agencies, nonprofit organizations, and corporations interested in working together to achieve the promise of better quality learning opportunities, more efficient institutional operations, effective state and federal policies, and wider access to higher education services. WCET members are a vibrant, virtual community distributed throughout 45 of the U.S. states and eight additional countries.
Over the years, the evolving needs of WCET members have driven the organization’s major initiatives.
- In the early 1990s, WCET members were ready to offer distance-learning programs across state lines. Our 1995 booklet, “When Distance Education Crosses State Boundaries,” offered program providers a map of the Western states’ regulatory processes and gave rise to “Principles of Good Practice for Electronically Delivered Programs.” These principles, which were adopted by many states as part of their licensing criteria, were later expanded and adopted by all the U.S. regional accrediting associations.
- In the mid 1990s, as legislators and boards were asking for better evidence regarding the value of technology in the teaching and learning process, WCET members expressed a need for improved tools for determining the actual costs of delivering technology-mediated courses. In response, we created the Technology Costing Methodology project.
- In the late 1990s, WCET members needed help with shifting their student support services into web-based environments. WCET responded by developing workshops on transforming student services as well as a Student Services Audit Tool.
- Earlier in this decade, WCET members were confused about their options for course management systems (CMS). EduTools, WCET’s web-based comparison system, emerged in 2003 and now includes CMS reviews, course reviews, and model policies.
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