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Essential Factors to Reach High Quality e-Learning Materials 
Majernik J.1, Assoc. prof. Ing. PhD., [e-mail] 
Balcak S.1, Ing. PhD., [e-mail] 
Medvec V.1, Ing., [e-mail] 
Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice, Faculty of Medicine, Slovakia
1
Annotation 
This paper deals with the problems of development and long-term sustainability of e-
learning materials. Authors point out some of the essential factors that may increase the overall 
quality of individual educational outputs as well as their acceptance by the students. The life cycle 
and some of the main features of education materials designed for electronic learning modules 
are also briefly described. 
 
Introduction 
Thanks to the modern information and communication technologies (ICT), the teaching 
processes were significantly changed during past two decades. Modern electronic educational 
materials supplemented, and later, in some cases, completely replaced traditional printed textbooks 
and black boards too. The technological barriers were overcome and many education institutions 
also changed their curricula adopting new distance learning methods and/or e-learning courses. 
However, the quality of learning materials remained one of the biggest problems to be solved in 
the material’s design and maintenance phases. It is because neither modern computers, networks 
nor the audio and video tools can compensate the poor quality of learning materials prepared 
without context of learning objectives and/or user’s perspectives. 
 
 

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13
Quality and Standards 
The abstract term “Quality”, used in relation to e-Learning issues, is usually referred to two 
main aspects. The first one concerns about quality of knowledge that should be transferred to the 
consumers i.e. students at various education levels and that should cover all relevant topics of 
particular course. The second aspect is related to the quality of experience and technological 
background through which the knowledge is transformed into the education praxis. From the users 
point of view, the quality is the issue of providers and consumers of educational content. Two 
different groups that have different expectations associated with quality. However, it is necessary 
to bear in mind that the quality cannot be expressed by simple definition or by the set of some 
rules and criteria. The quality itself, in relation to e-Learning, is required to evaluate and to 
compare qualitative and standardized elements in education. 
To specify standards of quality in e-learning, one has to fight with the problem of 
insufficient and difficulty specifiable definition of information quality. The quality standards 
represent something that can help authors to generate well build, successful and well accepted 
learning materials, however, their development is still a very challenging and a long-term process. 
A lot of activities in this matter were already realized all around the world, but there are still no 
simple and general set of standards applicable to all study branches and/or topics and education 
problems. 
In general, the good e-learning quality standards should be oriented on three main areas. 
These areas include the following considerations: 

Quality standards should be based on the needs of learners. 

Quality standards have to reflect best practices in student-centred learning. 

Quality standards could be easily implemented into the education process. 
The above mentioned areas have to be combined in order to find optimal set of quality 
evaluation criteria. Therefore, there is a need to develop and use a combination of various standards 
for all elements of the learning system (e.g. inputs and resources, processes and practices, and 
outputs and outcomes). Furthermore, it is necessary to think about quality standards for education 
that is delivered transnationally, principles for good practice in undergraduate education and/or 
higher education, requirements for promoting lifelong learning etc. 
Individual criteria used in the process of e-learning material quality validation have to 
confirm that the learning materials are consumer oriented, consensus based, comprehensive 
regarding usage of the most convenient learning elements, recommendatory, futuristic and 
adaptable.