Study Launched to Benchmark Online Operations

Posted on May 14, 2008 by Jennifer Brady

Eduventures This is welcome news for all in online higher education seeking to establish best practices: a new study to provide unprecedented benchmarking data about operational issues and processes that affect online degree and certificate programs, including program marketing, curriculum and program development, academic and student support services, faculty training and development, IT support services, and enrollment management.

It is being conducted by Eduventures and The Campus Computing Project, with results expected in October, 2008. Click here to read the joint announcement about this research project.

It is good news for those of us charged with evolving the UMassOnline offering because it will provide an independent perspective about best practices today and how these are likely to evolve as our industry matures and as more choices proliferate that become harder to assess. It is good news for students because the benchmarks will likely provide some comparative data that has not been widely available. Selecting an online provider should be enhanced by this research and other projects like it. For everyone involved, I think this kind of scholarship in online education will help accelerate the development of more and better course offerings, enhanced delivery systems, and more support for everyone in the online loop, from faculty and administrators to students.