**9. References**


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

Barclay, D. (1993). Evaluating Library Instruction: Doing the Best You Can With What You

Bhattacharya, M. & Hartnett, M. (2007). E-portfolio Assessment in Higher Education,

Black, P. & Wiliam, D. (2006). The Reliability of Assessments, In: *Assessment and Learning,* J. Gardner, (Ed.), *pp.* 119-131, Sage, ISBN 978-141-2910-50-7, London, UK Brown, P. & Hanks, R. (2008). Implementing an Online Writing Assessment Strategy for

Caldarola, R. & MacNeil, T. (2009). Dishonesty Deterrence and Detection: How Technology

Diamond, R. (2008). *Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula: A Practical Guide* (3rd ed.),

Erickson, B., Peters, C. & Strommer, D. (2006). *Teaching First-Year College Students* (Rev. & expanded ed.), Jossey-Bass, ISBN 978-078-7964-39-9, San Francisco, USA Foster, J. & Drew, J. (2009). Astrobiology Undergraduate Education: Students' Knowledge

Gross Davis, B. (2009). *Tools for Teaching* (2nd ed.), Jossey-Bass, ISBN 978-078-7965-67-9, San

Gunawardena, C. & LaPointe, D. (2003). Planning and Management of Student Assessment,

Hayes, B. & Ringwood, J. (2009). Authenticating Student Work in an E-Learning Programme

*Circuits and Systems*, pp. 576-581, Medenine, Tunisia, November 6-8, 2009 Hernon, P., Dugan, R. & Schwartz, C., (Eds.). (2006). *Revisiting Outcomes Assessment in Higher Education*, Libraries Unlimited, ISBN 978-159-1582-76-2, Westport, Conn., USA

*Proceedings of the 37th Annual Frontiers in Education Conference*, Milwaukee,

Gerontology. *Educational Gerontology*, Vol.34, No.5, (2008), pp. 397-399, ISSN 0360-

Can Ensure Distance Learning Test Security and Validity, *Proceedings of the 8th European Conference on E-Learning*, pp. 108-115, Bari, Italy, October 29-30, 2009 Costagliola, G., Fuccella, V., Giordano, M. & Polese, G. (2009). Monitoring Online Tests

through Data Visualization. *IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering*,

and Perceptions of the Field. *Astrobiology*, Vol.9, No.3, (April 2009), pp. 325-333,

In: *Planning and Management in Distance Education*, S. Panda, (Ed.), pp. 195-205,

via Speaker Recognition, *Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Signals,* 

Have. *RQ,* Vol.33, No.2, (1993), pp. 197-198, 201, ISSN 0033-7072

Vol.21, No.6, (June 2009), pp. 773-784, ISSN 1041-4347

Kogan Page, ISBN 0-7494-4068-6, London, UK

Jossey-Bass, ISBN 978-047-0261-34-7, San Francisco, USA

Wisconsin, USA, October 10-13, 2007

**8. Further research needed** 

distance courses to flourish.

**9. References** 

1277

ISSN 1531-1074

Francisco, USA


http://www.depts.ttu.edu/provost.councilscmtes/ccc/index.php


**Part 4** 

**Distance Learning Students** 


**Part 4** 

**Distance Learning Students** 

208 International Perspectives of Distance Learning in Higher Education

Urtel, M. (2008). Assessing Academic Performance between Traditional and Distance

Wexler, D. & Tinto, P. (2005). Active Learning Inside and Outside the Classroom: Creating

pp. 322-330, ISSN 1436-4522

Syracuse, N.Y.

Education Course Formats. *Educational Technology & Society*, Vol.11, No.1, (2008),

Multiple Learning Spaces with Technology. In: *University Teaching: A Reference Guide for Graduate Students and Faculty* (2nd ed.), S.L. Tice, N. Jackson, L.M. Lambert & P. Englot. (Eds.), pp. 57-75, Syracuse University Press, ISBN 978-081-5630-79-1,

**10**

Olabisi Kuboni

*Trinidad and Tobago* 

**An Analysis of the Search Skills of Online** 

Many advocates of online teaching and learning contend that one of the major benefits of studying in an online environment is the access it provides to a vast amount of resource material. No longer are students limited to what is available in their own institutions; rather, given the constantly expanding capacity of the world wide web (WWW), there is virtually no limit to the resources that students can draw on to support their learning. While this is certainly a major advantage, many practitioners concur that it also presents significant challenges for the graduate student, given a situation where, as online learners, they are assuming almost complete responsibility for all aspects of the multi-faceted task of locating, selecting, evaluating and using information as required in the various areas of their study. In recognition of the possible difficulties that students could encounter in carrying out this task, there have been several generic guidelines developed. Students are expected to follow these guidelines and apply them to the specific discipline-related task that they are required to complete. Thus, they would conduct the search to identify appropriate resources, evaluate these resources and make notes in relation to the topic or area of study for which the search is being conducted. While acknowledging the value of such guidelines, it is being argued that this prescriptive approach is not always appropriate for all students, and that a

This study is therefore intended to analyze students' efforts at sourcing, selecting and extracting information relative to an essay topic. The overall purpose is to assess these efforts against a defined standard as a preliminary step towards the generation of instructional strategies that may be more effective in assisting students in developing more

The Graduate Programmes Department (GPD) of the Open Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI OC) has recently begun offering fully online programmes at the postgraduate diploma and Masters' levels. The main body of its student population is located in

effective skills for identifying, gathering and using information from online sources.

**1. Introduction** 

more bottom-up approach should be considered.

**2. Context of the study** 

**Graduate Students as the Basis for** 

**the Development of Appropriate**

*UWI Open Campus, The University of the West Indies* 

**Instructional Strategies** 
