Schools and school systems throughout the nation are increasingly experimenting with using various instructional technologies to improve productivity and decrease costs, but evidence on both the effectiveness and the costs of education technology is limited. A recent report published by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute sets out to describe "the…

One of a series offering practical advice and information on distance teaching, this broadsheet first looks at the reasons for trying to measure distance teaching costs and the methodological and economic difficulties involved in such measurements. Broadcasting and print costs in distance teaching are discussed, and evidence about the costs of…

Describes the design of a prototypical computer-mediated communication (CMC) system at the Open University of the Netherlands called StudieNet which focuses on a single mathematics course. The concept of the integrated study environment used in StudieNet is explained, StudieNet functions are compared with the nonautomated course, and how the…

A study assessed the effectiveness of a satellite training program developed for the United States Postal Service and compared it with traditional classroom training for the same courses. Results show slight but statistically significant differences between the two methods of instruction for learning job-related skills. (Author/LRW)

Describes differences between on-campus and distance learners by knowledge, skills, and abilities based on a comparative study of doctoral students at Texas A&M University. Highlights include student perceptions of their competencies; and the use of competency models as assessment tools for strategic decision making and development of courses…

This paper details the origins of the media comparison study methodology, its current use as an evaluation instrument in distance education, and recommendations for more stringent discrimination between research and evaluation in the field of distance learning. The following topics are discussed: (1) the history of research in instructional…