This book, written by authors representing 12 countries and five continents, is a collection of international perspectives on distance learning and distance learning implementations in higher education. The perspectives are presented in the form of practical case studies of distance learning implementations, research studies on teaching and…

This chapter outlines the theory of cost-benefit analysis and discusses its application to determining the cost-benefit of instructional development projects. Three types of applications are discussed: (1) descriptive applications of single projects; (2) predictive studies of proposed projects; and (3) comparative analysis of alternative projects…

This report describes a two-phase study designed to (1) investigate the appropriate evaluation literature and develop a formative evaluation model; (2) investigate the formative evaluation procedures utilized by Advanced Systems Incorporated (ASI), a successful producer of training materials; (3) develop a model based upon these procedures; and…

This study compared media selection decisions novice instructional developers make when using an intuitive selection approach versus Reiser and Gagne's formal selection procedure. Formal selection procedure use results in media selection choices matching those of experienced developers, and more selection factors are considered when novices…

This study was conducted to determine the effects of instruction on using a formal media selection procedure on the media selection choices made by novice instructional designers. Twenty-nine male and female graduate students enrolled in a media design course at Arizona State University participated in the study. Media design problems were used…

Reviews a workshop conducted at the 1987 National Society for Performance and Instruction (NSPI) Conference on estimating workload and costs for training development. Information derived from two case studies is used to compare workload estimates done by experienced managers with those done by professionals with formal instructional design…

Examines differences between needs assessment (process of determining the gap between what is and what should be) and task analysis (definition and classification of tasks to improve job performance), and discusses the human productivity model NEBEAT (Needs Education and Training Model), which defines competency as synthesis of processes and…

Outlines a plan to provide professional, graduate-level courses to adult students off-campus. Based on experiences at the British Open University, audiocassettes and printed support materials were used at Brigham Young University as the delivery system for a management course. The examination scores of on-campus and off-campus students are…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between graduate education in educational psychology and instructional design programs in view of the common interest of the two disciplines in certain content areas. Program administrators (chairpersons) of instructional design and technology programs at 22 institutions with doctoral…

Reviews an investigation of whether different formative evaluation procedures are needed when learning materials designed for one population are used by different cultural groups. Groups from the United States and Brazil were used to compare learner reactions and attitudes and to determine the amount of modification needed to revise materials.…