Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance Process

Quality Assurance Process

◎Purpose

Quality assurance keeps ELT materials accurate, consistent, teachable, and ready for publication or release. It applies to both e-learning and print publishing, and it should support the full production process from first draft to final sign-off.

1Workflow at a glance

  1. Writer: Creates the first draft.
  2. Editor: Provides feedback to the writer.
  3. Writer: Create the second draft.
  4. Editor: Does proofreading and final content review.
  5. Designer: Creates the first design proof.
  6. Editor: Checks design proof and carries out a quality assurance check.
  7. Sign-off: Stakeholders give final approval and release materials for publication.

◎Writer’s final check

Before submitting a lesson to the editor for quality assurance, the writer should complete a final self-check. This helps catch issues early and reduces the amount of correction needed later in the process.

Use this checklist after drafting and before handing the material over.

1Pedagogy check

  • Read your instructions and make sure they are clear and level-appropriate.
  • Check that pictures match the content and have a clear pedagogical function.
  • Check that there is not too much content for any one slide. If there is, split it into Slide 1, Slide 2, and so on if necessary.
  • If you have not already done so, check the length of the text and whether it is appropriate for the level. Make changes where necessary.
  • Answer all the questions yourself to make sure students can complete them and that they are level-appropriate.

2Content check

  • Read through the content and check for spelling mistakes, typos, and punctuation mistakes.
  • Make sure that your presentation has the agreed number of slides.
  • Make sure that your presentation has sufficient slides for “Independent Application”.
  • Make sure that your presentation includes slides for “Activation”.
  • Make sure that there is an instruction on every slide.
  • Make sure that the instruction is at the top of the slide.
  • If you have added contextual instructions to the normal instructions, make sure they are separated by a line break. The order should always be: first the normal instructions, then the contextual instructions.
  • Check that your materials are accessible and do not cause cognitive overload.
  • Check that pictures are pedagogically relevant.
  • Check that the target language items are in alphabetical order in the trainer notes.
  • Check that the slide numbers listed on the trainer notes match the slides in the presentation.
  • Check that the answers in the trainer notes are the same as those in the slide notes
  • If you have invented people or company names, make sure they do not already exist by doing a Google search.

3Publishing workflow

  1. Develop and write: the writer creates the learner-facing slides and trainer notes using a predefined MS Word template.
  2. Edit and QA: the editor reviews the first draft and gives the writer feedback.
  3. Revise: the writer produces a second draft.
  4. Final editorial review: the editor reviews the second draft, finalizes the content, and submits it to design.
  5. Design: the designer creates the first design proof in Adobe InDesign, generates audio files, and exports the learner-facing slides as PDFs.
  6. Trainer notes: the editor creates the trainer notes using a template and exports them as PDFs.
  7. Design QA: the editor does a final QA check on all PDFs and audio files.
  8. Final proof: the designer makes any necessary changes and creates the final proof.
  9. Implementation and classroom upload: the designer uploads the final slides, audio files, and trainer notes to the digital content library in TMS.

4QA focus areas

1Pedagogical QA

Check that the material matches the stated aims, level, and lesson outcomes.

Make sure tasks are achievable, instructions are clear, and examples support learning effectively.

2Content QA

Check language accuracy, terminology, consistency, and factual correctness.

Confirm that spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and formatting follow the house style.

3Design QA

Check the visual version of the material after layout work has been completed.

Review PDFs, audio links, page flow, spacing, alignment, and the overall learner experience.

4Technical QA

For digital materials, check interactivity, file naming, link accuracy, playback, and upload readiness.

Make sure the final assets work correctly in the intended platform or library.

5Final checks

The final QA stage should confirm that the product is complete, accurate, and ready for release.

  • All editorial comments have been resolved.
  • All PDFs, slides, and audio files are correct.
  • The design proof matches the final approved content.
  • Trainer notes and learner-facing materials are aligned.
  • The file is ready for sign-off and upload.

✓Key takeaway

Quality assurance is not just a final check. It is a controlled process that supports editorial accuracy, design quality, and reliable delivery across both publishing and e-learning workflows.