The TLT Group is considering offering four online workshops on how to use assessment to improve distance/distributed learning programs. Each workshop would last about three weeks.  Participants would learn by doing, getting some practice in developing appropriate forms of assessment. At the bottom of this page is a link to a brief feedback form where you can tell us what you think we should do, and sign up to get information if these workshops are scheduled:

Using assessment to improve online learning programs (for distance/distributed learning program administrators, accreditation self-study teams, assessment staff and committee members, institutional research offices, and faculty): The types of studies participants would learn to create are described on http://www.tltgroup.org/flodemo/samples.htm. Such studies can also be created to improve on-campus programs; the examples we’ll be working on in this course will all have to do with courses with substantial online components. 

Using assessment to improve online nursing programs: Help nursing faculty and administrators make use of the EEUWIN (Evaluating Educational Uses of the Web In Nursing) benchmarking program to gauge and improve the quality of their distance learning programs.

Faculty workshop on how to assessment and online learning: Help faculty who teach distance learning programs think about how to assess learning and gather data to improve their courses.  Topics will include rubrics, online testing options, online projects, and other approaches to assessment, as well as adaptations of classroom research techniques to online courses.

Cost modeling. Some people see distance learning as a way of stretching scarce resources (money, staff, space). Others see distance learning as taking unacceptable amounts of faculty time. This workshop will help participants learn how to analyze how current practices consume time, money and other resources. This kind of analysis then can be used for "what-if" planning to figure out how to reduce stress on people and resources while also improving operations and learning.

Format:  Each of these workshops is likely to be three weeks long, with two synchronous online lecture/discussion sessions per week (sessions will be archived for people who can’t participate live), plus asynchronous online discussions, readings, and options for practicing skills.  Participants would receive free use of Flashlight Online survey system for the course. 

Price: Each workshop would probably cost about $225/workshop for staff and student participants from institutions that do NOT have TLT Group subscriptions, and less ($175/workshop?) for staff at subscribing institutions, for institutions with more than two participants in the course, and for individuals signing up for the series. If participants want individualized feedback on their draft surveys, there will be an extra fee (probably around $75 for staff from non-subscribing institutions).

To get on the waiting list and to advise us about the course's design and timing, we hope you will get on the waiting list by responding to this quick survey.  We intend to offer the course if this survey indicates we have at least 30 interested participants per workshop. If we do offer the workshops, they will probably be offered for the first time in late spring or summer. If response is good, we will probably offer each one more than once.