Defining Quality in Distance Education: Examining National and International Standards for Online Learning Barbara Lockee, Virginia Tech Ross Perkins, Boise State University Ken Potter and John Burton, Virginia Tech Sigrid G. Kreb, Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus Introduction What factors determine the quality of distance-delivered instruction? Given the rapid proliferation of distance education (DE) across a variety of contexts, there has been much discussion regarding the importance of the effective design of DE courses. Consequently, many organizations have established a variety of criteria and standards that detail the essential qualities of effective distance learning experiences. Accreditation groups, professional associations, foundations, and even individual institutions have created sets of guidelines and requirements to serve as evaluation frameworks for DE. Due to the extensive growth of distance education in K-12, corporate, military, and higher education environments, an analysis is warranted as to how varying organizations define “effective” design of distance learning experiences. More broadly, information presented from this study can provide insights to the instructional design community, particularly with regard to increasing awareness of the importance of the ID process in the design of distance delivered programming. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to present findings of a qualitative analysis of standards related to distance course design, including commonalities and differences among organizations with regard to defining quality distance learning experiences. Perspective/Theoretical Framework Valuing, or rating, the usefulness, importance, or worth of an educational experience is at the heart of evaluation (Sanders, 1994). Hence, evaluation standards are inherently “value” driven, as they reflect a perceived set of values by a given organization. The practice of instructional design is conducted by individuals and entities with a widely varying range of knowledge and experience regarding the theoretical and practical aspects of ID (Larson & Lockee, 2009). Unfortunately, the design and development of instruction is often performed by people and/or agencies with little to no awareness of the ID process as a formalized activity, much less its theoretical underpinnings. Related to this idea, exponential growth is occurring in the number of organizations that engage in the practice of distance education. Corporate, higher education, K-12, government, and non-profit groups alike are leveraging the ability to offer instructional programs through distributed means. In responding to this growth, there is widespread interest in maintaining the quality of distance learning experiences. As regulatory and policy-making bodies ranging from professional associations to accrediting agencies create standards of practice related to the instructional design of DE courses, awareness and adoption of ID is (or is not) reflected in these specifications. Methodology A qualitative approach was utilized to analyze standards related to the design of distance-delivered courses. Data about each organization was collected through a combination of website reviews, policy documents, and phone interviews with staff members and institutional clientele. Document analysis comprised the majority of this review, with phone interviews serving in a supplementary capacity. Seventeen organizations, U.S.-based and international, representing a broad array of educational interests were reviewed for the purposes of this investigation. The following groups possessed a set of standards 27th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning For more resources: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference Copyright 2011 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System 1