AIM

The aim of this presentation is to introduce EFQUEL to the Swedish higher education sector and invite Swedish participation in the foundation's projects and quality initiatives. In particular we would like to present the new UNIQUe certification for ICT use in higher education as a means for universities to develop sustainable quality in their use of ICT.

ABOUT EFQUEL

EFQUEL is a European membership organisation founded in 2005. EFQUEL’s mission is to enhance the quality of Technology Enhanced Learning in Europe by providing services and support for all stakeholders. At present EFQUEL consists of more than 100 members from all over Europe and beyond (European associations, universities, companies, vocational training institutions). All the members share the same interest: quality in Technology Enhanced Learning.

EFQUEL has created a number of activities and action forms during its years in operation:

• continuously identifies the actors involved with quality in European Technology Enhanced Learning and involves them into a European community of users and experts.
• accompanies EU policy developments in the field of Technology Enhanced Learning quality and produces and disseminates policy papers and recommendations.
• identifies and coordinates the existing e-Learning quality marks at national level, build synergies among them and promotes the establishment of a new European Technology Enhanced Learning quality mark.
• continuously monitors research and innovative practices in the field of Technology Enhanced Learning quality and documents innovative initiatives and approaches.
• works on basis of a number of experts' Working Groups. Everybody is invited to support this work, share experiences and shape the European Technology Enhanced Learning Agenda.
• participates actively in various European projects in the area of quality of Technology Enhanced Learning both as an initiator as well as an active implementer.
• actively seeks contacts and projects outside Europe to enhance its own experience in quality work as well as to share its experience with international partners.

PROJECTS OF RELEVANCE TO NU2012

EFQUEL participates actively in European projects, often co-funded by the European Commission, both as an initiator as well as an active project partner.  A number of these projects are of particular relevance to Swedish universities:

• UNIQUe (European UNIversity QUality in eLearning) eLearning quality label for ICT use in higher education.
• CONCEDE (Content Creation Excellence through Dialogue in Education): enhancing the quantity and quality of user generated content that can be incorporated into higher education learning provision.
• OPAL (Open Educational Quality Initiative): Developing Open Educational Practices which support the (re)use and production of high quality Open Educational Resources through institutional policies, promotion of innovative pedagogical models and the empowerment of learners.

The presentation will include a contribution via Skype of EFQUEL's President Ulf-Daniel Ehlers and therefore will be in English.