Distance Learning Looks for a Better Way to Assess Quality
New Interactive Tool Set to Launch by
January 2006
For years, industry has used benchmarking as a tool for measuring internal progress and external standing. Distance learning managers, researchers, and “experts,” however, have little understanding of the business growth metrics of distance learning at their own institutions, let alone across higher education institutions in the U.S.
Earlier this year, Hezel Associates formed a partnership with
the National University Telecommunications Network (NUTN) to conduct a national
distance learning benchmarking study.
An initial survey of 70 institutions supported our initial expectations:
slightly more than half (54%) of respondents indicated their institution
benchmarks its distance learning program(s) against those at other, similar
institutions. Even among those who benchmark, there is a failure to implement
in a systematic way.
Cisco Supports Development of New Web-based Tool
Hezel Associates and NUTN plan to launch IQAT (Interactive Quality Assessment Tool) by January 2006. The web-based tool, with an underlying, supporting database allows subscribers to enter data and view individualized charts and graphs illustrating their own data benchmarked against other, similar institutions.
To learn more visit www.hezel.com/benchmarking