Mini-Project #1

List of Issues Faced by Our Institutions or Organizations

• Develop in-house or out source
  
  • In-house: existing skills or training required
    
  • Out source: selection of provider
    
• Homegrown or existing interface
  
• Compensation
  
  • Development of materials
    
  • Maintenance of materials
    
  • Ownership of course/materials
    
  • Delivery
    
• Rapid growth to be competitive - sustainable
  
  • Marketing
    
  • Increase numbers of enrollees
    
• Quality control, who is responsible for:
  
  • Content
    
  • Appearance
    
  • Recruiting instructors (usual HR method or special method)
    
  • Supervising instructor performance
    
  • Evaluating instructor performance
    
  • Evaluating materials
    
• Accreditation/standards
  
  • Necessary? / Desirable?
    
  • Regional or specialized
    
  • ADA requirements for state institutions (e.g., California)
    
• Computer Literacy Impact
  
  • Student
    
    • Drop Rate
      
    • Special Needs
      
  • Faculty
    
    • Class management
      
    • Troubleshooting
      

Common Issue for Focus

Web sites found

• http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/accreditation/accredus.html - Good site on the US Dept of Education position on accreditation. Includes functions of accreditation and the process is explained. This site contains many links.
  
• http://www.detc.org/ - The Distance Education and Training Council.
  
• http://www.geteducated.com/articles/dlfaq.htm - The Virtual University Gazette's FAQ on Distance Learning, Accreditation, and College Degrees.
  
• http://www.ncacasi.org/ - North Central Association, a regional accrediting body.
  
• http://www.ericae.net - The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation.
  
• http://www.skillsnet.org/pfolio.htm - “SkillsNET's innovative process to collect, validate, and warehouse work, worker, and workplace characteristics significantly reduces workforce investment and improves change management cycles.”
  
• http://www.nssb.org/ - National Skill Standards Board.
  
• http://www.accredit.t2u.com/ - Distance Graduation Accrediting Association.
  
• http://www.chea.org/About/index.html - Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
  
• http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/accreditation/regionalagencies.html - Regional institutional accrediting agencies.
  
• http://horizon.unc.edu/TS/default.asp?show=article&id=663 - This article addresses accreditation of for-profit institutions and the critics of these trends: From: Virtual University, January, February 2000 “Accreditation of Online Institutions” - by Steven Crow (Director of North Central Association)
  
• http://distancelearn.about.com/education/distancelearn/cs/cybertimes/ - An article: “Degrees Granted Online May Lack Status” A new survey finds that some employers are leery of degrees from online institutions. (Reading between the lines, one may also conclude that employers don't understand the issue of accreditation, as many contrast "online" schools with "accredited" schools.)
  
• http://courses.telecampus.edu/wwwboard/messages/304.html - Email response. Note that their accreditation is through the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC): http://www.detc.org The DETC is a recognized accrediting agency; however, credits and degrees earned at DETC accredited institutions are not easily transferred to regionally accredited institutions.
  
• http://www.accrediteddldegrees.com/BACHELORS/Accredited/accredited.html -This site describes what accreditation is, and the importance of it.
  
• http://www.geteducated.com/articles/dlfaq.htm#Q3 - Get Educated also addresses accreditation: The Virtual University Gazette's FAQ on Distance Learning, Accreditation, and College Degrees.