This document discusses distance education and some key points about online learning. It notes that distance education allows students to complete coursework anywhere as long as they have a computer and internet. This provides flexibility that fits busy schedules without needing to commute to physical classes. Online courses can also save money on transportation and other campus costs. However, the document also cautions that distance learning provides less interaction than traditional classes and may not be suitable for those who need motivation or individual attention from instructors. It also mentions some employers still view online degrees negatively in some fields. The document then shifts to discussing different methods of evaluating distance education programs, including incremental evaluation, formative evaluation, and case studies.

1. Assesment Presentation

3. Distance education is a mode of delivering
education and instruction, often on an
individual basis, to students who are not
physically present in a traditional setting such
as a classroom.

5.  With distance learning courses, students can
complete their course work from just about
anywhere, provided there’s a computer and
internet connection. This allows students to
work when and where it is more convenient
for them without having to squeeze in
scheduled classes to an already busy life.

6.  Taking a course online can be one way to cut
down on costly gas or public transportation.
Since students can often work from home to
complete their class assignments, both time
and money are saved in cutting out the trips
to and from class.

7.  Prices for online courses are generally
cheaper than their on-campus counterparts
and you won’t have to worry about
commuting, moving or getting meal plans on
campus, some additional benefits to learning
from home.

9.  If the classroom environment is what you love
most about learning you may want to take a
step back and reconsider distance learning.
You’ll likely get some interaction on chat
rooms, discussion boards and through
email, but the experience will be quite
different than traditional courses.

10.  Not everyone is an ideal candidate for online
learning. If you know you have problems with
motivation, procrastination and needs lots of
individual attention from an instructor you
may want to think long and hard before
enrolling in an online learning program.

11.  While a majority of employers will, there are
some who still see a stigma attached to
distance learning. Realize that your online
degree may not be the ideal tool for some job
fields or for future learning.

13.  Incremental evaluation sets periods of
evaluation for distance education programs.
During these periods, evaluators collect
program data and analyze it. This type of
evaluation is practical and has the benefit of
being able to use methods of evaluation for
traditional education. It's much like the
evaluation of traditional education programs.

14.  Formative evaluation's purpose is to improve
the learning process. Data is collected during
the distance learning program's design and
development. The evaluation happens before
the program is fully established, so formative
evaluation allows these programs to improve
their systems before they're solidified.

15.  Summative and formative evaluations are
nearly mutually exclusive. When using
summative evaluation, evaluators analyze the
cumulative effect of the distance learning
program. The evaluators observe the
program's end result and compare it to the
program's stated goals.

16.  Distance learning evaluation can also take the
form of case studies, where evaluators limit
themselves to reviewing an individual distance
learning program. The program isn't studied.
Instead, evaluators analyze a program's audience
or students and generalize the results to distance
learning. For example, a case study might follow
a newly established educational television
program's audience and chart their improvement.
These results would help determine the
program's funding level and method of teaching.

17.  That’s all for today!