Quality assurance mechanisms in peer-collaboration models

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Quality assurance mechanisms in peer-collaboration models
Peer review systems when using models of mass-collaboration and peer-production (as opposed to the producer-consumer model) are still maturing. Peer review systems are a significant component of interoperability in the sense that how can we ensure that course materials developed for Vanuatu will be interoperable with curricula in Barbados.

Examples:
 * Summative review: The FlaggedRevs extension for Mediawiki is maturing, and will enable Mediawiki installations to incorporate features associated with Content Management Systems. FlaggedRevs will enable assigned reviewers to judge the value of content according to predefined tags. Users will have the option to select the versions they would like to view or produce as print documents. For example the bleeding edge or most recently reviewed version.
 * Formative process review WikiEducator is prototyping a system using Mediawiki templates to incorporate the processes associated with instructional design in the development of peer-produced OERs. The concept is to develop an instructional design "blueprint" the wiki way, and then to document the phases in the design and development process in a transparent way. You can view a very early prototype of the Learning Design Template and a prototype decision guide tool to assist with the development of an instructional design plan. Still lots of work needed.
 * Transnational Qualifications Frameworks - The Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth will require some mechanism to achieve interoperability of qualifications, and COL has commenced work in this area.    Defining the semantic relationships among national qualifications frameworks can facilitate interoperability of course credits. In this regard the   Semantic Wiki and Omegawiki show promise. This technology could map the relationships among national curricula but also identify the availibility/gaps of OERs to support teaching in different qualification frameworks.
 * Lenses Connexions recently introduced quality control through "lenses". Organizations and individuals create lenses of materials that include tags and comments about the materials. Tags can be used to implement a custom reviewing vocabulary specific to the organizations creating them. Future enhancements to lenses will allow searching and browsing through lenses, RSS and Restful edit of lenses so that organizations can support a custom reviewing workflow, and the ability to combine lenses and attach behaviors to them. See http://cnx.org/lenses for current examples.

Challenges:

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