Session 2

Online Instruction Evaluation Rubrics

            Rubrics can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of various items.  For example, the evaluation of student work can be done with rubrics (Palloff & Pratt, 2009).  With the popularity of online education increasing, it would be beneficial to have a method to evaluate the content, structure, and effectiveness of an online course.  This would ensure that the course is delivering effective instruction.

            There are three rubrics in which we will take a brief look at, as well as compare the differences that each presents.  These include:

1. Quality Matters Rubric
2. Blackboard Exemplary Course Program (ECP)
3. Rubric for Online Instruction via CSU Chico

The rubrics that are available from Blackboard and from CSU Chico are available for free.  The rubric from Quality Matters requires a fee to be paid for their services.

QualityMatters Rubric

            Under this rubric, the concept of alignment is utilized.  The Quality Matters (QM) Rubric states that critical components need to be aligned:

1.     Course Overview and Introduction

2.    Learning Objectives (Competencies)

3.    Assessment and Measurement

4.    Instructional Materials

5.    Learner Interaction and Engagement

6.    Course Technology

7.    Learner Support

8.   Accessibility

The listed critical components listed need to tie and support the objectives of the course overall.  There is a fee for subscriptions to this service, which are available either in full or basic formats.

Blackboard Exemplary Course Program (ECP)

            The Blackboard Exemplary Course Program Rubric is available for free.  Under this program, the course is submitted by the instructor, and is evaluated by an outside source as well as a self-review by the instructor.  The goal would be to allow the instructor to gain insight and hopefully a new perspective on their course.  The course is reviewed in various categories including course design, content presentation, technology use, communication structure, and learner engagement to name a few.  They are rated as either 1) Exemplary 2) Accomplished 3) Promising or 4) Incomplete.

Rubric for Online Instruction via CSU Chico

            Faculty and staff at CSU Chico developed a rubric that is available to anyone who would like to utilize it, under a Creative Commons license.  The rubric, according to the developers, can be used in one of three ways:

1.     Self Evaluation

2.     Tool to design new course for online

3.     Gain recognition at the CSU Chico campus.

Six categories are scored as either 1) Baseline 2) Effective or 3) Exemplary

This rubric is a great resource in which the framework for building an effective online course is seen.

Self Evaluation

            Looking back to a learning module that was developed for an undergraduate nursing course, I can use one of the rubrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the course and where areas of improvement are present.

Clinical Care Guidelines

Using the rubric from CSU Chico, I have identified two categories that can be improved on.

11)    Instructional Design and Delivery

a.     Interaction: Baseline

                                               i.     Although there is an evaluation in this course, we don’t have any comment areas or discussion board area where students can interact with each other (Student-Student) and instructor and student interaction (Student-Instructor)

b.     Course Goals: Effective

                                               i.     The course goals were discussed in the video as well as mentioned in the introduction page.

c.     Learning Objectives: Effective

                                               i.     The objectives were discussed in the video under the Clinical Care Guidelines tab

d.     Visual/Auditory: Effective

                                               i.     The module included video with audio to help guide the learners across the module

e.     Critical Thinking Activities:  Effective

                                               i.     Pre-Test and Post-Test evaluation for learners.

1.     Allows for the learner to assess their knowledge of the content presented.

Not all areas were scored the same here.  Perhaps allowing for more interaction with the module would have helped in this case.  However, limitations to interaction could be seen in the Learning Management System being utilized for the course.  In this case, Blogger is used.  Had Blackboard been used, perhaps a discussion thread on the module could be built.

22)    Learner Support and Resources

a.     Campus Resources: Baseline

                                               i.     No links to any resources available at the campus are noted on this module

b.     Instructor Contact: Baseline

                                               i.     There is no clear indication of who the instructor is for this module and how to contact this/these individual/s.

c.     Resources Supporting Content: Excellent

                                               i.     A links tab with references supporting the content presented is seen.

Here, we can see that there are some areas in which the module could be improved upon.  It would be helpful to include access to the campus resources available to the students should an access issue arise.

            We can see how rubrics can help evaluate not only student work, but course structure and effectiveness as well.