Modes of Delivery and Learning Objectives

The purpose of the study was to determine public university South Dakota (USA) distance faculty perceptions regarding intended level of learning objectives for four selected modes of courses delivery. The four modes examined in this study included correspondence course, telecourses, Digital Dakota Network, and online Internet delivery. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from all faculty who offered distance education courses at the six public universities in the state of South Dakota. The study analyzed faculty levels of learning objectives based on Bloom’s taxonomy and faculty distance education delivery satisfaction. Results of this study showed that modes of distance delivery did not influence faculty selection of cognitive learning objectives. Faculty focused their learning objectives on the middle level of Bloom’s Taxonomy—the application level. The on-line mode had the highest faculty satisfaction and correspondence mode had lowest faculty satisfaction. Research conclusions indicate all modes of delivery have utility in reaching higher level learning objectives, but the costs of equipment and labor very across the modes.