The 18-month pilot of the Institutional TELAS (Technology Enhanced Learning Accreditation Standards) program, developed through a partnership between ASCILITE and UNE, has established a new national benchmark for evaluating institutional excellence in digital education.
UNE was awarded Diamond for its institutional digital learning framework, the highest possible rating, and Gold for individual unit quality following a comprehensive peer review of 105 courses across all its faculties.
Suzanne Crew, Executive Principal, Education Futures, said that the successful completion of the pilot shows that UNE continues to lead in shaping digital education nationally.
"As the pioneering institution for this pilot program, UNE has not only validated our own digital learning excellence but has helped establish a framework that will benefit the entire Australian higher education sector," Ms Crew said.
"Achieving Diamond status in this rigorous pilot confirms that UNE operates at the pinnacle of digital education delivery, with world-class systems, governance and support structures."
The Institutional TELAS pilot was developed by ASCILITE (Australian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education), working closely with the Digital Education Team at UNE. The program represents the first credential of its kind in the sector, allowing institutions to gain sector-recognised assurance as providers of quality online learning.
The pilot involved three key phases: initiation to tailor the TELAS framework to UNE's context, assessment of representative courses, and institutional capability assessment to evaluate UNE’s organisational maturity in digital learning.
Ms Crew emphasised the significance of UNE being selected as the pilot institution.
"In working with UNE to pioneer this program, ASCILITE recognised our decades of leadership in distance and online education," she said.
"Successfully completing this pilot while achieving the highest possible ratings emphasise both our historical expertise and our continued innovation in digital learning."
The comprehensive review engaged 37 certified peer reviewers from 23 universities across Australia and New Zealand. Reviewers consistently praised UNE's innovative multimedia integration, clear navigation design, strong student support and the collaborative culture among staff.
Dr Stephanie Toole, Manager Learning Design, said the pilot's success provides a roadmap for sector-wide adoption.
"Through this pilot, we have demonstrated that institutional-level accreditation is both achievable and valuable for universities committed to digital learning excellence," Dr Toole said.
"The framework we have helped develop and test will enable other institutions to benchmark and enhance their digital education capabilities."
ASCILITE acknowledged UNE's "leadership and proactive commitment" in piloting the program, noting that insights gained will inform the broader application of Institutional TELAS evaluation across the sector.
The pilot introduced a pioneering fifth domain to the TELAS framework, specifically to evaluate institutional-level factors such as digital learning governance, strategic alignment, quality assurance processes and organisational support structures.
"The pilot's success demonstrates that Australian universities are ready for institutional-level quality assurance in digital education." Dr Toole said.
The outcomes will guide UNE's ongoing digital education strategy while contributing to national standards for technology-enhanced learning. ASCILITE will now refine the program based on pilot findings before offering it more broadly to the sector.
