The Future of Education
Quality and Assessment in Online Education: a Brief Review of the MBA Program Assessment Process at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide
Michael D. Santonino III, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University College of Business - Worldwide (United States)
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief review of the MBA program assessment process at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) Worldwide for international and USA academic faculty and administrators. Key success factors are outlined from the assessment process in the Masters of Business Administration program for online and hybrid online models at ERAU. The accreditation bodies in education (e.g. ACBSP, AACSB) are continuing to pressure more universities and colleges to inspire to be more responsible in quality and assessment of online education. Koslowski (2006) suggested that higher education can learn from the quality and assessment movement in industry: inspiring more responsible leadership, student centeredness, continuous improvement, transparency, global and political, and economic accountability.
Technology is driving change in education as educators look for new teaching tools to add to their traditional face-to-face instructional tool-kit. The MBA program assessment process includes five ways of learning models that use innovative tools; 1.) online learning, 2.) Live Web-video conferencing in the classroom, 3.) Blended (face-to-face and online), 4.) Live Web-video conferencing at home, and 5.) classroom learning at over a 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Canada, the Middle-East and Asia.
This paper examines relevant literature in the quality and assessment domain while applying some of the context to the key success factors used in continuous process improvements in online education models.
References:
CHEA (2011, August). Accreditation and Accountability: Looking Back and Looking Ahead. Institute for Research and Study of Accreditation and Quality Assurance. Retrieved from http://www.chea.org/pdf/accred_account.pdf
Crosby, P.B. (1976), Quality Is Free: The Art of Making Quality Certain, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY.
Du Terroil, R. & Santonino, M. (2012). The American Study Abroad Industry in Italy. International Journal of Arts and Science, 5(5):109-120.
Koslowski, F. (2006). Quality and assessment in context: a brief review. Quality Assurance in Education. 14(3): pp 277-288.
Moseley, William G. (2012, December 11). Don’t Go Soft on Study Abroad: a Call for Academic Rigor. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/blogs/worldwise/dont-go-soft-on-study-abroad-a-call-for-academic-rigor/31082
Nelson, L. (2009, September 10). Duncan Urges Colleges to Help Underperforming Schools More. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Duncan-Urges-Colleges-to-Help/48358/
