As well as measuring their representation among the student body and looking at the progress they make on the courses, one can also look at the barriers to greater participation. Policy Evaluation Formative evaluation in the policy area can take the form of market research. Surveys of prospective students and employers can be carried out to measure the likely demand for possible new courses. Surveys of current students can also be used to sound out opinion on various policy options. Policy Evaluation can take the form of monitoring.
Research can evaluate the impact of policy changes.
Finally, evaluation studies make take the form of experiments or pilot schemes. A distance education programme or institution can be evaluated in terms of its internal organisation and procedures. More specifically it can involve tasks such as the monitoring of tutors marking patterns and the turn-around time for assignments. Evaluations have also been conducted into the course team approach to distance course writing.