Graduate Program

College Student Affairs

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Semester of Degree Completion

2008

Thesis Director

Charles Eberly

Thesis Committee Member

Kaye Woodward

Thesis Committee Member

William Hine

Abstract

The School of Continuing Education (SCE) at Eastern Illinois University offers evening and weekend courses for returning adult students at a variety of off campus locations. Program assessment conducted in 1988, 1993, 1997, and 2002 used an off campus adult student survey administered by traditional means. Since these program assessment administrations, the proportion of classes offered through traditional off campus classroom instruction has lowered in relation to classes that are technology delivered.

It has become important to assess technology delivered instructional programs as well. The original adult student survey (Schrock, 1988) was adapted into an on-line version in order to gather responses of students enrolled in Internet courses. This survey was posted on the SCE Web site in several accessible locations. Students were notified about the survey by their instructors, through notifications on a student Listserve, and through a batch email to all students enrolled in Eastern Illinois University School of Continuing Education courses. Instructors were asked to direct their students to the SCE Website and to the On-line survey link.

On-line participant response (n = 368) was comparable to past hard-copy administration response rates and the information was found to be useful in overall program assessment. The majority of SCE students reported satisfaction with the time and location of current off campus courses, consistent with results from previous administrations. They indicated a need for more Internet courses and cohort programs. A full comparison study of all five surveys was not possible due to the loss of original data in an April 2004 fire. Future SCE program evaluations should include a mixed methods design that includes administration of the Internet survey along with volunteer focus groups at selected off-campus sites. The present study included a literature review of nontraditional adult student program assessments. This study was conducted with the support of The Eastern Illinois University School of Continuing Education and is the culmination of a long history of program assessments within the school. The information gathered from the Internet adaptation of this survey was useful for program planning and internal marketing purposes.

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