Practitioner Research and Evaluation Skills Training

The Practitioner Research and Evaluation Skills Training (PREST) series provides training resources on open and distance learning (ODL) for practitioners offering basic information on how to conduct research and evaluation in everyday work. These interactive materials are written for ODL practitioners by ODL practitioners, and are produced to help develop practical skills through research tasks that draw on research and evaluation methods from education and social science with examples from international ODL contexts.

The PREST materials are designed as self-study resources. Six "Core Modules" provide a foundation in research and evaluation methods explored within ODL contexts. Each Module contains 20 to 40 reading hours including several activities. The topics are:

• Doing educational research and evaluation in ODL (an introduction);
• Planning research and evaluation;
• Getting and analysing quantitative data;
• Getting and analysing qualitative data;
• Mixed research methods; and
• Reporting on research and evaluation to support or influence change.

The series also includes six Handbooks, which are guides to conducting research and evaluation in a particular field of ODL. Each Handbook contains 20 reading hours, including several activities. The topics are:

• Using programme monitoring in research and evaluation,
• Measuring outcomes;
• Cost and economics of open and distance learning;
• Programme evaluation and its role in quality assurance;
• Researching marginalised and disadvantaged learners; and
• Researching tutoring and learner support.

Click here for a PREST brochure in PDF format.