QualityLink is a European project that is developing standards and practical tools for publishing and aggregating course data from multiple institutions into unified, searchable catalogues.

Using QualityLink, European University Alliances can create joint course catalogues that enable students to discover learning opportunities across the alliance. The joint catalogue is foundational for virtual inter-university campuses and enhanced student mobility.

Joint catalogues directly address Use Case 1 “Discover” from the European Higher Education Interoperability Framework (HEIF).

What is QualityLink developing?

• Common language: Standardised format and approaches for publishing data, based on the European Learning Model (ELM)
• Data aggregator: Software that automatically collects course data from multiple institutional sources
• Europe-wide portal: Pilot platform showcasing learning opportunities from all participating institutions (mock-up of the platform)

What are the implementation options?

• Hosted solution: Use our maintained aggregator and portal. This is the easiest option for fast deployment and requires minimal own resources. Consider to start with this option for testing, unless you need advanced customisation from the outset.
• Self-deployed: Run the QualityLink aggregator and portal software on your own infrastructure. This allows for maximum customisation and control, but requires additional own resources and IT expertise to manage. Consider this option for use in production if you need advanced customisation.
• Hybrid approach: Mix and match components based on your alliance’s needs, e.g. you can use the hosted QualityLink aggregator but develop your own custom portal to serve the joint learning opportunities catalogue of your alliance.

All components are developed as open source and will be freely available to European higher education institutions and alliances.

What are the practical steps?

• Phase 1: Planning
  • Define scope: determine which learning opportunities to include (all offerings, pilot selection or courses dedicated for alliance students)
  • Plan technical implementation approach with IT teams, and choose an implementation option that suits your alliance’s technical capacity and customisation needs
• Phase 2: Preparation
  • Check data readiness: do local systems contain minimum required data based on the ELM Learning Opportunities and Qualifications (LOQ) profile, namely:
    • title/name of the course or learning opportunity
    • learning outcomes
    • language(s) of delivery
    • thematic area (ISCED-F 2013 Classification)
• Phase 3: Deployment
  • Publish data in supported formats (ELM, OOAPI, Edu-API or OCCAPI)
  • Configure aggregation and validate data quality
  • Launch public catalogue with alliance branding
• Phase 4: Optimisation
  • Monitor usage and gather feedback from students and staff
  • Expand coverage to additional learning opportunities and enhance data quality
  • Use joint catalogue for further use cases, e.g. joint enrolment