Advances in E-learning-Experiences and Methodologies

Quality Assessment of E-Facilitators
The goal of the TQM revolution was to meet
and exceed customer expectations by applying
a continuous improvement processes through
an integrated system of tools, techniques, and
training. Similar TQM goals have developed in
the higher educational arena.
tQm in higher education
Originally concentrating on production and
operation management, quality today embraces
government, service organizations, healthcare institutions,
the entire private sector, and educational
organizations (Helms, Williams, & Nixon, 2001).
Harvey and Knight (1996) find various ideas of
quality in higher education, namely exceptional
quality, perfect or consistent quality, quality fit
for purpose, and quality as a value for money,
and quality that transforms. Because TQM is a
dynamic theory that encompasses many concepts,
it is difficult to find a comprehensive definition of
quality or TQM in higher education (Chadwick,
1994; McCulloch, 1993; Taylor & Hill, 1993).
It is important to realize that the total quality
of education at every level is a continuous
dynamic interaction of all systems, that is, the
university, support staff, administration, policies,
organizational culture, processes and procedures,
faculty, as well as the interaction of students
as a system. Unfortunately, empirical evidence
regarding TQM methods applied in universities
is restricted to administrative functions, such
as financial aid and registration that comprise
the nonacademic side of the university (Koch &
Fisher, 1998; Owlia & Aspinwall, 1996). Some
researchers suggest that the application of TQM
methods will “unite campuses, increase employee
satisfaction, and improve nearly any process that
it touches” (Koch & Fisher, 1998, p. 659).
Universities and their accrediting bodies
provide evidence of a growing interest in TQM
applications in higher education (Mergen, Grant,
& Widrick, 2000). While TQM matters appear to
be addressed in productivity and financial areas
(Helms et al., 2001), changing attitudes and perceptions
of the global customer requires a new
response to meet and exceed his or her needs.
Thus, a consistent effort to improve teaching
must be embraced through a continuous quality
improvement project.
Evaluation as Part of TQm in higher
education
One constituent of a TQM project in higher
online education is the evaluation of the e-facilitator.
When evaluation takes place, quality
is acknowledged (Stake, 1999). In other words,
we look for excellence and improvement in
performance by systematically determining the
merit and significance of the evaluation taking
place (Scriven, 1999). The traditional approach
in the college setting evaluates the performance
of each individual instructor in the classroom
(Stake & Cohernour, 1999). Student evaluations
are commonly used to evaluate instructors in both
face-to-face and online settings; they are also
used for faculty development recommendations
(Scriven, 1995). While this evaluation tool may
be helpful when integrated into the overall faculty
evaluation, its validity would be limited if it were
the only source assessment or evaluative source
considered. Thus, we may consider the presence
of an online e-faculty mentor or supervisor who
performs periodic quality checks throughout the
semester by applying some type of evaluation
tool. Quality assessment of performance and
consistency of service appear to be missing in
online universities. The next section will discuss
this in more detail.
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