The Value of a DETC-Accredited Degree

You might say the Washington, DC-based Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) has a healthy obsession with data. Driven to assess, evaluate, and optimize its own performance and that of its member institutions, the DETC (which has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a reputable and reliable accrediting body since 1959) annually gathers thousands of data points—and requires member institutions to do the same—to assess, among other things, the value of a DETC-accredited degree.

One of the most interesting studies the DETC (CalSouthern’s accrediting body) conducts is a survey of more than 600 recent graduates of DETC institutions—and of those graduates’ employers. The results are fascinating, shedding light on the effectiveness of distance learning, as well as dispelling many myths about online higher education. We’ll summarize the results of the most recent survey—“DETC Degree Programs: Graduates and Employers Evaluate Their Worth,” conducted in 2010—below.

THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS: ACCURACY AND TRANSPARENCY
While the news media has been filled with stories of a handful of online schools using unethical enrollment or
recruitment tactics, DETC officials are quick to point out that no DETC schools have been named in these articles, and that its accreditation standards help ensure that these practices do not occur at DETC-accredited institutions. The survey results bear this out.

Ninety-seven percent of the survey respondents said that the information they received before enrolling accurately described the degree program, and the same percentage (97) indicated that the degree program matched their expectations. A slightly higher percentage (98) said that they received appropriate information about policies, procedures, support services, and the program’s cost. Three out of four students said that the information they received accurately described the future acceptability of the degree or credits by other institutions. (While 74 percent is an already-impressive figure, it is actually deceptively low, since 17 percent of the respondents replied that they were “unsure.”)

KNOWLEDGEABLE AND COMMITTED EDUCATORS DRIVE A RIGOROUS LEARNING EXPERIENCE
The survey results refute the commonly held misconception that online education is easier or somehow inferior to face-to-face learning, and otherwise support the efficacy of the distance-learning methodology.
Eighty-nine percent of the graduates surveyed stated that their DETC-accredited degree program was the same difficulty or more difficult than the classroom education they’ve had, and the grads were nearly unanimous—98 percent—in indicating that they were challenged by the level of difficulty of the courses. Another near-unanimous positive response (99 percent) was in response to, “Did the examinations and assigned projects adequately test your understanding of the subject?”

Faculty received similarly high marks. Ninety-nine percent of the graduates surveyed thought that their instructors had an adequate or superior depth of knowledge and teaching competency, and 98 percent said the faculty had an adequate familiarity and understanding of the materials used. Eighty-seven percent experienced adequate communication with their instructors (five percent were unsure), while the overall satisfaction level with the faculty was 97 percent.

With regard to access to learning resources outside the professor (course materials, library resources, etc.), 97 percent found it to be adequate or superior.

OVERALL SATISFACTION AND UTILITY OF DEGREE

The results pertaining to overall satisfaction were perhaps the survey’s most powerful. A full 99 percent rated their satisfaction with their degree program as adequate or superior. Ninety-four percent found the degree earned to be well worth the effort. In a true testament to overall satisfaction, 94 percent indicated that they would recommend their degree program to a friend.

According to one of the most compelling sections of the survey, the DETC-accredited degree produced some very immediate, tangible results for these recent graduates. Nearly half—45 percent—received some sort of compensation increase due to earning their degree. Another 36 percent enjoyed either a job promotion or a career change that improved their lives as a result of receiving their diploma.

One final, but extremely significant result: Of the graduates who sought to have their degree accepted by other academic institutions, approximately three in four were successful in transferring credits, dispelling the myth that DETC degrees and credits cannot be transferred.

Of the graduates who sought to have their degree accepted by other academic institutions, approximately three in four were successful in transferring credits, dispelling the myth that DETC degrees and credits cannot be transferred.

THE EMPLOYERS’ PERSPECTIVE
In a separate survey of the graduates’ work supervisors, more interesting results emerged. A full 85 percent of these supervisors noted that the graduate performed better on the job as a result of earning the DETC-accredited degree. Ninety-two percent said they were favorably inclined toward hiring or supervising other employees who earned degrees via distance education, while 94 percent stated that they would encourage others—subordinates or colleagues—to enroll in accredited distance-education degree programs in order to enhance their competence on the job. Another 93 percent of the supervisors found that the DETC-school graduate compared favorably in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitude with other individuals they know or supervised who have earned comparable degrees from an “on-the-ground” college.

CalSouthern: Do you believe that this survey—and those like it—are effectively dispelling the myth that online education is somehow ineffective or substandard when compared to traditional educational methods?

Michael Lambert: There has always been skepticism about online learning as a legitimate and effective way for people to earn a degree or acquire an education. It stems from the falsehood that you can only learn sitting at the feet of a “sage on the stage” who dispenses wisdom.

Of course, all the studies and all the research conclusively show this to be a myth. In fact, in 2009, the U.S. Department of Education issued a report [“Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies”] stating that students who took all or part of their instruction online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through face-to-face instruction.

The old mythology is becoming passé. The misconception has been blown up. Of course, there are those with closed minds on the topic who may never be persuaded, remaining steadfast in their perception that learning can only take place in the resident class setting. Maybe a percentage will never be convinced. But this survey is one more piece of evidence that the method of education is powerful and it works.

CalSouthern: Were you surprised in any way by the results?

Lambert: Gratified, but not surprised. The evidence is not limited to this survey. Every time the DETC does an accreditation review of an institution, we get a random collection of names and addresses of students. We survey them and double-check and cross-check the data that you see in the survey results. And annually, every DETC member institution is required to survey its students, asking many of the same questions contained in this survey, to make sure that their students are satisfied. Every year, the data seems to be getting better. Any way you slice or dice it, we come up with satisfaction ratios in the 90s. You might justifiably ask if it’s too good to be true, but we now have thousands upon thousands of pieces of data, representing hundreds of thousands of students telling us the same thing over and over again.

It’s hard to argue with these numbers. Eventually, you have to come to the conclusion that this is an amazing way to learn and an effective method. I no longer apologize for it; it’s a point of honor and something that we will sustain.

CalSouthern: To what do you attribute the success of your member institutions, in contrast to some of the unethical, underperforming schools we’ve all read about in the media?

Lambert: DETC’s accreditation standards are strong, and they are fundamentally designed to be student-centric. Our policies, training, and member institution visits—everything we do is centered on these questions: “Does this help students?” “Does it ensure quality?” “Will it protect the student as a consumer?” “Will it help the institution deliver on its promises?”

It’s all part of the culture of DETC that goes back 86 years now—if schools take care of their students and deliver on their promises, everything else falls into place. That’s the secret, the model. It may seem overly simplistic, but it’s fundamentally sound and it works.

CalSouthern: From your perspective, what are some of the more gratifying aspects of the survey results?

Lambert: Personally, I was extremely gratified to see the high level of acceptance and respect that the supervisors have for a DETC-accredited degree. It’s something we’ve been tracking for years, and the favorable result percentages consistently remain in the 90s.

Another element of the survey that I am particularly pleased with involves the percentage of successful transfers of credits; this is a figure that has been tracking upward over the past few years, which is great news. Of course, we’re also quite happy with the high overall satisfaction numbers, as well as those relating to the rigor of the academic programs and the depth of knowledge of the faculty.

We can’t—and will not—rest on our laurels, and we’re not yet in a position to declare victory, but our schools are doing a terrific job and these results are proof positive.

Excellence in Education, Leadership in Practice is published in conjunction with Learning Without Limits: The California Southern University Content Initiative for a New Paradigm in Higher Education.

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