As many folks in this thread have already pointed out... there is not a single answer to this... nor should there be. Any course needs to be flexible to accommodate the learning styles of the students and the structural needs (ground, online, lab, theory, etc) of the course. No two courses are identical. In my experience, the most important means of evaluation is simply a hybrid of all the methods mentions in this section. Each method has its own strengths... use the best tool for the job at hand.
Michele,
I agree totally. A variety is good S you get varying degrees of feedback from the various types. This provides a more well-rounded view of whatever you may be assessing. Just stay involved in the process. Thanks!
This is a tough question because there is no one best assessment to "Close the loop" I do think that there should be a variety of assessments to give students the opportunity to excel in an area that matches their learning style. Not everyone is a great writer but they might be great at creating presentations. It goes back to what are the expectations of the course and what do we want the students to be proficient in?
Edward,
Correct. The more methods we use to get feedback, the more of a variety of feedback that we get. This can be very constructive in the course revision process. Thanks for your input.
There is not just one feedback evaluation which will allow you to close the loop in evaluating and revising your course. It will take multiple evaluation tools, from your instructors, students, advisors etc. to provide the feedback that you will need to make continuous changes that improve your online course and close the loop. Some formative evaluations will give basic direction followed by summative evaluations which will result in grades.
Dr. Vicki,
Ah, a curriculum specialist. They look at things differently too. You are so right about checking your ego. Do not take any of this personally - it's all for the good of the course, students and you. Thanks for your input.
Richard,
You're right. Getting feedback in a variety of ways provides information from a variety of audiences. It's good to do this so that you can see the big picture and realize not everyone views everything the same. Thanks for your input.
Hi Dr.C: I'm still working on course revisions for a course that was introduced over a year ago! Not only have some of my peers looked it over, there is also a curriculum specialist, the student feedback and of course, the grades. It's an ongoing process and as some of my colleagues have mentioned, it's best to "check my ego at the door." But I've learned through this process and I like to think that we're on the threshold of a great course!
Evaluations from other educators and interviews with exiting students would provide the most comprehensive feedback, but this is not to exclude other means of evaluation from the total evaluation process.
I agree that repeating is good .I will repeat the correct information as many times as it takes. I want the student to feel comfortable that they are always able to improve. They will know that my feedback is to help them and they can depend on me for that.
Faith,
Thanks for your input. The variety of assessments and review of feedback you get from students is very important in the course revision process. Nice job.
I really believe all methods of evaluation are important. But overall, I like to utilize student surveys and feedback. I also review tests and quizzes to see if there are certain questions that students are frequently missing. This lets me know if content revisions are needed.
Ken,
Sounds like you are right on track. The purpose of the rubric and feedback is to assist the student in learning. Keep up the good work. Thanks for your input.
My primary concern in provide feedback to the students is similar to the students primary concern - grades. I review each paper very closely to match the student answers to the rubric and to provide the student with any additional information I can provide to further enhance the learning experience.
Richard,
Good point to use a variety of assessment tools. I like pre-tests and post-tests so that students can see their growth in learning. Thanks!
I would want a pretest and a postest,also a portfolio. I believe at that point you would have a quite accurate evaluation .
Cynthia,
The stop, start, continue method really does provide you with good feedback. And, if you do this 2-3 times per semester then at the end when you want students to give you feedback in the form of a summative course evalutation, they are more likely to respond with additional information. Thanks for your input.
Cynthia,
Good point. That's why we want to have variety in evaluations. We all need to work to continually improve our courses. Thanks for your input.
I agree with your comment that the three questions Dr. Crews suggested were and are a source that may bring great feedback.
These three questions- What should I start doing?
What I should stop doing? What should I continue doing? are three questions that I'm going to add to both my online course and my in house course immediately. Thank you.
Student's evaluation is probably the most comprehensive feedback that I can gain. If the student isn't understanding a certain lecture or if a you tube video attached is just too long that they don't watch it then these are the feedback I need to get so I can improve my course.
