Quality On the Line: Benchmarks for Success in Internet-Based Distance Education
Published Apr 2000
Commission report by the National Education Association examining case studies of six colleges and universities that provide Internet-based degree programs
With the rapid growth worldwide of teaching and learning on the Internet, more and more attention is being paid to the nature and quality of online higher education. This report, commissioned by the National Education Association, the nation’s largest professional association of higher education faculty, and Blackboard Inc., a leading Internet education company, examines case studies of six colleges and universities that provide Internet-based degree programs. The case studies were designed to ascertain the degree to which various measures of quality identified in previous studies are actually being incorporated into the policies, procedures, and practices of institutions that are distance education leaders. The final outcome is a list of 24 benchmarks that are essential to ensure quality in Internet-based distance education. These benchmarks may assist policymakers, faculty, students, and others in making reasonable and informed judgments with regard to the quality of Internet-based distance education.