 21st century learning. In such
educational system, the Total Quality Management
of Education (TQM) becomes a crucial component
for a successful system that will achieve its short and
long objectives [12]. The Quality of Education then
must penetrate all the effective factors and
components of the educational process. Hence, the
above proposed model should be implemented based
on conceptual framework that depicts all the quality
dimensions of the educational process.
The above model aims at developing encouraging
the quality culture in the educational system starting
from the medium of delivery between the teacher
and the students whether it is a conventional face-to-
face environment, e-learning based environment or
as a blended learning medium. In the latter one the
delivery medium is the class room in addition to the
computer network and infrastructure that provides
the e-learning components such as the learning
gateway and the interactive digital content to the
students. Implementing quality assurance measures
in such environment requires the development of the
quality standards and creating its culture through
awareness campaign. Hence, success factors related
to the medium of delivery are mainly related to
providing high standards of interaction between the
teacher and students in addition to infrastructure and
network efficiency. In other words, these factors are
related to the bandwidth, strong wireless coverage,
application architecture and network’s security. The
delivery medium requires many-to-many
communication (i.e., multicasting). In such
environment, the teacher will utilizes all the
collaboration tools for better interaction with his
students.
Based on the above mode, the conceptual
framework is based 8 quality dimensions to ensure
the targeted quality of education. These dimensions
depict the different areas the educational
management should consider. These areas are:
Teacher / staff competency.
Student / teachers behavior.
Conventional / digital content
Infrastructure
Delivery environment
Support services (technical support)
Sustainability / reliability
Tools (measurement and assessment)
In addition, the proposed quality assurance model
for K12/higher education educational systems
addresses all the quality-related factors in both the
internal and external environments for an efficient
implementation of quality assurance. By the internal
environment we mean the school environment whilst
the external environment means the society
environment. The previous 8 quality assurance
dimension deal with the internal educational
environment whilst the external quality related
factors are:
The educational management
The market requirements and needs
Higher education
Competency level of the educators
The society
The family
5. Implementation of EQA: A managerial
perspective
One of the most widely used methods in quality
assurance is the Accreditation. Accreditation is an
evaluation to find whether an institution or program
meets a threshold standard and qualifies for a certain
status [13]. The educational infrastructure of a
quality management consists of guidelines and
reference points for elements like framework for
higher education qualifications, subject benchmark
statements, program specifications, code of practice
etc.
The Total Quality Management (TQM) module is
started from the Academic Accreditation and
Education Quality Agency (AAEQA), which should
put the plans and strategy for both general and higher
education in the country. The TQM system will take
these strategic plans and translate it into a policies
and procedures according to the requirement of an
International Standard Certificate (ISO). The roles
and regulations that should come out of the system
will involve all of the educational stake-holders i.e.
parents, students, management, teachers and staff,
and the market.
On the other hand, all of the stake-holders should
give an input to the system which is the feedback
from the learning and teaching process. Learning
and teaching are two operations that should be held
together. We can’t teach if there are no learners, and
the students can’t learn if there are no teachers,
exactly like buying and selling process. The TQM
system should evaluate the feedback, analyze it, and
improve the learning and teaching process. Finally,
the E-learning system will be fed with improved
contents. This will close the loop and make the
desired integration system. Figure 6 explains the
whole process.
Literacy Information and Computer Education Journal (LICEJ), Volume 3, Issue 1, March 2012
Copyright © 2012, Infonomics Society
595
6. Quality of e-Learning: An Integrated
Model
Controlling the quality of e-learning delivery is a
real challenge. The blended approach and the size of
implementation as introduced in the e-learning
model and framework (section 2) add a new
dimension of complexity to the quality control.
Hence, a clear model and simple quality control of
the online content and teaching in a blended
environment is introduced here to effectively handle
this important issue. The proposed model
concentrates on four main level of quality control;
namely:
The quality of applications and development
process.
The quality of online counted in term of
instructional design process and content
development.
The quality of infrastructure equipment and
support.
The pedagogical principle for better teaching.
The model is shown in Figure (7).
Figure 6. Integrated e-learning Quality Model
7. E-learning Evaluation
The performance evaluation of E-learning is
generally divided into the formative evaluation and
the summative evaluation. Formative evaluation is
performed by experts during each phase of the
implementation progress of E-learning. Based on the
evaluation result, an immediate action is taken to
improve the current and future implementation, so
the final results can be better. Summative evaluation,
Literacy Information and Computer Education Journal (LICEJ), Volume 3, Issue 1, March 2012
Copyright © 2012, Infonomics Society
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on the other hand, is the evaluation performing after
all the E-learning deployment is completed, to
understand the final implementation results and
compare the difference of learning effectiveness of
students and subjects before and after the
implementation.
