Quality Assurance of Blended Learning: A Case Study of Developing National Guidelines

Set against the post-Covid online learning landscape, closely followed by the appearance of Gen AI, this chapter presents a case study of the development of a new set of national statutory online guidelines for blended and online learning programmes in higher education in Ireland. Given the shifts and shocks that continue to impact digital learning, this project was framed by the central guiding question of whether current external and institutional quality frameworks are still fit-for-purpose, and how these might adapt to the unique demands of blended learning in ensuring academic integrity and quality. We outline the consultative nature of the methodology deployed in the development of the guidelines development process which is itself inherent to a conception of policy development as a process and of quality as the development of cultures. Quality is not monolithic, and we explore key tensions of how to select and apply relevant quality measures and benchmarks in contexts that are as varied as the chocolates one might choose from an open box. There can be many varieties to savour in different digital pedagogical enactments but only insofar as they all remain high-quality chocolate. In this sense, the quality concerns addressed here are both general and unique to digital education. The chapter critically examines how higher education providers and quality assurance agencies can evolve to meet the challenges of the new normal in blended learning, emphasizing the need for responsive and adaptable quality assurance practices. It ends with reflective prompts that providers, educators and policymakers can use to help fashion high-quality outcomes and experiences for blended and online learners.