An evaluation framework for distance education
Date
1990
Authors
Pelto, Ellen Louise
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Abstract
The evaluation of adult and distance education is a growing area of concern. A review of the literature reveals an abundance of material on evaluation: however, few models assist the distance educator seeking to devise an instrument to evaluate a specific program. The study proposed here will attempt to answer the question "How should distance education programs be evaluated?
This major research question and its subsidiary questions have not been addressed in any comprehensive way in the literature. This thesis synthesizes research on evaluation, distance education, and andragogy. and suggests and empirically tests a rigorous multiperspective evaluation framework that derives its criteria and procedural features from the nature of the adult learning processes. It takes into account the distance factor. and does not adhere to the traditional scientific paradigm of inquiry. The evaluation framework is tested on a professional undergraduate university course.