Description of BS 8426:2003 2003

This British Standard gives recommendations for e-support in e-learning systems.

This standard is applicable to e-support across all types of e-learning. It is applicable independently of the pedagogical approach to e-learning (e.g. whether human tutors are involved in providing e-support or all e-support is automated, whether learners work individually or in groups, or whether the underlying pedagogy of a course involves learners in constructing their own understanding or in committing course content to memory).

Where learning programmes include a combination of e-learning and other delivery methods, this standard is applicable to the e-learning components.

NOTE 1 E-support forms part of learning and tuition processes (as shown in Figure 1), and the recommendations in this British Standard are designed to enable effective implementation of these processes. However, recommendations for tuition and pedagogical methodologies are not addressed in this British Standard.

This standard is applicable independent of the type of e-learning system deployed. It makes recommendations for the e-support that is provided to learners, but does not specify whether this e-support should be provided by the e-learning system, by the learning materials or by tutors or other human intervention.

NOTE 2 This British Standard includes examples referring to both automated and tutor-generated e-support, but these examples are only illustrative and should not be taken to imply that the approaches described are pedagogically preferable.

This British Standard makes recommendations that could be implemented through the adoption of a learning object model (an object-based approach to the management of learning materials). However, the recommendations do not depend on the implementation of such a model.

The recommendations in this British Standard can be used in the procurement, design, benchmarking, development, evaluation and communication of information about e-learning courses, learning materials, e-learning systems and e-support services.

NOTE 3 Recommendations concerning user guidance for users of any systems involving office work with visual display terminals are provided in BS EN ISO 9241-13:1999, which covers information additional to the regular user-computer-dialogue that is provided to the user on request or is automatically provided by the system.

NOTE 4 BS EN ISO 9241-13:1999 does not address on-line tutorials, on-line documentation, or intelligent system performance aids. These kinds of user support are covered in this standard.

About BSI

BSI Group, also known as the British Standards Institution is the national standards body of the United Kingdom. BSI produces technical standards on a wide range of products and services and also supplies certification and standards-related services to businesses.