Information about Qvalio

Qvalio is a web-based tool for the evaluation and validation of higher education courses. It aims to improve the quality of higher education courses by ensuring that they are designed in a holistic way, considering different aspects and perspectives. It’s also designed to increase the transparency of quality work and criteria. The tool can be used within a single university or between different universities collaborating. It can be used for both new and existing courses. In order to use Qvalio, it is beneficial to have a good understanding of the course being validated.

Qvalio consists of 102 items in 14 different categories. The items are divided among four different roles: administrator, teacher, student and stakeholder. These roles complement each other and provide a more objective view of the course being validated. Tool can also be used without choosing a specific role, answering to all items.

Qvalio has been developed as part of the study “Development of a validation tool for course planning and evaluation at university level” in the Department of Nursing Science in the University of Turku. The team behind Qvalio is: Sanna Salanterä, Reetta Mustonen, Maiju Kuusniemi and Tero Vesanen.

The Qvalio items are formulated with reference to several documents and recommendations in the European Union, Finland, and the United Kingdom. The references used are listed below:

• Accessibility criteria. 2019. https://esok.fi/hankkeet/oho-hanke/julkaisut/accessibility-criteria 10.2.2023.
• BIMM University. 2021. Higher Education Course Approval & Modification Procedures. https://www.bimm.ac.uk/governance-and-quality/policies-procedures-and-key-documents/ 10.2.2023
• CAST. 2018. Universal Design for Learning Guidelines. https://udlguidelines.cast.org/
• De Montfort University. 2020. A Guide to Validation. Edition number 10. https://www.dmu.ac.uk/documents/about-dmu-documents/quality-management-and-policy/academic-quality/programme-approval-management/programme-approval-validation-revalidation/guide-to-validation.pdf 10.2.2023
• European Commission, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, Shapiro Futures, H., Andersen, T., Nedergaard Larsen, K. 2020. A European approach to microcredentials. https://education.ec.europa.eu/education-levels/higher-education/micro-credentials 10.2.2023
• European Commission, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport, and Culture. 2015. ECTS users' guide. Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/87192 10.2.2023
• European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). 2018. Considerations for QA of E-learning Provision. https://www.enqa.eu/publications/considerations-for-qa-of-e-learning-provision/
• Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC). 2019. Audit manual for higher education institutions 2019-2024. https://www.karvi.fi/en/publications/audit-manual-higher-education-institutions-2019-2024 10.2.2023
• Huhtanen, A. 2019. The Design Book for Online Learning. https://fitech.io/app/uploads/2019/09/The-Design-Book-for-Online-Learning-v-1.4.1-EN-web.pdf 10.2.2023
• Krathwohl, D.R. 2002. A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy: An Overview. Theory into Practice, 41, 212-218. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4104_2
• Leppisaari, I., Rajaorko, P., Aarreniemi-Jokipelto, P. & Törmänen, M. 2018. Laatukortit. https://agileamk.wordpress.com/materiaalit/laatukortit/
• Levander, L & Mikkola, M. 2009. Core curriculum analysis: a tool for educational design. Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 15(3), 275-286. https://doi.org/10.1080/13892240903069785
• Nuffic. 2019. Practitioner's guide for recognition of e-learning. https://www.nuffic.nl/en/publications/practitioners-guide-for-recognition-of-e-learning 10.2.2023
• Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). 2023. Advice and Guidance. https://www.qaa.ac.uk//en/the-quality-code/advice-and-guidance
• Regulation 2016/2102. Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2016 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32016L2102
• Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). 2015. Brussels, Belgium. https://www.eqar.eu/assets/uploads/2018/04/ESG_2015.pdf 9.2.2023
• University of Essex. 2022. Validation events: Guidance for Departments and Panel members, Appendix A. https://www.essex.ac.uk/staff/academic-standards-and-quality/course-design-validation 10.2.2023
• Varonen, M & Hohenthal, T. 2017. Quality criteria for online implementations. https://aoe.fi/#/materiaali/120 10.2.2023
• Wernli, D & Ohlmeyer, J. 2023. Implementing interdisciplinarity in research-intensive universities: Good practices and challenges. League of European Research Universities. Advice Paper No. 30 (March 2023). https://www.leru.org/files/Publications/Implementing-interdisciplinarity-in-research-intensive-universities-good-practices-and-challenges_Full-paper.pdf

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