Enhancing the quality of online higher education through measurement

The quality of online higher education is often subject to scepticism and criticism. Is the quality of teaching and learning in the virtual classroom the same as in the conventional classroom? That is the question often raised by the stakeholders of universities. The present literature review has found that there has been a great deal of research about technology implementation in online education with regard to cost and efficiency savings, along with a number of studies on online pedagogy. Drawing on the current principal literature, this study explores a range of issues affecting the quality of online higher education; examines a variety of perspectives on criteria for quality online teaching and learning; and proposes a methodological framework for the measurement of both the process and outcomes of online teaching and learning. Considers that the enhancement of quality and effectiveness of online higher education requires a framework to be implemented within universities. The proposed framework provides a practical guide to the stakeholders of universities in the assessment of quality of the online teaching and learning.