Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University Karadeniz Ereğli Faculty of Tourism

Distance Education Quality Policy

In line with the strategic plan and in relation to its mission, vision, and core values, the Karadeniz Ereğli Faculty of Tourism at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University initiated emergency remote teaching practices using its own information and communication technology infrastructure during the global COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the continuity of educational activities and to manage the process effectively. Within the scope of the “New Normalization Process during the Global Pandemic” prepared by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), the faculty has adopted a quality assurance system in emergency remote education practices.

The faculty is committed to the following principles:

• Managing its education, research and development, and prominent regional/national-level social contribution activities using digital technologies with a focus on quality in tourism, within the scope of national and international quality assurance,

• Developing an internal quality assurance system by adapting international standards in quality assurance initiated through the Bologna Process to the external evaluation criteria of the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council, and guiding other faculties in this regard,

• Establishing a qualified remote education system within its internal quality assurance structure in compliance with international standards and relevant legislation,

• Ensuring that learners, instructors, and educational resources located in the same or different physical environments are brought together through synchronous and asynchronous delivery, supported by support services, rich course content, information security, ethical principles, and reliable assessment systems,

• Ensuring that all courses (theoretical, practical, performance-based, project- and problem-based learning, internships) and other educational activities (assessment practices, congresses, meetings, seminars, courses, exchange programs, etc.) are designed to achieve the intended learning outcomes related to the knowledge, skills, and competencies of each program,

• Providing pedagogically sound education entirely via remote methods, through blended systems, or via open course platforms (e.g., YÖK Courses) by integrating its ICT infrastructure with the learning management system,

• Guaranteeing that students graduate with the intended learning outcomes of their programs,

• Adopting a "quality-focused" distance education model based on student and stakeholder satisfaction, regular monitoring, control, proactive measures, continuous improvement, and sustainability.

Distance Education Quality Objectives

1. To deliver up to 40% of undergraduate and graduate formal education courses via distance education, as determined by the departments,

2. To increase the use of distance education tools for in-service training, seminars, conferences, panels, and similar events outside the curriculum,

3. To establish the necessary infrastructure within the faculty and departments for the development of audiovisual materials needed for distance education,

4. To create at least one studio classroom equipped to live-stream and record formal education activities,

5. To establish distance education access and examination centers and expand their use across remote learning processes,

6. To make all IT services offered within the faculty accessible from outside the campus and to ensure secure access,

7. To provide orientation training to newly registered and existing students on the use of the learning management system and remote education processes,

8. To provide students with concise, easy-to-digest content that can be quickly completed through information and communication technologies,

9. To enhance electronic learning materials in line with students’ evolving habits due to the rise of mobile technologies,

10. To design a flexible remote teaching system that maximizes in-class communication and interaction via digital tools,

11. To ensure the participation and support of all internal and external stakeholders in remote education processes,

12. To implement student-centered processes and activities,

13. To engage in continuous monitoring and improvement of all processes within the faculty and departments in the context of internal quality assurance.