Assessment 3- ADDITIONAL PART
ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT 3- OPTION 2
“Online courses have becoming increasingly popular” (Lapsley & Moody, 2007, p167). With the ever increasing popularity with online courses it is vital that the course is properly evaluated to measure its effectiveness and overall success. The intention of evaluation criteria is to determine the strengths, weaknesses and effectiveness of the online course. The learner who actually completes the online course gain knowledge and insight into what they learn quickly and effectively and what they do not. This provides the teachers and practitioners with feedback on how they can improve the course to make it better and more efficient.
A framework to evaluate the online course makes it easier to understand and find the strengths and weaknesses so that teachers/practitioners can make improvements. Although the Kirk Patrick’s Model is quite effective in measuring and evaluating courses alike. I chose not to include it as the framework of my evaluation criteria as it does not include all the aspects that need to be reviewed and evaluated for a particular online course. All courses are different in their own unique ways and I do not believe that one framework will be able to cater for them.
It is vital that the content, technology/materials, access/usability, interactivity, support and feedback of the online course are considered, measured, reviewed and evaluated promptly and effectively to ensure successful results.
The Content of the online course is very important as it is key part of the course as it defines the overall objectives and outcomes of the course and can make or break an online course. Many different factors need to be taken into account, Such as what the learner is actually learning and taking in , the quality of the information, whether it is accurate or not, Whether the information is biased or non biased?. The content needs to be correct as incorrect content can affect the learning of an individual and will ultimately bring down the course. The Technology/Materials should be effective and help the aid the process of online learning. The technological techniques and materials used should be easy to access and comprehend. They should include all technical aspects such as, What software is required?, Will my computer be able to run the course smoothly?, Do I need to download any applications?, and so on. The Access/Usability of the online course should be displayed in such a way that it is organized and easy to use. The online course should be able to be accessed easily through a search engine or website. The course should be able to be accessed and carried out by any one that is interested in doing the course. Unless there is a stated age or group of people that the course is tailored around. The page layout should be simple and not complicated and show off the content successfully. The Interactivity of the online course is important as it keeps the learner engaged and motivated in the work. The interactivity should require the learner to think and make decisions about what topic they are learning. Bright colours, videos, puzzles and pod casts are just some examples of how learners can interact in an online course. The Support of the online course provides the learner with help if it is needed. In many instances the learner will come across some difficulties that they don’t understand and want to find the answer to. Therefore the support of the online course needs to be quick, effective and informative. Examples of such support include: Information Help Pages, Hints and Tips, an Online Facilitator and FAQ’s. The Feedback of the course is vital for reviewing and evaluation and has a close link with support. It shows the gaps or holes in the course that need fixing. The opportunity for improvement and upgrading of an online course increases its accuracy and efficiency.
The Evaluation criteria tool
This tool was created to evaluate future existing online courses and to receive participant feedback is as follows:
Course Title:Course Provider:Course Duration:Course Topic:
Content
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Did the course meet your objectives/outcomes? YES/NO
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Was the course informative and educational? YES/NO
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Was the course what you thought it would be like? YES/NO
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Do you feel that the course was biased in any way? YES/NO
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If yes, what way?
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Was the quality of the course easy to see? YES/NO
Technology/Materials:
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Were you provided with the right materials to complete the course? YES/NO
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Did you experience any difficulties with the technology of the course? YES/NO
Access/Usability
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Was the course easy to access? YES/NO
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How did you come across this course? SEARCH ENGINE, FRIEND, EDUCATIONAL FACILITY, OTHER
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If other please state__________________________
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Was the course easy to use? YES/NO
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Did you experience any difficulties accessing or using the course? Yes/No
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If yes, what difficulties?
Interactivity
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Was the course interesting and interactive? YES/NO
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Did the course motivate you? YES/NO
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Was the course presented and displayed properly? YES/NO
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How would you rate the interactivity? NONE, POOR, SATISFACTORY, GOOD, VERY GOOD, EXCELLENT
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If you could improve the interactivity, what would you add?
Support
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Did you use the support offered? YES/NO
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Did the course offer sufficient help and support? YES/NO
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How would you rate the support given? NONE, POOR, SATISFACTORY, GOOD, VERY GOOD, EXCELLENT
Feedback
- Was the feedback sufficient and helpful? YES/N0
- Did the course go for its intended time? YES/NO
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Does this course need improving? YES/NO
- If yes, How?
- How would you rate the feedback given? NONE, POOR, SATISFACTORY, GOOD, VERY GOOD, EXCELLENT
Additional Comments/Improvements?
The overall evaluation of an online course helps determine whether the information that individuals are learning is helpful or not. By using an evaluative criteria practitioners and teachers are able to see what individuals learn well and what they struggle with. The criteria makes the online course easier to measure and highlight the strengths and weaknesses of e-Learning.
References
Lapsley R, Moody, R (2007), “Teaching Tip: Structuring a Rubic for Online Course Discussions to Assess both Traditional and Non-Traditional Students“, Journal of
American
Academy of Business, Vol 12, Iss 1, p 167
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