Evaluation Strategies

Evaluation of an Online Course and Instruction

Lesson 5: Assessment and Measurement is available in the online chat for 7/29/08.
Evaluation is the process of gathering information about the worth or quality of something as a way of making decisions designed to increase its worth or quality. Evaluation is an ongoing process within education and considers all instructional components – outcomes, activities or tasks, procedures, media, and materials – as well as the way you combined and present them to your students to help them learn. The online course and your instruction are also evaluated. Evaluation is an integral part of planning and implementing instruction; it allows you to make adjustments as you move from one part of the learning process to the next; and it can focus on both the students and the instruction. Evaluation activities include quizzes, tests, portfolios, projects, journals, reflections, rubrics, etc.

Assessment and Evaluation of Student Learning
There are five criteria in which a course can be deemed exemplary in terms of the assessment and evaluation of student learning. These five criteria occur within three rankings of baseline, effective, and exemplary.

Baseline

Effective

Exemplary
  1. Course has limited activities to assess student readiness for course content and mode of delivery.
     
  2. Learning objectives, instructional and assessment activities are not closely aligned.
     
  3. Assessment strategies are used to measure content knowledge, attitudes and skills.
     
  4. Opportunities for students to receive feedback about their own performance are infrequent and sporadic.
     
  5. Students' self-assessments and/or peer feedback opportunities are limited or do not exist.
  1. Course has some activities to assess student readiness for course content and mode of delivery.
     
  2. Learning objectives, instructional and assessment activities are somewhat aligned.
     
  3. Ongoing strategies are used to measure content knowledge, attitudes and skills.
     
  4. Opportunities for students to receive feedback about their own performance are provided.
     
  5. Students' self-assessments and/or peer feedback opportunities exist.
  1. Course has multiple timely and appropriate activities to assess student readiness for course content and mode of delivery.
     
  2. Learning objectives, instructional and assessment activities are closely aligned.
     
  3. Ongoing multiple assessment strategies are used to measure content knowledge, attitudes and skills.
     
  4. Regular feedback about student performance is provided in a timely manner throughout the course.
     
  5. Students' self-assessments and peer feedback opportunities exist throughout the course.

Teaching with Technology
There are four criteria in which a course can be deemed exemplary in terms of teaching with technology. These five criteria occur within three rankings of baseline, effective, and exemplary.

Baseline

Effective

Exemplary
  1. Course uses limited technology tools to facilitate communication and learning.
     
  2. New teaching methods are applied to enhance student learning.
     
  3. Multimedia elements and/or learning objects are limited or non-existent.
     
  4. Course uses Internet access and engages students in the learning process.


     
  1. Course uses some technology tools to facilitate communication and learning.
     
  2. New teaching methods are applied to innovatively enhance student learning.
     
  3. Multimedia elements and/or learning objects are used and are relevant to student learning.
     
  4. Course optimizes Internet access and effectively engages students in the learning process.

 
  1. Course uses a variety of technology tools to appropriately facilitate communication and learning.
     
  2. New teaching methods are applied and innovatively enhance student learning, and interactively engage students.
     
  3. A variety of multimedia elements and/or learning objects is used and is relevant to student learning throughout the course.
     
  4. Course optimizes Internet access and effectively engages students in the learning process in a variety of ways throughout the course.

Online Organization and Design
There are five criteria in which a course can be deemed exemplary in terms of the online organization and design. These five criteria occur within three rankings of baseline, effective, and exemplary.

Baseline

Effective

Exemplary
  1. Much of the course is under construction, with some key components identified such as the syllabus.
     
  2. Course syllabus is unclear about what is expected of students.
     
  3. Aesthetic design does not present and communicate course information clearly.
     
  4. Web pages are inconsistent both visually and functionally.
     
  5. Accessibility issues are not addressed.

 
  1. Course is organized and navigable. Students can understand the key components and structure of the course.
     
  2. Course syllabus identifies and delineates the role the online environment will play in the course.
     
  3. Aesthetic design presents and communicates course information clearly.
     
  4. Most web pages are visually and functionally consistent.
     
  5. Accessibility issues are briefly addressed.
     
  1. Course is well-organized and easy to navigate. Students can clearly understand all components and structure of the course.
     
