Lesson 11 Assignment
Karon Tarver

Public Policy Issues, Options, and Srategies
HIGHER EDUCATION Cost Measurement
A Compilation of Background Papers Prepared for a Seminar on Cost
Measurement and Management
Sponsored by:
THE INSTITUTE for Higher Education Policy TIAA-CREF Institute
The New Millennium Project on Higher Education Costs, Pricing, and Productivity

I have to admit I found this article very tedious to review. The information while is very important to university funding personnel was more that a distance education student needed. However, I did find the discussion of funding formulas very similar to K-12 funding entitlements. The basis of funding for K-12 is also based on some of the same data, particularly, enrollment or average daily attendance (ADA). However, for K-12 the most important funding number to E-Rate and other external funding sources is the level of low-socioeconomic student populations. This primarily based on the free and reduced lunch program this indicator is rising in importance and is forcing schools to try and recruit students for that program.

The accountability issue is very real at all levels and it seems that even prominent public institutions, including the University of Texas, must balance cost with effectiveness. The result is an emphasis on head count to produce a reduced per student cost. The real question for both K-12 and higher education is at which point does funding emphasis become detrimental to the educational process. Finally, the answer to at which point is an institution willing to trade-off quality for head-count will be have to be identified by each institution.

In my studies about Distance Learning issues for the K-12 institutions I have found a site that promises to be quite a good primer on the subject. The site takes an A-Z approach from inception of an idea to deployment of the initiative.

* A Teacher's Guide to Distance Learning
Written by Dr. Ann Barron, Florida Center for Instructional Technology
http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/DISTANCE/

I am also a member of the Digital Divide Network listserv of the Benton Foundation. They recently sent me this synopsis of an article that may prove very important to both universities and distance education students.

The National Education Association has issued a paper disputing the cost-effectiveness of online courses for universities. The manual is meant to provide a basis for teacher negotiations at schools that are considering moving classes online. Although not disputing the benefits of Web-based education for remote students and those with family and work considerations, the NEA paper says that online courses should not be adopted for cost-savings reasons. The study cites federal reports and research completed by the IT director for the California State University System as evidence that classroom instruction actually provides a better return on investment than online study. Only with classes of more than 500 students does the Web-based model provide cost savings, said the NEA. However, Stevens Institute of Technology Web learning director Robert Ubell said that, although the NEA's goal of protecting instructors is admirable, their study is too narrowly defined and meant to "defend against change."

http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org/content/news/index.cfm?key=354