Definitions Evaluating Teaching and Learning at a Distance

Definitions Evaluating Teaching and Learning at a Distance

1.     Evaluation, as contrasted to research, is the systematic investigation of the worth or merit of an object. Program evaluation is the systematic investigation of the worth of an ongoing or continuing distance education activity.

2.    Measures of activity. These measures are counts of the numbers of events, people, and objects. Administrative records often provide data for activity questions.

3.    Measures of efficiency. Measures of efficiency are closely related to measures of activity, and often administrative records can be the source of efficiency information.

4.    Measures of outcomes. Measures of adequate learning are usually considered the most important measures of outcomes of distance education activities. Often, interviews with learners are used to supplement course grades in order to find students’ perceptions about a distance education activity.

5.    Measures of program aims. Some distance teaching programs specify their aims in terms of what and whom they intend to teach, and evaluation information is collected to establish the extent to which these aims were met.

6.    Measures of organizations. Sometimes it is important to evaluate a distance education institution in terms of its internal organization and procedures. Evaluators sometimes are asked to monitor the process of course development or program delivery to help an organization be more efficient.

7.    Accountability. Evaluators checked records, interviewed staff, and visited classrooms to determine the status of the development of the ICN, both as a physical system and as a tool used by teachers to deliver courses to distant learners. The accountability focus shifted during the project as its activities shifted from construction to implementation and finally to maintenance.

8.    Effectiveness. Evaluators conducted interviews and focus groups to determine what impact the availability of the ICN had on classroom education. Surveys were sent and reports were generated that helped education leaders to better understand what role distance education was playing.

9.    Impact. As the network became widely available and the number of courses and activities increased, it became possible to determine the impact of the ICN and distance education events on education in the state. Students were tested and grades reported.

10.                       The AEIOU approach is similar to Woodley and Kirkwood’s in that is an electric one that uses quantitative and qualitative methodologies, and it has two primary purposes as an evaluation strategy.