The Use of Tracer Studies for Enhancing Relevance and Marketability in Online and Distance Education
The Use of Tracer Studies for Enhancing Relevance and Marketability in Online and Distance Education
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Date
2008
Authors
Millington, Claire
Editor
Corporate Author
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Commonwealth of Learning (COL)
Report/Paper Number
Abstract
Over the last two decades online and distance education has been greatly developed as a
methodology for providing education for those who formerly may have found further education
inaccessible for various reasons. As with most education processes, it is customary to have
students complete an evaluation of the course or programme. This type of evaluation usually
focuses on issues such as course content, the instructional material provided, the usability of the
technology, and rating the performance of the course facilitators. In this writer’s opinion, this form
of assessment focuses on the production process of ODL(Online and Distance Learning), rather
than on the product of the learning process, which is the acquired knowledge and skills of the
student. The ODL provider should know the fortunes of their graduates in order to make a
complete assessment of how the educational process has impacted their graduates. With this
type of data, they are able to make modifications that could enhance their students’ chances of
achieving success. This paper looks at the tracer study as a means of maintaining curriculum
relevance and of providing targeted benefits to graduates to enhance the marketability of ODL. // Paper ID 424
Description
Subject
Open and Distance Learning (ODL)
Country
Barbados
Region
Caribbean and Americas