Anticipating and supporting the needs of users of technologies, programs, and services are critical to the success of distance education programs. Principal stakeholders are instructors who teach at a distance, learners pursuing distance education courses, site facilitators, and administrators. (JOW)

Describes the development of a program portfolio to document and evaluate the accomplishments of an adult literacy program as a whole--program staff as well as students. Offers suggestions for those who want to use portfolios in program evaluations. (JOW)

Refutes three evaluation myths--(1) evaluation is findings; (2) outcomes are hard to measure; and (3) evaluation is an add-on--with three principles: (1) evaluation is a learning process; (2) soft data about important issues are better than hard data about unimportant issues; and (3) meaningful evaluation is integrated into teaching and learning.…

Defines and evaluates alternative or authentic assessment, explores some of the creative options that are available, and provides tips for implementing new evaluation strategies. (Author)

Offers step-by-step guidelines for creating effective team work in a workplace basic skills program, including preplanning, determining worker skills, developing curriculum, evaluating, and reporting the results. (JOW)

Discusses the complexity of the process needed to effect renewal and improvement in adult literacy and basic education. Suggests that various stakeholders hold their own sets of interests and that, to implement changes effectively, these groups need to negotiate and construct a conception of quality that all can accept. (JOW)

Four challenges facing continuing education are (1) changing financing of higher education; (2) communications technologies; (3) sensitivity to traditional faculty rewards; and (4) recognition of the implications of value-added assessment. (SK)

Points out that, to keep the work force up to date, business, industry, and labor groups are inviting adult basic educators to design and implement retraining programs at the worksite. Provides suggestion for designing custom-made basic skills instruction using work-related materials. (JOW)

The General Educational Development Tests can be used to place adult basic education students for study, to measure progress achieved, to enable students to qualify for postsecondary education, and to evaluate program effectiveness. (SK)

Discusses six major themes related to public policy and distance learning: (1) quality/evaluation and accreditation; (2) credentialing; (3) enhanced public access; (4) organization and governance; (5) partnerships; and (6) financial support. (JOW)