Introduction:

Are you thinking about producing or offering a distance education course? There are many things to keep in mind while designing one, so take a look at these questions to ensure that you have approached the problem from many angles before you submit your request.

1. Audience:

1. Who is the intended audience? If there is a secondary audience, who are they?
2. Where is the audience located?
3. What is the anticipated skill level of the audience? (educational, familiarity with technology)
4. Do any students require special services? (captioning, auditory enhancers)
5. Will students be arranged in groups or are they permitted to participate on an individual basis?
   

2. Technology:

1. How many distance sites are anticipated?
2. What are the instructional applications to available technology?
3. What technology is currently in place at the origination site? At the receiving site?
4. How might multiple technologies be incorporated?
5. Is technological applications a cost effective means of achieving the goals?
   

3. Instruction:

1. Given the content, what technology(ies) are most appropriate?
2. Will an instructional designer be available to assist faculty in course development?
3. Have faculty had an opportunity to interact with the technology and meet with others who have successfully used the technology in instruction to distance sites?
4. How will student assignments be constructed and distributed? (proctored setting, take-home exams, group projects, etc. US Mail, electronic mail, facilitator collect and return)
5. Will facilitators be employed at the distance sites? What will his/her role be? What type of renumeration will be awarded?
6. Has permission been secured for all copyrighted materials used for broadcast?
   

4. Administrative:

1. What are your staff needs?
   • budgetary - financial responsibility & processing
   • communication - with students, faculty, public
   • instructional - duplicating, mailing, typing, etc.
2. What are your administrative objectives?
3. What is your overall evaluation plan?
   

Checklist from Jones, Sue, (ed.) Key Elements of Effective State Planning for Educational Technology. Atlanta: Southern Regional Education Board, 1993.

Does your plan...

Coincide with state educational goals and mandates?
Address the issues of state accountability requirements?
State a means for using technology for student achievement and reports of progress?
Address both instructional and administrative needs?
Designate a central authority for its implementation and evaluation?
Define...roles in making the plan work?
Include a staff training and development component?
Have a mechanism built in for change?
Show a link between your educational objectives and technology?
Address equity?
Address the need for technology facilitator/team?
Allow for on-going review and reporting process?
Establish a reasonable timeline and scope?

Contact:
Cindy Hart
Extended Learning Office
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6808
Morgantown, WV 26506-6808

Phone: 800-253-2762 ext. 2.
Fax: 304-293-3853
Email: lucinda.hart@mail.wvu.edu