Public Investment in University Distance Learning Programs: Some Performance-Based Evidence

An increasing proportion of public expenditures on higher education are devoted to distance learning. This provokes an obvious public policy question—How well does distance learning work? This study addresses that question by means of a large sample, control group study of undergraduate and graduate student success in university distance learning courses. Student success is measured by the grade assigned to the student by his/her faculty member. Gender, age, ethnic background, distance learning experience, experience with the institution providing the instruction and measures of academic aptitude and previous academic success are statistically significant determinants of student success. Similarly, faculty characteristics such as gender, age, ethnic background and education background are statistically significant predictors of student success, though not necessarily in the manner some might hypothesize.