From Courses to Colleges to Campus: How to Evaluate Online Teaching for Your Whole Campus
When evaluating online teaching, colleges and universities often start by locating or creating a rating form. This is one of the last steps—not the first—in designing an effective evaluation of online teaching. Before we know what online-course activities and behaviors we will measure, we must take a holistic perspective and address context-specific factors that will shape the evaluation process. The best evaluation tools in the world will not be effective if they can’t be implemented in a consistent, efficient manner that meets the needs of both faculty members and the institution.
Learning Objectives
During this ELI course, participants will:
- examine evaluation examples from their own and colleagues’ campuses;
- evaluate sample online courses;
- design a custom evaluation instrument;
- play the role of students rating online teaching; and
- apply best practices in self- peer-, and administrative-evaluation of online teaching.
NOTE: Participants will be asked to complete assignments in between the course segments that support the learning objectives stated above and will receive feedback and constructive critique from course facilitators on how to improve and shape their work.
Resources
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Sample Chapter from Evaluating Online Teaching (Wiley, 2015).
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Grand Canyon University: Online Classroom Review Instrument.
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National University: Faculty Teaching Observation Form for Onsite and Online Classes.
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Penn State: A Peer Review Guide for Online Teaching: Instructor Input Form.
Course Facilitators
B. Jean Mandernach's research focuses on enhancing student learning through innovative online instructional strategies, integration of emergent technology, and evaluation of online teaching. As the director of the Grand Canyon University teaching and learning center, Jean's scholarly and professional work is dedicated to fostering effective, innovative, scholarly teaching.
Ann H. Taylor has worked in the field of distance education since 1991, focusing on learning design and faculty development. She is the Director of the John A. Dutton e-Education Institute at Penn State University, where she guides her college's strategic vision and planning for online learning.
Thomas J. Tobin is the Coordinator of Learning Technologies at Northeastern Illinois University. Tom advocates for the educational rights of people with learning challenges. He speaks and publishes on copyright, academic integrity, universal design for learning, and the evaluation of online teaching, including Evaluating Online Teaching, with Jean and Annie.