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You may elect to use this search gateway to the EdNA online federated search to identify particular resources, or connect directly to seminal readings and global associations using the links further down the page.

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Benchmarking in Distance Education

Long time ODLAA member Alistair Inglis published a thought provoking conceptual paper "Quality Improvement, Quality Assurance, and Benchmarking: Comparing two Frameworks for Managing Quality Processes in Open and Distance Learning" in the March 2005 issue of the International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning. This can be viewed at http://www.irrodl.org/content/v6.1/inglis.html

The SLOAN Consortium has released a quick reference guide to the Five Pillars of Quality in Online Learning: student satisfaction, access, learning effectiveness, faculty satisfaction and institutional cost effectiveness which some organisations are treating as de facto benchmarks. See http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/freedownloads.asp for details.

Michael Mariasingam has been conducting research into benchmarking of quality in online learning for his doctoral thesis. He recently released this summary of the Delphi technique (pdf icon 29kb) he used. The document includes links to further documents describing the benchmarks he has devised.

Hezel Associates in conjunction with the National Universities Telecommunication Network (NUTN) have released the first report in an American national survey of "Benchmarking for Quality in Distance Learning" . They noted in passing that

Slightly more than half of respondents say their institution does external benchmarking of distance learning, but few similarities exist in the types of data benchmarked or in the types of institutions against which they benchmark

The report can be downloaded from http://hezel.com/benchmarking

Michigan State University in the spirit of 'open' educational resources have made available their standards and benchmarks for online learning in the areas of technology, usability, accessibility and instructional design. You can find out more from http://standards.mivu.org/overview/

Please let Wanda know of additional references or links that should be included on this page. More resources on non-electronic benchmarking would help to round out the field.

Seminal readings / sources for open and distance learning

Distance Education - The premier international journal on open and distance learning. http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/carfax/01587919.htm

Distance Education Clearinghouse - online resources made avilable through the University of Wisconsin, USA. Covers a range of areas: policy, guidelines, trends, statistics, and fundamental information about the field. http://www.uwex.edu/disted/

Distance Educator.com - A US based online repository of current information managed by Fred Saba. Its best feature is arguably the Daily News email newsletter which you can sign up to for free. http://www.distance-educator.com/

International Research Foundation for Open Learning - A UK based source of research information to guide policy development on open and distance learning http://www.col.org/irfol/

The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning (IRRODL)- A free e-journal hosted by Athabasca University in Canada. Includes an annotated list of journals and newletters in the field.http://www.irrodl.org

 

 

Global Associations

This first set of Australian and international associations are specific to distance education and open learning.

  • AAOU - Asian Association of Open Universities
    Contact: http://www.ouhk.edu.hk/~AAOUNet

  • CADE - Canadian Association for Distance Education
    A national association of professionals committed to excellence in the provision of distance education in Canada.
    http://www.cade-aced.ca

  • COL - The Commonwealth of Learning
    An international organisation created by Commonwealth Heads of Government to encourage the development and sharing of open learning/distance education resources and technologies.
    http://www.col.org

  • DEANZ - Distance Education Association of New Zealand
    Contact: http://www.deanz.org.nz/

  • ICDE - International Council for Open and Distance Education
    The global membership organisation of educational institutions, national and regional associations, corporations, educational authorities and agencies in the fields of open learning, distance education, and flexible, lifelong learning
    http://www.icde.org/

  • PNGADE - Papua New Guinea Association of Distance Educators
    Contact: President Paraka Pena
    Paraka.m.pena@upng.ac.pg

  • PIRADE - Pacific Islands Association of Distance Education
    http://www.col.org/pirade/

  • NADEOSA - National Association of Distance Education Organisations South Africa
    http://www.nadeosa.org.za/

  • ACODE - the Australasian Council of Distance and E-learning
    An advisory body made up of university Directors of distance learning
    http://ncode.uow.edu.au/

  • SAIDE - The South African Institute for Distance Education
    http://www.saide.org.za/

  • United States Distance Learning Association
    Promotes the development and application of distance learning for education and training.
    http://www.usdla.org

The following professional associations and collaborations assist with all areas of education and flexible learning, and are not specific to distance education.

  • Educause
    Focuses on the management and use of computational, network, and information resources in support of higher education's missions of scholarship, instruction, service, and administration.
    http://www.educause.edu

  • Association for the Advancement of Computers in Education
    An international, educational, and professional organization dedicated to the advancement of the knowledge, theory, and quality of learning and teaching at all levels with information technology.
    http://www.aace.org

  • Teaching, Learning, and Technology Affiliate of The American Association for Higher Education (AAHE).
    The TLT Group's mission is to motivate and enable institutions and individuals to improve teaching and learning withtechnology, while helping them cope with continual change.
    http://www.tltgroup.org

  • The Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia
    (HERDSA) encourages and promotes quality teaching and learning in higher education, provides forums for the exchange of information on higher education, develops and publishes material for higher education teachers
    http://www.herdsa.org.au/

  • The World Association for Online Education
    WAOE (pronounced 'wowee') is dedicated to turning online education into a professional discipline. While incorporated as a non-profit body in California participation is intended to be global, primarily via electronic means.
    http://www.waoe.org (multi lingual web site)

 

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Last updated 23 July, 2005
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