Research Exercise
For Use with Quantitative Methods
[Please note that this is only a template. Relevant headings and subheadings may be
included or excluded; it is up to the committee to decide.]
by
Jennifer Kennedy
An Applied Dissertation Submitted to the
Abraham S of Education
Nova Southeastern University
2015
1
Part I: The institution and its programs
1. List the name, mailing address, and website URL of the institution.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville, 1 University Plaza, Platteville, Wisconsin 53818-3099
Program page - http://www.uwplatt.edu/distance-education/online-master-distanceeducation-leadership
Home page - http://www.uwplatt.edu/distance-education
2. What degrees and majors are offered in the identified program?
University of Wisconsin-Platteville offers a Master of Science in Distance Education
Leadership. The program prepares the student for advanced administrative and management
positions within distance education and training. A student must complete 30-33 credit hours
to earn the degree and it is suggested that the student take 10-15 credit hours per semester (H.
Rheinhart, personal communication, June 8, 2015).
Online Masters in Distance Education Leadership. (2015). Retrieved June 9, 2015, from
http://www.uwplatt.edu/distance-education/online-master-distance-education-leadership
3. For how long has the institution been offering the identified program at a distance?
This graduate program began in the 2011-2012 academic school year and the program is
slowly gaining momentum according to the head of distance education at University of
Wisconsin – Platteville (H. Rheinhart, personal communication, June 8, 2015).
University of Wisconsin – Platteville. Graduate Education Program Review. (2015).
Retrieved June 9, 2015, from http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/bestcolleges/uw-platteville-3921
4. What course delivery technologies are used?
The course management system the university uses is Desire2Learn (DL2). This system
provides the students with:
 Course content and documents such as the syllabus or other resources
 A means to communicate with other students and their instructor
 The vehicle to submit assignments and complete tests and quizzes
Instructional Center for Educational Technologies. Desire to Learn. (2105). Retrieved June 9,
2015, from http://www.uwplatt.edu/desire2learn
5. Is there a face-to-face component of instruction? If so, where is it conducted, and for
what duration?
The Master of Science in the Distance Education program is 100% online and there is no in
person or face to face component required. Interaction between students and the instructor
takes place asynchronously in the Desire2Learn course management system (H. Rheinhart,
personal communication, June 8, 2015).
2
6. How long does it take to earn a degree in the identified program?
This program allows a student seven years for completion of the degree, but the average earns
their degree between two and three years depending on if they complete one or two classes per
semester (H. Rheinhart, personal communication, June 8, 2015).
7. Is the institution accredited? If so, by what organization?
As an institution, the University of Wisconsin - Platteville is accredited by the Higher
Learning Commission (HLC) which is an independent corporation that accredits postsecondary educational institutions. The HLC was founded in 1895 as one of six institutional
accreditors in the north central United States.
About Higher Learning Commission Accreditation. (2015). Retrieved June 9, 2015, from
http://www.uwplatt.edu/hlc
About the Higher Learning Commission. (2015). Retrieved June 9, 2015, from
https://www.ncahlc.org/About-the-Commission/about-hlc.html
8. Is the institution public or private? If private, is it for-profit or not-for-profit?
The University of Wisconsin – Platteville is a public institution that was established in 1971
and is the fastest growing university at the University of Wisconsin.
University of Wisconsin – Platteville. (2015). Retrieved June 9, 2015, from
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/uw-platteville-3921
9. What is the total enrollment of the institution? How many students are enrolled in the
identified distance-delivered program?
The total enrollment of this institution is approximately 8,901 students which includes
distance education students. Of this total, 854 are enrolled in graduate programs. There are
approximately 20 students enrolled in the program at this time (H. Rheinhart, personal
communication, June 8, 2015).
About the University. (2015). Retrieved June 9, 2015, from http://www.uwplatt.edu/about
10. What is the tuition (per course or per year)?
Tuition in the 2014-2015 academic year for the Master of Science in Distance Education
Leadership is as follows:
 $650 per credit (full time and part-time, in-state and out-of-state)
 Course average is 3 credit hours = $1,950
 Total for degree with completion of 30 credit hours - $19,500
 Total for degree with completion of 33 credit hours – $21,450
Tuition. (2015). Retrieved June 9, 2015, from http://www.uwplatt.edu/distanceeducation/tuition
3
Part II: The institution’s Website Critique the institution’s (or program’s) website, answering
the following questions:
A. How would you rate the visual appeal of the site? What elements are visually appealing,
and which aspects are less so? Include screen shot(s) to illustrate.
On a scale from 1-10 with 1 being poor and 10 being excellent, I would rate the University of
Wisconsin – Platteville website at 6 related to visual appeal. I found the dark background of
the website and the monotone accent pictures on the home page to be less than exciting.
However, I did like the color pictures of students involved in different academic activities
that rotated on the home page. Each picture was accompanied by a short caption describing
the activity the student with a link to a story and video. I felt this was appealing and provided
a real life representation of expected school activity to a prospective student.
University of Wisconsin – Platteville. (2015). Retrieved June 9, 2015, from
http://www.uwplatt.edu/
B. Is the site easily navigable and well organized? Provide examples.
The website is easy to navigate. It is a point and click design that takes the user to their
desired destination. The information is comprehensive, easy to understand, and there are
quick links on most of the webpages to navigate to popular topics like a tuition calculator or
campus map. There are options for new students, current students, faculty, and alumni, and
the general community to review information that is applicable to their status.
4
Future Students. (2015). Retrieved June 9, 2015, from http://www.uwplatt.edu/futurestudents
C. Does the site contain sufficient information to answer questions 1-10? If not, provide
details.
Most of the information required to answer the questions was available on the University of
Wisconsin – Platteville website. There were some questions I could not locate on the website
either by clicking on menu topics or using their website search option. For those questions,
I located the information through a general search engine which brought me back to the
university website. There were three questions I answered with information obtained from an
interview with the head of distance education at the university. The actual webpage dedicated
to the Master of Science in Distance Education Leadership contained very general
information about the program.
Distance Education. (2015). Retrieved June 9, 2015, from http://www.uwplatt.edu/distanceeducation/online-master-distance-education-leadership
5
D. What is the most positive aspect of the website?
The information and the media are the most appealing aspects of the website. The
information is comprehensive and easy to understand, but it is general. The media on the
website contains text, pictures, and videos to further convey information about a topic or
enhance the information characterized in a text format.
University News. (2015). Retrieved June 9, 2015, from
http://www.uwplatt.edu/news/students-researching-endangered-cricket-frogs
E. What aspect of the site is most in need of improvement?
The aesthetic appeal of the website should be improved. The overall appearance on each
webpage did not grab my attention or seem stimulating. While the pictures were an asset and
depicted students engaged in learning activities, the presentation seemed rote and one
dimensional. The colors on the webpage backgrounds appeared subdued and
6
monochromatic. The placement of the pictures on the website was predictable as well and
while the pictures rotated, it not inspire excitement.
Future Students. (2015). Retrieved June 9, 2015, from http://www.uwplatt.edu/futurestudents