Student Assessment in the Manta Ray Diver Specialty Course
With the advent of new and more powerful technologies that create innovative connections, distance education instructors are finding new and different ways to assess student performance. Wendy Laros, a masters candidate in the Educational Technology program at University of Hawaii, is taking a fresh look at measuring student learning outcomes in the PADI Manta Ray Diver Specialty Course - a course that she co-authored with her husband, Keller Laros (a.k.a. Manta Man). This course was created in 1996 and is taught regularly at Jack's Diving Locker in Kona, Hawaii. It's the most successful specialty course offered at Jack's and its popularity is rising fast due to the worldwide recognition of the Kona Manta Ray Night Dive and Snorkel. The current paper and pencil assessment instrument is no longer viable as Wendy plans to offer the academic content of this course online. Seeking a better understanding of the options available, Laros has researched student assessment in distance education to formulate a new strategy for the Manta Ray Diver course.