NEED FOR ACCREDITATION AGENCIES AS STAKEHOLDERS IN OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING: CASE OF “AUDAK” IN TURKISH HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM

Accreditation agencies are important stakeholders for higher education institutions (HEIs) on the path to quality. They are advisors to suggest the appropriate models and tools for Quality Assurance (QA), according to the mode of delivery and institutional context. This paper gives brief history about integration of Turkey to Bologna process that has shaped the quality approach in the Turkish Higher Education System and explains how national accreditation agencies act to enhance quality in higher education. Secondly, a short literature on quality assurance in open and distance learning is provided with concentration on external evaluation by agencies. The transition to distance learning and e-learning more specifically, offers an opportunity to reorganize institutions for technology enhanced learning and enrich their means for quality assurance. Thirdly, the interpretation of European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG 2015) for quality assurance in distance learning/e-learning and the adaptation of accreditation criteria to monitor compliance with pre-determined learning outcomes is elaborated through different models and benchmarks. As case-study, a new association founded in Turkey, AUDAK (Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Open and Distance Education Programs) is introduced and its standards are discussed with an eye to the related literature and recent developments in Turkish higher education system.