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James Moses (2007), in his POD post of 8 Aug 2007 titled "Results
from the Survey of Distance Learning Programs in Higher Education,"
wrote [bracketed by lines "MMMMMMM. . . .."; my insert at ". . .
.[insert]. . . . "]:
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Primary Research Group has just published a new study . . . .[PRG
(2007)]. . . . of distance learning programs in higher education and
would like to share some of its findings.
Distance learning revenues in a sample of DL programs grew by a mean
of 15.52% in 2006. More than a third of the enrollment increase came
from increased enrollment from students that already attend
traditional classes.
The study is based on data from 45 higher education distance learning
programs, with mean revenues of approximately $2.35 million. Data is
broken out by size and type of college, for public and private
colleges and for high, medium and low growth enrollment distance
learning programs.
Just a few of the study's hundreds of findings are:
1. Most colleges in the sample-more than two-thirds-view their
distance learning program as a financial resource that is expected to
produce a surplus for the college, while for 28.57% of the colleges
in the sample it was merely expected to pay for itself, and one
college viewed it as an educational luxury, subsidized by the college.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The 200-page report presents more than 750 tables of data exploring
many facets of distance learning programs, including drop out rates,
revenues, cost structure, rates of pay, student demographics, program
growth rates, current and planned use of new technologies, catering
to special populations, and many other aspects of managing distance
learning programs. For more information view our website at
<http://www.primaryresearch.com/>.
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I wonder if the "Primary Research Group" has addressed a crucial
facet of distance learning, encapsulated in the question "Distance
Learning: Is There Any?" and discussed in my post "Re: Pedagogical
Efficacy of On-line Programs" [Hake (2006a)]. Therein I wrote
(slightly edited):
"Unfortunately, as far as I know (please correct me if I'm wrong),
definitive pre/post testing of student learning in online courses has
never been carried out."
Regarding the virtues of pre/post testing, see e.g., "The Physics
Education Reform Effort: A Possible Model for Higher Education" [Hake
(2005)], "Possible Palliatives for the Paralyzing Pre/Post Paranoia
that Plagues Some PEP's" [Hake (2006b)], "Should We Measure Change?
Yes!" [Hake (2007a)], and "Design-Based Research in Physics
Education Research: A Review" [Hake (2007b)]
REFERENCES
Hake, R. R. 2005. "The Physics Education Reform Effort: A Possible
Model for Higher Education," online at
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake/NTLF42.pdf> (100 kB). This is a
slightly updated version of an article that was (a) published in the
National Teaching and Learning Forum 15(1), December 2005, online to
subscribers at <http://www.ntlf.com>, and (b) disseminated by the
Tomorrow's Professor list
<http://ctl.stanford.edu/Tomprof/postings.html> as Msg. 698 on 14 Feb
2006.
Hake, R.R. 2006b. "Possible Palliatives for the Paralyzing Pre/Post
Paranoia that Plagues Some PEP's," Journal of MultiDisciplinary
Evaluation, Number 6, November, online at
<http://evaluation.wmich.edu/jmde/JMDE_Num006.html>. PEP =
Psychologist, Education Specialist, Psychometrician.
Hake, R.R. 2007a. "Should We Measure Change? Yes!" online as ref. 43 at
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake>. To appear as a chapter in
"Evaluation of Teaching and Monograph, American Evaluation
Association <http://www.eval.org/>, in preparation.
Hake, R.R. 2007b., "Design-Based Research in Physics Education
Research: A Review" in A.E. Kelly, R.A. Lesh, & J.Y. Baek (in
press), "Handbook of Design Research Methods in Mathematics,
Science, and Technology Education." Lawrence Erlbaum; online at
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake/DBR-Physics3.pdf> (1.1 MB).