Assessment techniques for web-based instruction: lessons learned from teaching a graduate course in instructional technology.

: In an attempt to discover how students learn in an online learning environment, as well as to investigate how online communication patterns differ from those in a face-to-face class, the authors used students participating in a graduate program in instructional technology in Philadelphia, PA. Various activities and assignments were used to elicit information about student learning with, and attitudes toward an online learning environment. Over a period of 3 semesters, student data were collected through qualitative and quantitative methods, including observations, surveys, tests, in-class discussions, and e-mail communication analysis. Results for these assessment methods are included in this article, as well as implications for future investigation into this topic.