The Quality of Open Online Education and Learning: Towards a Quality Reference Framework for MOOCs

This paper aims to address the quality issues of open online education and learning with a focus on MOOCs. Specifically, our research goal is to develop a Quality Reference Framework (QRF) with quality indicators and tools in close collaboration with all interested stakeholders worldwide. Based on a rigorous literature review and analysis of existing quality approaches and quality indicators for MOOCs, the Global MOOC Quality Survey was designed targeting at three core interest groups: MOOC learners, MOOC designers and MOOC facilitators. A total of n=267 took part in the survey. The survey results were complemented with 45 semi-structured interviews with MOOC designers, facilitators and providers. This mixed method research was selected to provide a more coherent picture and analysis of the quality issues of MOOCs by investigating them from diverse and different perspectives. This paper presents first results from the survey and semi-structured interviews, the first QRF draft and the feedback gained from workshops at international conferences