What are the main managerial tasks relating to instruction?

An administrative system is needed to allocate students to tutors in each of the many subjects taught in the distance education system. If students are expected to attend tutorials, records of their attendance must be maintained. And tutors' interaction with students at a distance must be monitored and evaluated, in part because their payment may depend on their satisfactory performance.

A data management system must be in place for recording students' completion of every assignment, tutors' receipt of the assignment, its handling and return, and the grade awarded, whether by a tutor or by computer. This system should be used to ensure uniformity in marking standards and in the advice given to learners and, above all, to ensure the quality of interaction between tutors and students. It may also be used to provide feedback to course teams about the effectiveness of the instruction, as shown by the quality of completed assignments.

An especially important consideration is turnaround time—the time from the student's submission of an assignment until the return of the marked assignment. If students have to wait for feedback before completing their next assignment, many will slow the pace of study and may seek extensions. The administration must have policies and procedures for dealing with extensions, penalties for late submission, and procedures for expediting turnaround.