Distance Education:
How does it work?
How is it working?
Joan Weinstein
Harvard University Extension School
weinst2@fas.harvard.edu
Joint Statistical Meetings
Toronto 2004
General Information
• Harvard University Extension School
– Average student age is 33; median is 30
• Undergraduate and graduate students
– Part-time study
– Open enrollment
• Classes meet one night a week for two
hours
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My Course Information
• Class size = 90 to 100
• Written homework assigned each week
• Minitab assignments as appropriate
• Midterm examination
• Final examination
• Graduate project
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Support Staff
• Course Assistant
– Communication with Distance Ed students
• Teaching Assistants
– Sections, grading, contact with students
• Graders
– Grading, contact with students
• Web Master
– Maintenance of course website
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How is the course delivered?
• Class is held in a regular classroom
• Each class is videotaped
• Material is projected using a pdf file
• Video is available to students in 48 hours
via the course website
• Selected sections are videotaped
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Assessment
• Distance Ed students fax in their
assignments
– Course assistant acknowledges receipt of fax
– Students use a specific cover sheet
– Assignments are mailed back if requested
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Exams and Projects
• Students who live in New England must
take exams in class
• Other Distance Ed students find local
proctors
– Exam is available to proctor online
– Exam is mailed back to Extension
• Projects are sent directly to me
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Communication
• Students can phone or email me or any of
the support staff
• Questions about receipt of assignments
are handled by the course assistant
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How has it changed my life?
• Class presentations must be very carefully
prepared
• Class enrollment is up; attendance is
down
• No personal contact with Distance Ed
students
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How are students affected?
• Good students take advantage of the
videos
• Students feel they can miss class more
easily
– They get behind more easily
• Student evaluations have changed a bit
– Students lose the personal touch when they
choose to watch the videos rather than attend
class
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Distance Education Students
• Time disadvantage
– Delay in access to video
– Delay in getting graded work returned
• No “live” communication
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Conclusions
• The course is now available to students
who ordinarily couldn’t take it
• Expensive in terms of time and money
– Harvard made the decision to do it “right”
• New facility for Distance Education
• Great support for faculty
• Commitment to students
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For More Information
My email address:
weinst2@fas.harvard.edu
For information about Distance Education at
Harvard Extension School:
www.extension.harvard.edu/DistanceEd
Course website:
courses.dce.harvard.edu/~state50
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