Useful Resources

In addition to the DETC publications, there are several valuable publications and web sites on distance education topics. The following listings are just a few.

The DETC does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to particular items in hypertext is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered, on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.

If you have questions about links, please send an email to Rob Chalifoux, DETC's Director of Media and Events.

Accreditation Resources

CHEA Videos on Accreditation
Four short videos on accreditation are currently available from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The following four videos provide short, user-friendly information on accreditation:

• Accreditation and Its Value to You
  When a college, university or vocational school says that it is accredited, it is saying that it has been reviewed by experts and has a seal of approval.
  
  
• Types of Accreditation: What's the Difference?
  To be accredited, a school or program undergoes a review by an accrediting organization. Institutional accreditors review entire colleges, universities or vocational schools. Programmatic accreditors review programs in areas ranging from the health professions to engineering.
  
  
• Degree Mills and Accreditation Mills
  Degree mills market worthless degrees. If you are a student, you will get no education and receive a useless credential if you attend a degree mill.
  
  
• The Council for Higher Education Accreditation
  The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is a nonprofit association that focuses exclusively on higher education accreditation. CHEA is the private sector organization that "recognizes" accrediting organizations, as does the U.S. Department of Education.

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Online Distance Education Resources

ACE National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training
The ACE National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training contains ACE credit recommendations for formal courses or examinat offered by various organizations, from businesses and unions to the government and military.

ABOUT.com: Distance Learning
Jamie Littlefield's all-purpose guide to distance learning provides clear, convenient, and dependable information on a wide range of topics regarding distance education. Join in message board and live chat discussions and read articles on distance education from around the world. ABOUT.com is a New York Times-owned and operated site.

DANTES Military Evaluations and Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Materials
Higher education program reference materials for DANTES, including ACE Military Evaluation Program References and SOC Program References.

GetEducated.com
An online degree directory that provides online degree listings and rankings of CHEA-accredited schools.

Peterson’s Guide to Distance Learning Programs
Published for the University Continuing Education Association, this guide provides details on 1,000 degree and certificate programs available from nearly 900 institutions.

Trade Schools, Colleges and Universities Guide
Leading online education portal lets you request free information from trade schools, colleges, and universities across the US and Canada.

U.S. Department of Education’s List of Recognized Accrediting Agencies
A listing of those accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

U.S. Department of Education’s List of Recognized Accredited Institutions
A database listing of accredited institutions accredited by the recognized accrediting agencies.

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Distance Learning Publications

Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education
Published for the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, this directory lists CHEA’s members and their accrediting agencies.

DANTES Catalog of Nationally Accredited Distance Learning Programs
The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) publishes this catalog. It lists institutions that have signed an MOU to participate in the available DANTES program.

Distance Education Report
Subscribe online for the "Distance Education Report" published by Magna Publications and written by Dr. Farhad Saba.

EDUCAUSE Quarterly
This is a practitioner’s journal for college and university managers and users of information resources—information, technology, and services. Articles relate to planning for, developing, managing, evaluating, and using information resources for colleges and universities.

GetEducated Weekly
GetEducated Weekly is a FREE e-newsletter with free financial aid tips, news of online scholarships, announcements of new online university and college degree programs, and free job listings in online education.

Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks
The aim of the Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks is to describe original work in asynchronous learning networks (ALN), including experimental results. Our mission is to provide practitioners in online education with knowledge about the very best research in online learning. Papers emphasizing results, backed by data are the norm.

Journal of Distance Education
The Journal of Distance Education is an international publication of the Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE). Its aims are to promote and encourage Canadian scholarly work in distance education and provide a forum for the dissemination of international scholarship.

Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration
The Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration is a peer-reviewed electronic journal offered free each quarter over the World Wide Web. The journal welcomes manuscripts based on original work of practitioners and researchers with specific focus or implications for the management of distance education programs.

Never Too Late to Learn
by Vicky Phillips. Published by Random House/Princeton Review Books. This book includes helpful insights and strategies based on the authors experience counseling and instruction more than 17,000 adult learners online and on campus.

No Significant Difference Phenomenon
This website has been designed to serve as a companion piece to Thomas L. Russell’s book, “The No Significant Difference Phenomenon” (2001, IDECC, fifth edition). Mr. Russell’s book is a fully indexed, comprehensive research bibliography of 355 research reports, summaries and papers that document no significant differences (NSD) in student outcomes between alternate modes of education delivery,

Occupational Outlook Handbook
This Handbook is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. Revised every two years, the Handbook describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations.

