Abstract
IN THE SPRING OF 2000, the National Education Association and Blackboard Inc. commissioned The Institute of Higher Education Policy, to identify the benchmarks considered essential to ensuring excellence in Internet-based distance learning. The Institute’s study revealed that there were 24 benchmarks considered essential to ensuring excellence in Internet-based distance learning. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the extent to which the benchmarks in the Course Development, Teaching/Learning Process, Course Structure and Faculty Support categories of the Institute’s study are being incorporated in the policies, procedures, and practices of a random sample of institutions of higher education offering Internet-based distance education courses.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
John Bennett is an Associate Professor of marketing and an instructional technologist specialist at Stephens College. He helped developed the online MBA at Stephens and is currently assisting faculty in developing online courses for the continuing education program at Stephens. Mr. Bennett teaches both undergraduate and graduate Web-based and Web-enhanced courses in marketing. His research interests include Internet learning environments, distance learning, and technology integration in teaching and learning.
Linda Baird Bennett is an Assistant Professor in social studies education at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is on the Board of Directors for Technology in the College of Education and a member of the Faculty Advisory Board for Instructional Technology for the University of Missouri-Columbia. She also serves on the editorial board for Theory and Research in Social Education and Social Studies and the Young Learner. Dr. Baird Bennett had developed extensive home pages for elementary social studies education and an online master’s degree with a focus in social studies education. She teaches both graduate and undergraduate elementary social studies courses. Her research interests include the integration of technology into teacher education.
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Bennett, J.F., Bennett, L.B. Assessing the quality of distance education programs: The faculty’s perspective. J. Comput. High. Educ. 13, 71–86 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02940966
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02940966