Effective Practices - Evaluation and Assessment

In this section, the importance of integrating evaluation and assessment into distance education will be considered.

Key elements of the evaluation and assessment of distance education programs include the following:

• The institution reviews the effectiveness of its distance education programs to assure alignment with institutional priorities and educational objectives.
• The institution conducts a program of continual self-evaluation directed toward program improvement, targeting more effective uses of technology to improve pedagogy, advances in student achievement of intended outcomes, improved retention rates, effective use of resources, and demonstrated improvements in the institution’s service to its internal and external constituencies.
• Student performance is evaluated.
• The evaluated student performance is compared to intended learning outcomes.
• The assessment activities related to DE are integrated into the institution’s broader program of assessment.
• If proctoring is used, the procedures for selecting proctors, establishing student identity, assuring security of test instruments, administering the examinations, and assuring secure and prompt evaluation are taken into consideration and assure the integrity of student work.
• The institution needs to have effective policies and procedures in place to assure the integrity of student work.
• Student satisfaction is measured by regular surveys.
• Faculty satisfaction is measured by regular surveys and by formal and informal peer review processes.           
• Students’ competence in fundamental skills such as communication, comprehension, and analysis are measured.