From a pedagogical point of view, E-learning
performance evaluation is considered to be purely
formative evaluation. This means that the focus of
evaluation shifts from the learning results to the
learners’ learning process. This basic idea of E-
learning performance evaluation has been widely
accepted by the education community [19]. It is very
important that the pedagogical approaches are
evaluated while creating E-learning content. The
approach should not be with too simple or too
complex as it may harm the learning process. Simple
pedagogical approach will lack flexibility and
approach. On the other hand, a complex approach
will take time to develop and consume setup costs.
Therefore, a perfect pedagogy should adopt the
middle path by creating effective educational
material while running parallel to engaging learning
experience.
In this work, the evaluation of the E-learning
objects or the E-learning process is based on the
Kirkpatrick’s model. It is widely known the
Kirkpatrick’s model is an efficient and address
different levels in the learning process. It consists of
four levels, namely the reaction evaluation, learning
evaluation, behavior evaluation and results
evaluation. In Kirkpatrick’s model, the evaluation
process of learning or training program should
always begin with first level, and then, should move
sequentially through levels two, three, and four. It is
worth mentioning here that the information from
each level serves as the input or the base for the next
level evolutional. Several modifications and
enhancement has been proposed in the literature on
the original Kirkpatrick’s model. An example of
these extensions is the Five Level ROI (Return on
Investment) Model of learning and training proposed
by Jack Phillip. Figure 8 depicts the Kirkpatrick
model.
Figure 7. Kirkpatrick's Model
6. Discussions
There are several success factors for a successful
implementation of the TQM framework in
educational systems. The first success factor is the
clear vision of the higher management in any
institution. The clear goals and objectives behind the
implementation is a crucial component in a
successful implementation of the framework. These
goals and objectives should be publicized through
the different levels of the institution and should be
incorporated in an enterprise strategic planning
framework. Implementing the TQM in education is
a lengthy process and hence should be done to every
member in the educational system.
The second success factor of a good
implementation of the proposed framework is the
change management program. Educational systems
evolve over many years and hence produce a static
environment that usually tends toward change
resistance. Hence, a proper and effective change
management program must be defined and adopted
by the management of the educational institution.
A third crucial success factor of implementing the
proposed TQM frame work is the effective
measurements and analysis tools and techniques.
This includes setting assessments and standard
exams which supports the measurement and
analyzing process. These assessments help in
evaluating the strengths and define the areas that
require development and enhancement [14].
In addition to the above success factors, the
awareness and creating the culture of quality in
educational systems and institutions plays an
important role for a success implementation of the
TQM framework. The awareness program must be
designed to target all the levels of the educational
systems such as the higher educational management,
school management, teachers, students and families.
7. Conclusions
This work presents an efficient educational
quality assurance model and TQM framework for
educational systems that implement a kind of
blended learning with emphasizing on the quality of
e-learning. The success factors of implementing the
framework are also addresses. However, several
future directions are required to extend the research
work toward a fruitful and efficient TQM model in e-
learning systems in K12 schools. These directions
can be categorized into four main areas; namely,
quality assurance and technology-related issues,
quality assurance impact on behaviour change, the
impact of cultural factors on and efficient
implementation of and successful TQM in E-learning
systems and the evaluation of the E-learning
experience within the TQM framework.
Literacy Information and Computer Education Journal (LICEJ), Volume 3, Issue 1, March 2012
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Change behaviour is another direction that can be
explored. Changing teachers and learners’ behaviour
is one of the main challenges in implementing a
successful quality assurance in the educational
systems and it spans multi-levels such as the
students’ behaviour, teachers’ behaviour and the
society behaviour. Research studies that explore the
change behaviour usually concentrate on measuring
the learners and society behaviour change as an
outcome of the learning process in the new
environment. Hence, an important extension of this
work is how to measure the change behaviour and
how to evaluate its impact on the learning process.
A third direction to extend this work is the
evaluation of the implementation of proposed TQM
framework and quality assurance standards in
schools that implement different e-learning systems
and experiences. The evaluation and performance
measure is important to guide the e-learning adopters
on their directions and future impacts.
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