**8. Further research needed**

Reports of research on the experiences of instructors in assessing what distance students are learning in their online classes are not well represented in the literature. This is unfortunate because instructors who want to enhance the learning that takes place in their courses and to gage that learning through assessment can benefit immensely from the experiences of their colleagues at other institutions. It is this kind of literature that would enable them to determine what methods work best and how the assessment process is used to improve teaching and learning. It is time for student learning-outcome assessment in Web-based distance courses to flourish.
