UNIQUe Certification
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The UNIQUe Certification is a quality label awarded to Higher Education Institutions, for quality use of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies). The label is managed by the EFQUEL, and was co-developed by the MENON Network, EFMD, and Europace.
The quality of both products and programmes in the field of technology-enhanced learning varies widely. The UNIQUe quality label is a unique concept of quality improvement which is theoretically sound and at the same time is meeting the expectations of practice.
Many of the existing quality initiatives in this field focus heavily, if not solely, on online instructional design. The UNIQUe approach goes above and beyond this, focusing on the use of ICT to enhance educational provision and learning support, throughout the entire breadth of activity of the Higher Education Institution. This sophisticated approach demands an applicant to meet high-quality standards for programme objectives, programme structure, content, resources and learning processes.
For Who
The fundamental feature of the UNIQUe approach is to support institutions of higher education to measure how successful they are in technology-enhanced learning and to allow for continuous improvement. Thus,
- UNIQUe is an accelerator for quality improvement and innovation. - Providing industry-wide benchmarks, it will dramatically enhance the implementation speed of the Bologna reforms in the area of technology-enhanced learning. - Compared to other quality initiatives in the area of technology-enhanced learning, UNIQUe has a broader institutional approach and is not only related to e Learning. The - Unique quality label builds on the broadest stakeholder involvement. - The UNIQUe process is structured in six very distinct stages and offers a formalized approach in each of the steps. - The UNIQUe quality label provides a certification as a result, next to continuous quality improvement mechanisms. - The UNIQUe quality label focuses on innovation. UNIQUe ensures continuous quality improvement since it is a diagnostic tool for self-assessment of the institution.
The process
The UNIQUe Process is made up of six steps, namely:
1 – Application
2 – Eligibility: The Institution is checked for overall compliance with the UNIQUe scheme
3 – Self-Assessment: The institution embarks on a process of self-analysis and assessment, completing a questionnaire about its processes, and submitting back to a review team.
4 – Peer Review: A three-person review team visits the Institution, to check compliance with the UNIQUe Criteria.
5 – Awarding Body: An independent awarding body, recommends certification or rejection, based upon the recommendation of the reviewers.
6 – Continuous Quality Improvement: the institution's development of ICT policies is continuously monitored, in line with recommendations made by the review team.
References
ENQA Workshop Report on Quality Assurance in e-Learning Workshop Report