I wasn't really sure where to post this, but here's an informative resource on research related to distance ed that I received through an Assessment listserv:
From: ASSESS - Assessment in Higher Education [mailto:ASSESS@LSV.UKY.EDU] On Behalf Of James Moses
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2012 9:24 AM
To: ASSESS@LSV.UKY.EDU
Subject: [ASSESS:] New Publication: The Survey of Distance Learning Programs in Higher Education, 2012-13 Edition
Primary Research Group has published the 2012-13 Edition of The Survey of Distance Learning Programs in Higher Education, ISBN 157440-204-8.
The 165 page study is based on highly detailed interviews with higher education distance learning programs, predominantly in the USA but also in Canada and the UK.
The report paints a detailed statistical profile of trends in distance learning, covering, but not restricted to: revenue and enrollment growth, evolution of cost structure, trends in salaries, use of tutoring, delivery mediums, developments in faculty training and certification, grants and financial aid to students, student loans, assessment and retention practices, marketing budgets with details on spending and plans for spending on billboards, television, newspapers, radio, direct mail, Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and many other venues.
Data is broken out by size and type of institution and size of distance learning program, among other variables.
Just a few of the report’s many findings are that:
• Enrollment in distance learning programs has increased by approximately 5.8% in the last year.
• 80% of survey participants in junior and community colleges and 90% of those in MA/PHD granting colleges believe enrollment in distance learning programs at their college has grown to some extent.
• Revenue growth is increasingly cannibalistic and comes from reduced enrollment in traditional classes rather than new student enrollment.
• The mean increase in tuition prices in the 2011-12 school year for the US colleges in the sample was 4.18%.
• While 18.18% of colleges have at least one full-time staff person devoted to assessing the online distance learning program.
• 21.15% of colleges in the sample have a marketing budget for their distance learning program that is administratively separate from their overall university marketing budget.
• MA/PHD granting colleges spent a mean of $7,250 on newspaper and magazine ads to support distance learning enrollment in the past year.
• 17.65% of the community colleges in the sample have advertised their distance learning programs over the radio in the past year.
• 30.77% of the colleges in the sample plan to hold their advertising spending on Google constant over the next year.
• 24% of the colleges sampled have improved their retention rate in the past year.
For further information view our website at www.PrimaryResearch.com.