Industrial quality

Ufi Ltd (formerly the University for Industry) has announced that it has adopted for all its technology-based learning materials, the quality standards for technology-based training (TBT) developed by the Institute of IT Training(IITT). Ufi has also become a member of the Institute's TBT Standards Review Panel. Ufi has been busy creating learndirect, a nation-wide on-line learning network, and is now making interactive learndirect materials available via the Internet. Says Mary Benwell, Ufi's Director of Learning Products and responsible for commissioning at Ufi: "The arrival of on-line learning is giving an enormous boost to the market in technology-based learning materials. There are some excellent suppliers and products out there, but our recent review of the materials currently available revealed that quality is very uneven. There is a clear need for recognised and widely accepted quality standards for the industry. This is vital if learners and employers are to have confidence in the e-learning revolution. The IITT's standards provide a robust quality framework for the industry and we are asking all our suppliers to adopt them. This is a phased process which gives our suppliers time to make any necessary adjustments to their quality systems."