The impact of distance education programs on community agencies

Objective: This study examined the impact of two distance education programs on clients, field instructors, cooperating agencies, and the broader networks of agencies surrounding the two distance sires. Method: Self-administered surveys were mailed to one cohort of students as well as to field instructors and agency directors from two successive field placement sires. Results: All groups of respondents reported impact of increased services to clients, new knowledge of interventions available, and increased networking among students, field instructors, and agencies. There was a limited amount of information about technology transferred to the agencies. No significant differences were found in results between the sites. Conclusions: The amount and quality of services, and to a lesser extent the choices of interventions and programs, were seen by these key stakeholders as having increased in the two distant communities where the master's of social work program was offered.