Scholarly resources

Listed here are citations for articles concerning the following distance education trends: student demographics, institutional trends, technology and other trends.

At the most basic level, assessment includes anything an instructor has students do for a grade. However, well-planned and well-designed assessments serve as a method to evaluate student performance and learning progress in relation to established learning objectives. 

Digital accessibility is of growing importance with implications for everyone, including faculty, administrators and institutions. Listed below are citations for articles with digital accessibility best practices, definitions or thoughtful discourse.

Brief summaries along with citations on the topic of academic integrity in distance education are provided. Research findings are mixed.

Comparative studies of learning outcomes in distance and in-person classes. A substantial body of literature is available that generally supports no significant difference in learning outcomes in online and in-person classes. 

A substantial body of literature investigates strategies and techniques that impact student learning in an online environment. A number of studies emphasize the importance of social, cognitive and teaching presence on student engagement and learning outcomes.

A substantial body of literature investigates the implementation and efficacy of open educational resources (OER) in higher education. 

A common theme for quality online course offerings is identified as finding ways to have students actively engage in their learning in the online setting. 

A number of studies have examined factors and characteristics that help online students’ entry, persistence, success and satisfaction in online courses. 

Instructional videos often play an important role in online classes, establishing a sense of community, social and instructor presence.