Designing and Quality-Assuring Online and Blended Programmes in Rwandan Higher Education: A Policy-Informed Framework for Accreditation and Enhancement

Background: Rwanda’s higher education sector is increasingly expected to support digital transformation, workforce development, flexible learning, and international comparability of qualifications. However, the quality of online and blended programmes cannot be assured by digital platforms alone. It requires coherent alignment among regulation, curriculum design, pedagogy, assessment, accessibility, staffing, infrastructure, learner support, data protection, artificial intelligence governance, and sustainability. Purpose: This article develops the Rwanda Online and Blended Programme Design and Quality Assurance Framework (ROB-PDQAF), a policy-informed framework and practical toolkit for higher learning institutions, programme development teams, internal quality assurance units, and external reviewers. Method: The study applies qualitative document analysis, integrative literature synthesis, standards mapping, and framework construction. Public Rwandan policy and regulatory documents were analysed alongside international and regional quality assurance standards and peer-reviewed literature on online learning, instructional design, assessment, accessibility, open educational resources, data governance, and AI in education. Results: The ROB-PDQAF comprises ten interdependent domains: strategic relevance and regulatory alignment; curriculum coherence and constructive alignment; online and blended course design; digital content, multimedia, OER, and copyright; accessibility, inclusion, and learner support; assessment, feedback, academic integrity, and AI governance; staffing and eLearning support; LMS, infrastructure, data protection, and technical readiness; internal quality assurance and continuous enhancement; and financial planning, partnerships, scalability, and sustainability. Originality: The article contributes a Rwanda-contextual, evidence-based framework that conceptualises online and blended programme quality as an academic ecosystem rather than a technology adoption exercise. Implications: The framework translates policy and research evidence into reviewable domains, evidence requirements, risk indicators, and practical tools for programme design, accreditation, and continuous enhancement.