22.24 What is evaluated during the accreditation of online study programmes?

The accreditation must clearly specify what exactly the higher education institution means by the term “online study” or by the terminology it uses in each specific case. This includes pedagogical and conceptual considerations. It must be established in a transparent and sufficiently binding manner which modules require in-person attendance and which modules are studied entirely or partially online (synchronous/asynchronous). This requirement is based on Section 12(6) in conjunction with Section 12(1), third sentence, and Section 12(5)(1) of the MRVO.

The higher education institution must have a counseling and support plan tailored to the specific needs of students who are not on campus or are rarely on campus, within the framework of which students receive regular feedback on their academic progress. This requirement is based on Section 12(6) in conjunction with Section 12(1), third sentence, of the MRVO.

If, in a specific case, teaching materials (e.g., digital study guides, lecture notes, or similar) are intended to serve as a central element of asynchronous learning, they should be documented and evaluated on a random basis during the accreditation process. In the case of conceptual or initial accreditations, at the time the accreditation decision is made, at least the teaching materials for the first academic year should be substantially available, and a clear timeline should be in place for their timely development for the remainder of the course of study. This requirement is based on Section 12(6) in conjunction with Section 12(1), first sentence, and (3) of the MRVO.

The accreditation must clearly demonstrate that the higher education institution has the technical infrastructure necessary for online study. If applicable in individual cases, the teaching/learning platform used to implement online study should be inspected during the on-site visit. This requirement is based on Section 12(6) in conjunction with Section 12(3) of the MRVO.

If students are not on campus at the higher education institution—or are there only rarely—the availability of literature given the physical distance is another factor relevant to the assessment of material resources (Section 12(3) MRVO).

The ongoing monitoring of academic success should also take the specific characteristics of online study into appropriate consideration. This requirement is based on Section 12(6) in conjunction with Section 14 of the MRVO.