The Quality Assurance in Online Learning Toolkit has been developed in response to the growth of online and blended education in higher education in APEC economies over the last decade. It is informed by current and emerging research into institutional practices for online and blended education. A broad suite of frameworks, rubrics, assessment criteria, and systems for the quality assurance of higher education have also been considered in developing the toolkit.

This toolkit provides a starting point for the quality assurance of online education for those APEC economies seeking to develop a framework. Furthermore, it can be used as a platform for regional cooperation in the assurance of online education. It establishes a range of criteria that can help quality assurance agencies assess online and blended programs. To establish and develop a culture of quality, economies and institutions alike need to define and implement quality assurance mechanisms.