Distance Education Has Become Common in All Sectors and Is Offered through a Range of Programs and Courses

		Online Distance Education Has Grown Dramatically and Is Offered in a Variety of Ways

While distance education can use various technologies, it has grown most  rapidly online with the use of the Internet to support interaction among  users. Moreover, the term “distance education” no longer connotes only  instruction separated by physical distance, since many distance  education courses—specifically online courses—are offered to students  living on campus as well as away from a campus and across state lines. School offerings in online learning range from individual classes to  complete degree programs. Individual courses as well as degree  programs may also be a mix of face-to-face and online instruction—often  referred to as “hybrid” or “blended” instruction. As shown in figure 2, public schools, both 2- and 4-year, were more likely  to offer distance education opportunities than private nonprofit or for-profit  schools. Distance education students enroll in a variety of fields of study. While Students in Distance Education Tend to Be Older and Female, and Have Family and Work Obligations, They Are Also a Diverse Population

According to our analysis of 2007-2008 NPSAS data, distance education  students varied somewhat from students who did not enroll in distance  education in that they tended to be somewhat older and female, and have  family and work obligations. Moreover, students who are participating in  distance education represent a diverse population that includes students  of all races, current and former members of the military, and students with  disabilities. Accreditors and Schools Assess the Academic Quality of Distance Education in Several Ways, but Accreditors Reported Some Oversight Challenges

		Accrediting Agencies Examine the Quality of Distance Education in Various Ways but Reported Some Challenges

Accreditors we interviewed have various procedures to examine schools’  distance education programs, but some accreditors reported they face  challenges. However, accrediting agencies are not required to have separate  standards for distance education. As such, accreditors we spoke with  who accredit both distance education and face-to-face programs use the  same standards for both, although they differed in the practices they used  to examine schools offering distance education. Schools Use a Range of Course Design Principles and Student Performance Assessments to Hold Distance Education to the Same Quality Standards as Traditional Courses

To assure that their distance education programs are accredited by  federally recognized accreditors and that their students qualify for Title IV  funding, officials we interviewed at 20 selected schools reported that they  generally apply certain course design principles and use student  performance assessments to assess the quality of the courses that make  up these programs. Some teams include specialized staff who work with faculty to  translate traditional face-to-face courses to the online environment. Officials at most schools we spoke with said they  also used outcome data to make improvements to their courses. Education Has Increased Its Monitoring of Distance Education but Lacks Sufficient Data to Inform Its Oversight

Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) has recently increased  its monitoring of distance education by updating its program review  procedures and undertaking a risk analysis project. conducting this project in conjunction with others in the department. While the objective of the project was to review high-risk distance  education schools, Education lacked data to adequately identify schools’  level of risk based on the extent to which they offered distance education  and the amount of federal student aid they received for those programs or  courses. While the project is not yet complete, officials reported confidence  that their study is currently based on an appropriate selection of  schools. For example,  they will be able to match the extent to which schools offer distance  education with Title IV violations identified during program reviews. Moreover, FSA indicated it was  not aware of NCES’s efforts to expand the IPEDS distance education  data collection and, therefore, was not involved in the planning and did  not provide input during comment periods. Recommendation for Executive Action

To help Education strengthen its oversight of distance education, the  Secretary of Education should direct FSA to develop a plan on how best  to use the new IPEDS distance education data and provide input to  NCES on future IPEDS survey work with regard to distance education. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This appendix discusses in detail our methodology for addressing the  following research objectives: (1) the characteristics of distance education  today, (2) the characteristics of students participating in distance  education, (3) how the quality of distance education is being assessed,  and (4) how Education monitors distance education in its stewardship of  federal student aid funds. To determine the current characteristics of distance education, we  analyzed 2009-2010 data from Education’s IPEDS and also from a 2008  report by Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to  obtain a national perspective on distance education practices and  offerings at postsecondary schools.   5 public 4-year schools.
Why GAO Did This Study

As the largest provider of financial aid in higher education, with about $134 billion in Title IV funds provided to students in fiscal year 2010, the Department of Education (Education) has a considerable interest in distance education. Distance education--that is, offering courses by the Internet, video, or other forms outside the classroom--has been a growing force in postsecondary education and there are questions about quality and adequate oversight. GAO was asked to determine (1) the characteristics of distance education today, (2) the characteristics of students participating in distance education, (3) how the quality of distance education is being assessed, and (4) how Education monitors distance education in its stewardship of federal student aid funds. GAO reviewed federal laws and regulations, analyzed Education data and documents, and interviewed Education officials and industry experts. GAO also interviewed officials from accrediting and state agencies, as well as 20 schools--which were selected based on a variety of factors to represent diverse perspectives.

What GAO Found

While distance education can use a variety of technologies, it has grown most rapidly online with the use of the Internet. Online distance education is currently being offered in various ways to students living on campus, away from a campus, and across state lines. School offerings in online learning range from individual classes to complete degree programs. Courses and degree programs may be a mix of face-to-face and online instruction--"hybrid" or "blended" instruction. Online asynchronous instruction--whereby students participate on their own schedule--is most common because it provides students with more convenience and flexibility, according to school officials. In the 2009-2010 academic year, almost half of postsecondary schools offered distance education opportunities to their students. Public 2- and 4-year schools were most likely to offer distance education, followed closely by private for-profit 4-year schools. Students in distance education enroll mostly in public schools, and they represent a diverse population. While they tend to be older and female, and have family and work obligations, they also include students of all races, current and former members of the military, and those with disabilities. According to the most current Education data (2007-2008), students enrolled in distance education studied a range of subjects, such as business and health. Accrediting agencies and schools assess the academic quality of distance education in several ways, but accreditors reported some oversight challenges. Federal law and regulations do not require accrediting agencies to have separate standards for reviewing distance education. As such, accreditors GAO spoke with have not adopted separate review standards, although they differed in the practices they used to examine schools offering distance education. Officials at two accreditors GAO spoke with cited some challenges with assessing quality, including keeping pace with the number of new online programs. School officials GAO interviewed reported using a range of design principles and student performance assessments to hold distance education to the same standards as face-to-face education. Some schools reported using specialized staff to translate face-to-face courses to the online environment, as well as standards developed by distance education experts to design their distance education courses. Schools also reported collecting outcome data, including data on student learning, to improve their courses. Education has increased its monitoring of distance education but lacks sufficient data to inform its oversight activities. In 2009, Education began selecting 27 schools for distance education monitoring based on an analysis of risk factors, but it did not have data to identify schools with high enrollments in distance education, which may have impeded its ability to accurately identify high-risk schools. Between 2011 and 2013, Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) will start collecting survey data on the extent to which schools offer distance education, as well as enrollment levels. However, the department's Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), responsible for monitoring Title IV compliance, was not involved in the process of deciding what distance education information would be collected; therefore, it did not provide input on what types of data could be helpful in oversight. Further, FSA officials said they do not yet have a plan on how they will use the new data in monitoring. To improve its oversight and monitoring of federal student aid funds, Education should develop a plan on how it could best use the new distance education data NCES is collecting and provide input to NCES on future data collections. Education agreed with the recommendation.