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Educational Agencies

ACT, Inc. Information for Life’s Transitions (formerly American College Testing)
ACT, Inc., is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides more than a hundred assessment, research, information, and program management services in the broad areas of educational planning, career planning, and workforce development.

American Association of Collegiate Independent Study (AACIS)
AACIS is a membership association of individual educators who are engaged in collegiate independent/correspondence study. AACIS fees are only $25 annually. They publish a newsletter, The Study Guide, and hold an annual conference each November. Visit the ACCIS website for information on becoming a member.

American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)
AACRAO is a nonprofit, voluntary, professional association of more than 9,400 higher education administrators who represent nearly 2,500 institutions and agencies in the United States and in twenty-eight countries around the world. Our mission is to provide leadership in developing and implementing policy in the global educational community with a focus on the identification and promotion of standards and best practices in enrollment management, information technology, instructional management, and student services.

American Council on Education (ACE)
The American Council on Education (ACE), founded in 1918, is the nation's coordinating higher education association. ACE is dedicated to the belief that equal educational opportunity and a strong higher education system are essential cornerstones of a democratic society. Its approximately 1,800 members include accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities from all sectors of higher education and other education and education-related organizations. ACE is a forum for the discussion of major issues related to higher education and its potential to contribute to the quality of American life.

Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CINE)
The Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE) is a national organization of professionals committed to excellence in the provision of innovation in education in Canada. CNIE connects educators, administrators and practitioners in a bilingual, pan Canadian network. Our group promotes research and advances practice in both open and distance education and the use of educational technologies. CNIE addresses all educational contexts, including K-12, post-secondary, and private sector.

College Board
The College Board is a 100-year-old, not-for-profit membership association. Its mission is to prepare, inspire, and connect students to college and opportunity. Its members include more than 3,800 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational associations.

Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)
CAEL is a national organization dedicated to expanding lifelong learning opportunities for adults. Through collaboration with educational institutions, industry, government, and labor, CAEL promotes learning as a tool to empower people and organizations.

Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
CHEA coordinates research, analysis, debate, meetings, and other activities and processes that improve accreditation; collects and disseminates data and information about accreditation, its "best practices" and quality assurance; fosters communication and exchange on accreditation issues within the higher education community; mediates disputes between institutions of higher learning and accreditors, as necessary; and works through accreditation to maintain institutional quality and diversity. Web site contains a list of CHEA-recognized accrediting bodies.

Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES)
DANTES is a tuition assistance program run by the Department of Defense as dedictated by DoD Instruction 1322.5 and DoD Directive 1322.8 which govern the off-duty voluntary education programs offered to military personnel. It available to active duty Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Active Guard Reservists, Army National Guard, U.S. Army Reserves, and Air Force Reserve Command personnel. For more information, check their Web site.

Instructional Technology Council
A national, non-profit organization that represents postsecondary educational institutions that are involved in distance learning. An affiliate of the Council of American Association of Community College, ITC represents more than 500 educational institutions from across the United States and Canada. Members include community colleges, four-year institutions, non-profit and for-profit organizations, and individuals.

International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET)
A non-profit association of education and training organizations and individuals devoted to the constructive and consistent use of the Continuing Education Unit and to the improvement of the quality and effectiveness of continuing education, training and human resource development. Its major objectives are: (1) to promote the development, interpretation and dissemination of the best methods, standards and ideals for the use of the CEU; and (2) to assist in strengthening educational and professional standards in the field of continuing education and training.

International Centre for Distance Learning
The International Centre for Distance Learning (ICDL) is an international centre for research, teaching, consultancy, information and publishing activities based in the Institute of Educational Technology that received world class rating in the 1992 and 1996 Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) Research Assessment Exercises. ICDL promotes international research and collaboration by providing information from its library and databases; other audiences are reached through publications. An essential knowledge resource built up over 15 years is its distance education library and databases.

National Association of State Administrators and Supervisors of Private Schools (NASASPS)
The membership of NASASPS consists of those administrators and supervisors in the United States, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and other U.S. territories, and Canada who have administrative and supervisory responsibility for the regulation and supervision of private occupational educational programs delivered in residence, home study, distance education, or any combination thereof and other individuals interested in private occupational education. Members include community colleges, four-year institutions, non-profit and for-profit.

