Administrators across the state are actively encouraging faculty to develop Web-based courses. Recognizing the time and effort involved in developing and delivering these courses is important, especially during the promotion and tenure process. But the general lack of understanding about the time and effort required to develop and deliver these courses, as well as questions about quality, represent important barriers. One thing is clear. The flexibility that Web-based courses offer students ensures that these offerings will continue to increase, whether or not faculty address the questions and find solutions to the problems.
Academics understand how and why the peer-review process works.
Peer review is an established, understood, and accepted quality-control mechanism in many areas of higher education. The publication of peer-reviewed articles and books is an important feature of the promotion and tenure process. Refereeing articles, manuscripts, and grant proposals is recognized as a worthwhile professional activity. Web-based courses would be evaluated based on pedagogy, use of technology, ease of navigation, interactivity, and content, among other elements. The same person would not necessarily evaluate all of these elements in a particular course.