Quality perception within corporate e‐learning providers in Catalonia

Abstract

Purpose

The paper seeks to describe the Catalan corporate e‐learning providers from the perspective of quality perception, quality assessment and quality control.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review reveals key aspects of the definition of quality in e‐learning. The results of the review constitute the basis for exploratory research into the way quality is perceived and handled within the Catalan corporate e‐learning sector.

Findings

It was found that the organisations studied attribute major importance to quality dimensions related to any kind of teaching/learning, whereas other dimensions with clear relation to e‐learning receive lower priority. The study also reveals certain incoherence between the dimensions of quality and the applied strategies of quality assessment and control.

Research limitations/implications

The presentation of pre‐defined quality indicators could have led to a distortion in the answers given to the questionnaire presented. It would be interesting to compare and contrast the findings using interviews addressed to quality managers and focus groups in organisations representative of the sector.

Originality/value

The paper integrates the discussion of theoretical approaches and models for quality in e‐learning with the description of important players in the field of e‐learning that had not yet been studied from the perspective of quality perception and quality control. It can be understood as an exploratory step towards further studies in order to contribute to an improvement in the quality policies applied in the corporate e‐learning sector.

Citation

Sangrà, A. and Fernández‐Michels, P. (2011), "Quality perception within corporate e‐learning providers in Catalonia", Quality Assurance in Education, Vol. 19 No. 4, pp. 375-391. https://doi.org/10.1108/09684881111170087