National Center for Education Statistics
NCES is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data that are related to education in the United States and other nationals.

Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC)
SOC was created in 1972 to provide educational opportunities to servicemembers, who, because they frequently moved from place to place, had trouble completing college degrees. Today SOC is a consortium of more than 1,400 colleges and universities that provide educational opportunities for servicemembers and their families. SOC is cosponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), in cooperation with 13 other educational associations, the Military Services, the National Guard, and the Coast Guard. SOC is funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) through a contract with AASCU. The contract is managed for DoD by the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES).

United States Department of Education
Its mission, as a Department, is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence for all Americans.

United States Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
This division of the U.S. Department of Education is responsible for recognizing accrediting agencies.

The United States Distance Learning Association
The United States Distance Learning Association is a nonprofit organization formed in 1987. The association's purpose is to promote the development and application of distance learning for education and training. The constituents we serve include Pre-K through grade 12 education, higher education, home school education, continuing education, corporate training, military and government training, and telemedicine.

University Continuing Education Association
Founded in 1915, the University Continuing Education Association (formerly the National University Continuing Education Association) is among the oldest college and university associations in the United States. As the principal US organization for continuing higher education, the Association assists institutions of higher learning and affiliated nonprofit organizations to increase access through a wide array of educational programs and services.

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)
The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education is a regional organization created by the Western Regional Education Compact, adopted in the 1950s by Western states. WICHE is an interstate compact created by formal legislative action of the states and the U.S. Congress. Fifteen states are members of WICHE. In 2000,WICHE published "Guidelines for Electronically Offered Degrees" which were adopted by all six regional accrediting agencies.

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Educational Materials

ADEC (American Distance Education Consortium)
An international consortium of state universities and land grant institutions providing high quality and economic distance education programs and services via the latest and most appropriate information technologies.

America’s Learning eXchange (ALX)
ALX is one of four complementary, Web-based services offered free to the public by the U.S. Department of Labor through America’s Career Kit. ALX is supported by many professional training and educational organizations dedicated to providing the knowledge, expertise, and constituent networks to ensure users find the resources they need.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations. More than 96% of U.S. Chamber members are small businesses with 100 employees or fewer.

Educause
EDUCAUSE is an international, nonprofit association whose mission is to help shape and enable transformational change in higher education through the introduction, use, and management of information resources and technologies in teaching, learning, scholarship, research, and institutional management. EDUCAUSE membership is open to institutions of higher education, corporations serving the higher education information technology market, and other related associations and organizations. EDUCAUSE programs include professional development activities, print and electronic publications, strategic/policy initiatives, research and development, and a wealth of online information services. Current membership includes more than 1,700 colleges, universities, and education organizations and more than 150 corporations.

eLearners.com
eLearners.com serves the online learning community by helping online learners find the most appropriate distance learning providers for their needs. eLearners.com provides services and resources that help online learners succeed, while helping education providers market their programs and enroll students.

NCES College Navigator
National Center for Education Statistics' College Navigator is your direct link to more than 9,000 colleges and universities in the United States. If you are thinking about a large university, a small liberal arts college, a specialized college, a community college, a career or technical college or a trade school, you can find them all here. College Navigator is brought to you by the NCES and the U.S. Department of Education.

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Libraries

Berkeley Digital Library
The Berkeley Digital Library SunSITE builds digital collections and services while providing information and support to digital library developers worldwide.

Internet Public Library (IPL)
ipl2 is a public service organization and a learning/teaching environment. To date, thousands of students and volunteer library and information science professionals have been involved in answering reference questions for our Ask an ipl2 Librarian service and in designing, building, creating and maintaining the ipl2's collections. It is through the efforts of these students and volunteers that the ipl2 continues to thrive to this day.

Library of Congress
The Library of Congress features a searchable electronic catalog (great for bibliographic research) and online exhibits from the library’s collections.

Online Books
The Online Books Page offers more than 10,000 online books searchable by author, subject and title. It includes a directory of sites that have English and foreign language online texts.

National Archives and Records Administration
The NARA features guides to and exhibits from the federal documentary collection.

OCLC Online Computer Library Center
This is a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization. More than 24,000 libraries in 63 countries use OCLC services.

U.S. Copyright Office
This site lists all areas of copyright in the U.S. and internationally.

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