Even if the question of eLearning quality has been intensely discussed in the recent years, with several approaches and models arising, consistent transferring of concepts into practices is still difficult (Elhers & Hilera, 2012). In fact, eLearning is given different importance by the several stakeholders; consequently, the educational institutions’ culture of quality –meanings, discourses, representations and practices- is highly variable (Ehlers & Schneckenberg, 2010) and adapting to external frameworks and models of quality could be difficult. As a result, the implementation of quality eLearning in HEI is slowed down or blocked (Conole, Smith, & White, 2007). This article analyzes three quality models taking into account the different underlying values and quality cultures underpinning practices, in an attempt to show how the embedded epistemological values generate technical practices that may or may not respect the complexities of quality as a contextualized, multiperspective, multidimentional process. Drawing on this analysis, the authors introduce the concept of “mediated quality” as approach that takes into account the participants engagement as insiders of a (quality) learning culture. An example of this approach is given through the case of quality of teaching/learning, and the mediation introduced through Learning Design.

In this paper, the authors discuss the effectiveness of MOOCs as part of a pedagogical strategy aimed at supporting Physics’ preliminary undergraduate students in large-size lectures. Our study is based on an experimental activity based on a blended course, which integrated a parallel MOOC delivered through the POK (PoliMi Open Knowledge, http://www.pok.polimi.it), the Politecnico di Milano’s MOOC portal. The blended model also delivered face-to-face activities that included intensive technology enhanced learning, like feedback based on clickers. Specifically, we introduce the several elements of the approach (the tutors’ pedagogy, the adoption of clickers, the diversity amongst learning groups) and its process of implementation. The findings in this study highlight that the integrated model is effective in terms’ of students’ learning both for small and large size lectures. More importantly, it was found that the students in large size lectures demonstrated similar or even better performance than students in a small size group. Moreover, the students in all sizes lectures showed higher satisfaction with the MOOCs’ against other factors adopted within the learning design.

The Street Lamp Paradox: Analysing Students’ Evaluation of Teaching through Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches

The paper introduces the concept of education quality, mainly based on a shared culture, that is a background for a permanent reflection on a process in which teachers, students, and stakeholders are involved, in a gradual improvement of their competence. People can achieve quality if they head for an open, participatory, iterative trajectory towards personal identity construction through the achievement of satisfaction of a well done work. In this context measurement tools and final quality controls are only a means “toward the end of satisfying the peace of mind of those responsible for the work” (Pirsig, first edition 1974, 2005, p.304). The also describes the Open Educational Resources and Massive Open Online Courses phenomenon, and presents the most recent studies about the theoretical framework and practical tools available in the scientific literature to scaffold the quality evaluation of open education. The discussion, taking full advantage of the literature presented, recognises that we are still in the infancy of the Open Education quality evaluation, and that the available tools have still to demonstrate their value in the application's fields, through empirical researches.