It's enough to make some academics shudder, of course, but this article describes the development and application of an evaluation rubric to distance learning courses. The think with measuring quality is that you have to be sure you are measuring for the right things. How, for example, does one make sense of this: "Despite the poor student evaluations for videoconference classes and the high dropout rate for online classes, the demand for distance classes continued." The application of TQM also raises questions about the underlying motives, something this paper does little to dispell: "In order for instructors to receive compensation for distance courses, their courses would now have to be evaluated against standards of best practice through a peer review process." One wonders whether the University in question applied its policy consistently, and charged students tuition only after they had expressed satisfaction with the course. Yeah, I thought not.
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