Evaluating
Teaching and Learning at a Distance
4.1 Differentiate between research and evaluation.
Research
is defined as the systematic investigation into and study of material and
sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. However, evaluation is the investigation of
the worth and merit of an object.
Evaluation identifies the strength and weakness for improving.
Evaluation
is defined as the investigation of the worth and merit of an object.
4.3 Explain the six categories of evaluation information: in measures of activity, efficiency, outcomes, program aims, policy, and organizations.
Measures
of activity keeps a total of the number of events people and objects. For
example, how many students are severed in the distance education program verses
how many are denied entrance of the program.
Measures
of efficiency outcomes measures the least amount of time to complete and
activity. For example, how many students
successfully completed the course.
Measures
of outcomes is the process of assessing the satisfactory of learning. Outcomes
can be assessed through discussion question, interviews, and surveys
Measures
of program aims is used to target a certain group concerning who and what they
plan on teaching.
Measures
of policy Used to identify procedures that are needed or need to be changed in
a program.
Measure
of organizations: Measures the
institution internal organizations and procedures.
4.4 Describe the AEIOU approach to
evaluation and its five levels— accountability, effectiveness, impact,
organizational
Accountability: First step to determine if objectives and
activities are completed. For example, if the distance education instructor
held the required amount of class sessions.
Effectiveness: Determines the quality of the project. Grades, achievement test and attitude
inventories are used to measure the effectiveness of a program.
What structures, policies, or events in the organization or
environment helped or hindered the project in accomplishing its goal. For example, what contributed to the success
or failure of the course?
Unanticipated Consequences
The process to identify unexpected changes of either a
positive or negative nature that occurs as a direct or indirect result to the
project or course. For example, did the distance education program impact the
learner in other ways not expected.
Evaluating Teaching and Learning at a Distance Words and Phrases
1.
Return on
investment: Converting training results from eLearning actives into monetary
values and comparing costs to the cost
of the training program to determine a return on investment.
2.
Evaluation:
the systematic investigation of the worth or merit of an object.
3.
Reactions:
Evaluation at this level measures how participants in the training
program feel about the educational activity.
4.
Kirkpatricks evaluation approach:
5.
Valid Instruments: Measures the effectiveness of online courses
and online teaching
6.
Reliable Instruments: Consistent
7.
Online Course Evaluation Instrument: OCEI A sample evaluation instruments used to
collect students’ perception about the six contructs.
Evaluating Teaching
and Learning at a Distance Summary
Many individual view research and
evaluation as the same entity, however they are quite different. Research was summarized as the outcomes in
distance education being as effective as traditional education. Distance educations learners also feel as if
their learning is as effective as non-distance students. Evaluation does not concentrate on the
outcomes of the learners but the strength and weakness to improve distance
education.
Kirkpatrick’s evaluation approach
is primarily used to evaluate traditional education in the private, government
and military sectors by instructors. Kirkpatrick’s
evaluation approach asked question such as; did they like it, did they learn
it, will they use it and will it matter which in most cases are unusable information
for the instructor. Phillips’ return on investment approach of
comparing the monetary benefits to the cost provides information what has
occurred rather what will occur. This
evaluation approach still produces the results that achievement gains.
The Open University of Great
Britain evaluation program consist of two strategies. One being the traditional positive experience
approach. The traditional approach incorporates an experiment the measures the
effectiveness of the distance education program. This program compares the data from two or
more categories of learners. The second
approach measuring the quality techniques by using focus groups, interviews,
observations and journals to gather information to measure the program. Most evaluators use a combination of
approaches or a constructive standpoint to measure the quantitative and
qualitative measures.
Measures of activity, measures of
efficiency, measures of outcomes, measures of program aim, measures of policy,
and measures of organization are used to evaluate distance education
programs. Although the categories are
used to measure the program they are not used in every activity.
AEIOU approach proposed by Fortune
and Keith has two goals for evaluating.
This approach provides formative information to the staff and summative
information to the benefits of the projects activities. The evaluation plan determine which questions
from the AEIOU approach will be used. In
some instances, all components of the approach will be uses, whereas in other
instances only certain parts of the approach will be used.
Student evaluation is an important
tool in distance evaluation courses.
Student evaluation provides information for accreditation and accessing
instructor effectiveness. This
evaluation tool is composed of teaching and learning, developing a community of
learners, the instructor, the student, implementation of the course, and
technology use.
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