  2. Course syllabus identifies and clearly delineates the role the online environment will play in the total course.
     
  3. Aesthetic design presents and communicates course information clearly throughout the course.
     
  4. All web pages are visually and functionally consistent throughout the course.
     
  5. Accessibility issues are addressed throughout the course.

Instructional Design and Delivery
There are five criteria in which a course can be deemed exemplary in terms of instructional design and delivery. These five criteria occur within three rankings of baseline, effective, and exemplary.

Baseline

Effective

Exemplary
  1. Course offers limited opportunity for interaction and communication student to student, student to instructor and student to content.
     
  2. Course goals are not clearly defined and do not align to learning objectives.
     
  3. Learning objectives are vague or incomplete and learning activities are absent or unclear.
     
  4. Course provides few visual, textual, kinesthetic and/ or auditory activities to enhance student learning.
     
  5. Course provides limited or no activities to help students develop critical thinking and/or problem solving.
     
  1. Course offers some opportunities for interaction and communication student to student, student to instructor and student to content.
     
  2. Course goals are defined but may not align to learning objectives.
      

  3. Learning objectives are identified and learning activities are implied.
     
  4. Course provides some visual, textual, kinesthetic and/or auditory activities to enhance student learning.
     
  5. Course provides some activities to help students develop critical thinking and/skills or problem-solving skills.
  1. Course offers ample opportunities for interaction and communication student to student, student to instructor and student to content.
     
  2. Course goals are clearly defined and aligned to learning objectives.
     
  3. Learning objectives are identified and learning activities are clearly integrated.
     
  4. Course provides multiple visual, textual, kinesthetic and/or auditory activities to enhance student learning.
     
  5. Course provides multiple activities that help students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
     

Learner Support and Resources
There are three criteria in which a course can be deemed exemplary in terms of learner support and resources. These five criteria occur within three rankings of baseline, effective, and exemplary.

Baseline

Effective

Exemplary
  1. Course contains limited information for online learner support and links to campus resources.
     
  2. Course provides limited course-specific resources, limited contact information for instructor, department and/or program.
     
  3. Course offers access to a limited number of resources supporting course content.
  1. Course contains some information for online learner support and links to campus resources.
     
  2. Course provides some course-specific resources, some contact information for instructor, department and program.
     
  3. Course offers access to some resources supporting course content.
  1. Course contains extensive information about being an online learner and links to campus resources.
     
  2. Course provides a variety of course-specific resources, contact information for instructor, department and program.
     
  3. Course offers access to a wide range of resources supporting course content.

Faculty Use of Student Feedback
There are four criteria in which a course can be deemed exemplary in terms of the faculty use of student feedback. These five criteria occur within three rankings of baseline, effective, and exemplary.

Baseline

Effective

Exemplary
  1. Instructor offers limited opportunity for students to give feedback to faculty on course content.
     
  2. Instructor offers limited opportunity for students to give feedback on ease of online technology in course.
     
  3. Instructor uses student feedback at the end of the semester to help plan instruction and assessment of student learning for the next semester.
  1. Instructor offers some opportunities for students to give feedback on course content.
     
  2. Instructor offers some opportunities for students to give feedback on ease of online technology in course.
     
  3. Instructor requests and uses student feedback a couple times during the semester to help plan instruction and assessment of student learning for the rest of the semester.
  1. Instructor offers multiple opportunities for students to give feedback on course content.
     
  2. Instructor offers multiple opportunities for students to give feedback on ease of online technology in course.
     
  3. Instructor uses formal and informal student feedback in an ongoing basis to help plan instruction and assessment of student learning throughout the semester.
changed July 29, 2008