Distance learning technology currently helps us offer courses through broadcast and cable television, videocassette, audiocassette, correspondence, satellite and microwave links, and over the Internet. Predominantly, however, these assessment tools test for knowledge-based objectives. Assessment becomes performance-based in a process learning environment. In many cases, the current instructional design of a course is closely related to the text and instructor's manual. Typically, faculty members teach courses without student-centered materials because they simply have not had time to develop these materials.
Instructional design is a key tool in the development of process learning skills.
Faculty can incrementally build activities without radically reengineering the entire course. At some point the individual activities can be positioned within learning modules using the NSF architecture. Process learning philosophy and activity design mesh well with the approach and intent of NSF learning modules. Given the subject matter, student audience, course objectives, delivery location, and a number of other deciding factors, the instructor chooses which tools to use to achieve the desired end result. Robert Cornesky's workshop and text on quality in the classroom provide a significant number of quality tools and instructional strategies in this category.