For departments investing in Web-based distance education programs, ongoing program evaluation is necessary. As with other areas of evaluation, program evaluation is most revealing when it is multi-faceted. Having more information from a variety of sources will help to determine the program's effectiveness as well as needed areas of improvement. The information below highlights resources for program evaluation information.

Student Evaluation of the Program: In addition to course evaluation, students can be a valuable resource for program evaluation. Palloff and Pratt (1999) believe that the following program issues are most significant to students enrolled in an online degree program:

• Ease of access to the program (i.e., admittance to the program, enrollment process for courses).
• Smooth, seamless delivery of courses (i.e., forewarning of hardware and software requirements, consistent navigational interface among courses, consistent and reliable offerings in the course schedule).
• Availability of immediate support (i.e., technical support, campus support services for learning, faculty support).
• Breadth and completeness of the program (i.e., the numbers and types of courses available).

Faculty Evaluation of the Program: Program evaluation by faculty includes the effectiveness of the online courses for students. However, the area of instructor evaluation that can also be revealing for department and campus administrators is the evaluation of the course development process and the teaching process. Input from faculty about the following issues may reveal how campus resources may strengthen and/or improve resources:

• Availability/use of resources on campus providing technology training.
• Availability/use of resources on campus providing information about online teaching and learning.
• Availability/use of campus course development services for online instruction (i.e., copyright clearance center, assistance with graphics…).
• Availability/use of campus student support services for online learning (i.e., library, learning center, bookstore…)
• Availability/use of technical help for students and instructor during computing crises.

Department Evaluation of the Program: As with face-to-face offerings of degree programs, online programs will need departmental oversight and support. Evaluation begins with planning and approval of the curriculum committee and continues throughout development of the program. The issue of obtaining significant faculty support within the department cannot be overstated. Programs sometimes end before they are completely developed and evaluated because there are not enough faculty or experts in specialized areas who are committed to participating in development.

Support Staff Evaluation of the Program: As with course evaluation, expanding the evaluation audience can add helpful information. Any campus departments who support the program with enrollment services, student advocacy, technical help, or design/planning/development assistance are able to provide feedback and examples from the standpoint of being familiar with the program, yet also being external to the program.

Outside Evaluation of the Program: Evaluators from other colleges or universities may also be able to offer ideas about ways to strengthen processes that are going well or improve the quality of the program. It is helpful to have at least three administrators and faculty from similar programs at other institutions. As with course evaluation, it is also helpful to have input from those who are experienced in effective distance education delivery. The focus of this second group need not be on content, but rather the unique issues involved with Web-based instruction and program development.

Let's move on to establishing a successful process for assessment and evaluation.

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