Many people believe that Quality Control is the same as Quality Assurance. While the first one
just measures parameters and conditions at a certain point of a process, one test, the second one sets up these measurements as a continuous and iterative system to secure achieving a pre-defined
quality, continuous examination. In other words, the only way to implement Total Quality Assurance (TQA) is by having continuous Quality Control.

In other words, executing the Quality Control (testing) does not guarantee the achievement of Quality Assurance. One tests is not enough.

Most of the links related to quality in education talk about the achievement of “quality” based on the scores of a standardized test (FCAT, SAT, PISA, etc.). I hope that the authorities know that measuring the quality doesn't improve the quality by itself. In fact, the students who already failed on the test, they will not improve unless a teacher takes the responsibility to review the results of the test, and help them in the areas where they have failed.

Some years ago, Mr. Edward Deming (one of the fathers of the TQA theories) proposed that for any continuous process or industry, like education, the managers' role must change in order to achieve better quality products and services: “The people work IN the system, the job of the manager is to work ON the system, to improve it continuously with their help”. This could be paraphrased to the educational industry as “The students learn IN the system, the job of the teacher is to work ON the system, to improve it continuously with their help”. In other words, teachers need to become managers of the learning/teaching process; analyzing data and supervising students to achieve the proposed quality levels.

Of course, the word “Education” is too extensive, so I would like to circumscribe Total Quality Assurance of the cognitive/constructive steps of the learning/teaching process. I believe that if teachers know the weaknesses of each student, they would easily help them to surpass them and achieve these steps faster and better. Achieving theses steps faster allows more time for additional steps of the education process. The main problem is those teachers do not know individual performance until the exams. They do not have the data to be managers during the process.

Deming's P-D-C-A Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act) is a very well known algorithm in the industry as one of the standard methods for implementing quality assurance programs. Deming proposed a cycle: a continuous and iterative process that never ends. The cycle induces corrections during the “Act” phase, so the process or product can be improved.

ICT tools would allow to collect the necessary data from homework books and assignments which must be completed continuously during the period of school. Every day, every week, every month. It is not just a single test. If these tools are well designed, teachers will be able to become managers of the process. Simultaneously, administrators and chiefs of departments could compare groups, classes, and schools, just by reviewing the students’ performance, at any time; much before the standardized tests take place.

The essence of this concept is that the accumulated data will allow teachers (and administrators)
to act before students fail a test, guaranteeing that they will achieve the proposed “quality” of
learning. Total Quality Management must work on metrics to evaluate alternatives for reducing cost and maximizing resources.

The case is compelling for us to use and modify existing tools to assess the effective implementation of ICT4D. These assessment tools may need to be contextualized to ensure that it takes into account the needs and circumstances of learners particularly those in rural areas or those who live in foreign countries and may have different life experiences than those who live in urban areas or in more developed nations in which many of the current assessment tools have been developed. Measuring long term outcomes is a challenge for all educators not just for those involved in international development work.

I look forward to following this discussion.

The key mistake people make is to think of olpc as an educational initiative. It is really a development project. As Negroponte said at one point, "It still works, it still makes economic sense, it still makes development sense."

The case is compelling for us to use and modify existing tools to assess the effective implementation of ICT4D. These assessment tools may need to be contextualized to ensure that it takes into account the needs and circumstances of learners particularly those in rural areas or those who live in foreign countries and may have different life experiences than those who live in urban areas or in more developed nations in which many of the current assessment tools have been developed. Measuring long term outcomes is a challenge for all educators not just for those involved in international development work.

I look forward to following this discussion.