ISO IEC 40180-2017 PDF

Full title and description

Information technology — Quality for learning, education and training — Fundamentals and reference framework. ISO/IEC 40180:2017 defines a Quality Reference Framework (QRF) for IT‑enhanced learning (E‑Learning) providing fundamentals, process and descriptive models, and a common vocabulary to describe, specify and measure quality in learning, education and training contexts.

Abstract

ISO/IEC 40180:2017 provides the fundamentals and a reference framework for quality assurance, quality management and quality improvement in IT‑enhanced learning, education and training. The core of the standard is the Quality Reference Framework (QRF), which combines an elaborated process model with a descriptive model to identify critical properties, characteristics and metrics of quality and to harmonize existing approaches, concepts and definitions in the E‑Learning domain.

General information

• Status: Published (active; confirmed on periodic review).
• Publication date: October 2017 (publication implemented October 2017).
• Publisher: Joint ISO/IEC international standard (published through ISO and IEC channels).
• ICS / categories: 03.100.30 (Management of human resources) and 35.240.90 (IT applications in education).
• Edition / version: Edition 1.0 (2017).
• Number of pages: 67 pages.

Scope

This document provides the fundamentals and the reference framework for quality assurance, quality management and quality improvement in IT‑enhanced learning, education and training (E‑Learning). It supplies the Quality Reference Framework (QRF) — a generic framework to describe and specify critical quality properties, characteristics and metrics — and harmonizes existing approaches, specifications, terms and definitions relevant to quality in E‑Learning. The QRF integrates a detailed process model with a descriptive model for those processes to support assessment, specification and improvement.

Key topics and requirements

• Quality Reference Framework (QRF) for E‑Learning: structure and components.
• Process model for quality-related activities in the lifecycle of IT‑enhanced learning.
• Descriptive model for processes, properties, characteristics and measurable quality metrics.
• Harmonization of terminology, concepts and definitions across prior quality approaches and standards for learning technologies.
• Guidance to support quality assurance, quality management and continuous quality improvement in education and training that use information technology.

Typical use and users

Typical users include learning technology program managers, quality managers in educational institutions and training organizations, vendors and developers of learning platforms and content, accreditation and certification bodies, instructional designers, and researchers working on education quality and learning analytics. The standard is used to specify quality requirements, design quality management processes, evaluate and benchmark E‑Learning offerings, and align local practices with a common international reference.

Related standards

ISO/IEC 40180:2017 supersedes earlier work in the ISO/IEC 19796 family (the predecessor normative references for learning quality frameworks) and is published under the technical oversight of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 36 (Information technology for learning, education and training). Users often consult other SC 36 standards for related topics in learning technologies and metadata, and may cross‑reference regional or sectoral quality and accreditation standards when applying the QRF.

Keywords

E‑Learning, quality assurance, quality management, quality improvement, Quality Reference Framework (QRF), process model, quality metrics, learning technology, instructional quality, ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 36.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO/IEC 40180:2017 is an international standard that defines a fundamentals and reference framework (the Quality Reference Framework, QRF) for assuring, managing and improving quality in IT‑enhanced learning, education and training.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers a generic framework to describe critical quality properties, an elaborated process model and a descriptive model for those processes, plus harmonized terminology and guidance to measure and improve quality in E‑Learning systems and services.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Learning technology program managers, quality assurance professionals in education and training, vendors of learning platforms and content, accreditation bodies, instructional designers and researchers interested in quality frameworks for digital learning.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO/IEC 40180:2017 is the published edition (2017) and the standard was reviewed and confirmed in the subsequent 5‑year review cycle, remaining current as of the latest confirmation. It replaces earlier related parts of the ISO/IEC 19796 series as the active reference framework.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: ISO/IEC 40180 is a stand‑alone international standard providing a fundamentals and reference framework, but it is closely related to prior ISO/IEC work on quality for learning (the 19796 family) and sits within the portfolio of SC 36 learning‑technology standards; organizations often use it together with other SC 36 standards for specific technical or application requirements.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: E‑Learning, quality assurance, quality management, Quality Reference Framework (QRF), process model, metrics, learning technology.