PREST

Practitioner Research and Evaluation Skills

The Practitioner Research and Evaluation Skills Training (PREST) series is published by COL in collaboration with the International Research Foundation for Open Learning.

The PREST training resources provide practitioners working in open and distance learning (ODL) with convenient access to basic knowledge on how to conduct research and evaluation in their everyday work. Written for ODL practitioners by ODL practitioners, the interactive materials aim to develop practical skills through engagement in research tasks that draw on research and evaluation methods from education and social science, but use illustrative examples from international open and distance learning contexts.

PREST fills a gap in current provision for practical, first-rung research and evaluation skills training of immediate relevance in the workplace and aims to promote research and evaluation as an part of professional development for allODL practitioners. The materials provide a strong foundation for progress to higher-level research programmes and qualifications.

The PREST materials are designed for use by two target groups - ODL practitioners wanting self-study or reference materials and training providers looking for flexible research training resources to integrate into a variety of training contexts (e.g., face-to-face workshops, e-learning or reference materials).