Research Summaries

These ten summaries cover a variety of topics in distance education practice, from cost-benefit analysis to relative effectiveness of technologies. They were developed as part of a collaborative project between the Penn State World Campus and Lucent Technologies, and are presented here with permission of Lucent Technologies for use and distribution for educational purposes only.

Distance Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions: 2000-2001 (report)

This report from the National Center for Education Statistics presents current national estimates on distance education at 2-year and 4-year Title IV-eligible, degree-granting institutions. Distance education was defined for this study as education or training courses delivered to remote (off-campus) sites via audio, video (live or prerecorded), or computer technologies, including both synchronous (i.e., simultaneous) and asynchronous (i.e., not simultaneous) instruction. Data collected included the number and proportion of institutions offering distance education courses during the 2000-2001 academic year, enrollments and course offerings, degree and certificate programs, technologies, participation in distance education consortia, accommodations in distance education courses for students with disabilities, program goals, and barriers to institutional adoption of distance education.

Sizing the Opportunity: The Quality and Extent of Online Education in the United States, 2002 and 2003

This report from the Sloan Consortium looks at characteristics of online learners, student and faculty perceptions, and the overall approach taken by private and public institutions to online education.

Entering the Mainstream: The Quality and Extent of Online Education in the United States, 2003 and 2004

This report is a follow-up to the original Sloan-C "Sizing the Opportunity." This second annual study of the state of online education in U.S. Higher Education, supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and based on responses from over 1,100 colleges and universities, attempts to answer some of the fundamental questions about the nature and extent of online education.

Faculty Online Workload Research Project (Report)

Perceptions of increased faculty workload in the online environment are based on largely anecdotal evidence, yet these perceptions are a barrier to faculty participation and satisfaction. Six faculty self-studies empirically examined online workload across disciplines and resulted in technological and pedagogical interventions to make the faculty workload more manageable. This Executive Summary gives an overview of the project and presents outcomes and lessons learned.

Effective Workload Management Strategies for the Online Environment (Report)

This report resulted from a Delphi study and follow-up workshop held at Penn State University in October, 2002. Participating administrators, faculty members, and instructional designers from 17 national and international universities identified, refined, and peer-reviewed strategies and tools for helping instructors manage the workload that results from new and often more time-intensive pedagogical and administrative tasks in the online environment.

Online Faculty Satisfaction (Bibliography)

The ultimate success of online higher education programs will depend on a strong faculty commitment to teaching in this new environment. Although early adopters have reported benefits that make online teaching a satisfying and rewarding experience, ensuring faculty commitment over the long term and for increasing numbers of faculty members will depend on a number of factors related to institutional support, professional rewards, and personal satisfaction. This bibliography offers sources of information about factors that contribute to faculty satisfaction, issues that need to be addressed, and promising institutional approaches that can contribute to the long-term success of online programming.

Evaluation of Online Courses and Programs (Bibliography)

Evaluation activities provide vital information on which to base planning and implementation decisions related to today's rapidly changing educational environment. With the advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web, online teaching and learning has become a major force in the transformation of higher education. This bibliography identifies useful publications that focus on issues related to the evaluation of online courses and programs.