Manuals, Toolkits & Course Books

Open and distance learning (ODL) has evolved over the last century, but the ways in which its benefits are marketed to students and other stakeholders have remained relatively unchanged. The benefits are still relevant but they are no longer sufficient as marketing strategies in the context of education systems in the 21st century. Educational institutions need to incorporate the benefits of ODL into a more comprehensive marketing strategy based on the relationships they develop with their students and stakeholders.

Non-formal education takes place both within and outside educational institutions. It caters to all ages and spans adult literacy, basic education, life skills, work skills and health promotion. This new COL publication explores quality assurance in non-formal education with an emphasis on evaluation programme outcomes, outputs and impacts. It examines approaches to quality assurance that are needed in non-formal education and introduces a rigorous but simple quality assurance framework.

This Instructional Design Tool (IDT) was developed as a rigorous, yet simple tool to support the development of quality courses and learning materials. Through this tool the Commonwealth of Learning is encouraging institutions to maximize the effectiveness, efficiency and appeal of the learning experience.

This document explains the procedures and guidelines for the Transnational Qualification Framework (TQF) developed for the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC). The document has been prepared to promote the credibility and reliability of qualifications developed by any of the national quality assurance agencies in the small states, as well as accredited education and training providers involved in the VUSSC. These guidelines are meant to be used as working tools by the various stakeholders.

The Commonwealth of Learning Review and Improvement Model (COL RIM) was developed by the Commonwealth of Learning in response to two key drivers: Increased global emphasis on the quality of higher education, and the rising concern about the high cost and uncertain benefits of conventional approaches to external quality assurance.