Book Description

This report provides national estimates on distance education at degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the 2006-07 academic year. While this report covers many of the topics in the previous three reports, the data are not comparable. The definition of distance education in the 2006-07 study reflected two major changes from earlier studies. First, the definition no longer included a criterion for instructional delivery to off-campus or remote locations because online courses could be accessed on campus at a convenient time and place, and the definition now included correspondence courses and distance education courses that are designated by institutions as hybrid/blended online courses. The purpose of this report is to introduce new National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data through the presentation of tables containing descriptive information. Selected findings have been chosen to demonstrate the range of information available from the Postsecondary Education Quick Information System (PEQIS) study rather than to discuss all of the observed differences; they are not meant to emphasize any particular issue. The findings are based on self-reported data from postsecondary institutions. Some of the survey responses (e.g., small, moderate, and large extent) were not defined for respondents. Reported findings include: (1) During the 2006-07 academic year, two-thirds of 2-year and 4-year Title IV degree-granting postsecondary institutions reported offering online, hybrid/blended online, or other distance education courses for any level or audience; (2) Sixty-one percent of 2-year and 4-year institutions reported offering online courses, 35 percent reported hybrid/blended courses, and 26 percent reported other types of college-level credit-granting distance education courses in 2006-07; (3) In the 2006-07 academic year, 2-year and 4-year institutions reported an estimated 12.2 million enrollments in college-level credit-granting distance education; (4) Approximately one-third of all 2-year and 4-year institutions reported offering college-level degree or certificate programs that were designed to be completed totally through distance education in 2006-07; (5) Of the estimated 11,200 college-level programs that were designed to be completed totally through distance education in 2006-07, two-thirds were reported as degree programs while the remaining were reported as certificate programs; (6) Twelve percent of all 2-year and 4-year institutions reported offering academic distance education courses for elementary or secondary students in 2006-07; (7) Asynchronous Internet-based technologies were cited as the most widely used technology for the instructional delivery of distance education courses; (8) Most common factors cited as affecting distance education decisions to a major extent were meeting student demand for flexible schedules, providing access to college for students who would otherwise not have access, making more courses available, and seeking to increase student enrollment; and (9) Most 2-year and 4-year institutions that reported offering credit-granting distance education courses indicated that their institutions developed the distance education courses. Three appendices are included: (1) Standard Error Tables; (2) Technical Notes; and (3) Questionnaire. (Contains 3 footnotes and 28 tables.) [For "Distance Education at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions: 2000-2001. E.D. Tabs.", see ED481027.].