E-learning has become mainstream provision in European higher education and is essential in supporting lifelong learning and internationalisation. By becoming integral part of higher education, e-learning should also be integral part of the QA systems, internal and external, with related innovative and appropriate criteria.

In a recent report (E-learning Quality (ELQ) – Aspects and criteria for evaluation of e-learning in higher education. Report 2008:11R) the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education (NAHE) has surveyed the work on quality assurance of e-learning in higher education on a European level in nine selected countries. One conclusion is that quality in e-learning is a non issue for many, especially for the quality assurance agencies. In the NAHE report, it is suggested that the same criteria for quality should be applicable to e-learning as it is to traditional campus-based education. The accreditation, audit and assurance process of e-learning should therefore be integrated in the national framework and not be evaluated separately. To this end, there is a need for methodological development within quality assurance agencies. At the same time, there is a need for increased cooperation between national agencies as e-learning enhances the development of borderless education. (From ENQA seminar Sigtuna 10/09)

Although initiatives on QA in e-learning are running for some years now it is still restricted to some interested universities. The QA agencies put QA in e-learning only recently on their agenda and are searching for the expertise for setting the specific criteria and indicators. The expertise and responsibility for QA in e-learning is however in first instance within the universities. The universities have taken that responsibility by sharing expertise in developing the E-xcellence instrument. Further integration of the benchmarks in the institutional QA systems of the universities as well as the QA-agencies is necessary to mainstream QA in e-learning European wide within the existing channels. The E-xcellence instrument was from the start developed as a building block to the existing systems, not interfering with the current models, but fitted for integration.