What is activity scheduling?

A distance education system must manage resources efficiently. That means scheduling the use of instructors, students, and technologies to ensure that all are fully employed at all times but not overloaded. This scheduling is carried out through a course development plan (as part of an operational plan), which lists planning objectives, time frames, and actions, showing who will do what and by when.

Production activities must also be scheduled, particularly the production of video, audio, and print materials. All these materials must be ready at the same time, though the flow of work to produce them may vary from program to program.

Similarly, the recruitment, appointment, training, and supervision of instructors must be scheduled to fit the arrival of materials and the enrollment of students.