A Planning and Execution Model for Distance Courses

The traditional teaching/learning process normally encompasses three major phases: planning the overall aspects of the course (e.g., objective, subject, lessons, evaluations), executing what was planned, and making sure the student has correctly accomplished the planned tasks and acquired a pre-established minimum of knowledge. In Distance Education this process occurs basically in the same way, but the phases should be treated differently since the student himself determines his own pace. To support the distance teaching/learning process we propose a model that offers flexibility for both teachers and students, the former in planning distance courses and the latter in taking them. The model comprehends planning, execution and assessment aspects. This work is part of an ongoing research project on the specification of a distance learning environment.