Models of Quality Assurance: Towards a Quality Assurance Framework of Digital Learning in Higher Education in Africa

Higher education has become more accessible owing to digital learning opportunities which have gone a long way towards achieving the objective of “education for all”. Students may study from (nearly) anywhere, at their own pace, and at times that suit them. It also offers a fantastic, yet often missed, chance to connect students from other nations and cultures. However, one of the biggest challenges associated with digital education is assuring parents, employers and students that the quality of what students receive is just as good as that delivered in face-to-face mode. Therefore, the quality of digital higher education must be assured. As a result, higher education institutions that offer digital courses should have quality assurance processes in place for staff and students, which should be followed. Staff who create and deliver digital courses must be suitably qualified and professionally supported. Adequate funding and investment in effective technology must be provided. Using process-oriented lifecycle model for quality assurance in digital learning, this chapter explores how the digitalisation of learning and teaching is understood as external processes, how it is influenced by government and international trends, and the extent of its internal processes within higher education institutions in Africa.