ETEC 648, Session2 Online Instruction Evaluation Rubrics

To evaluate online courses we have to judge them to certain e-learning standards and rubrics. In our hand three standards and rubric that written by professionals to review, these are Quality Matters (QM) Program, Blackboard Exemplary Course Program (ECP), and California State University (CSU) Chino.

Quality Matters (QM)

The Quality Matters states two groups of general standards used to evaluate online courses. One is specified to Higher education level, another specified to G6-12. Higher education rubric consist of 8 general rubrics. These 8 general rubrics divided into 41 detailed standards to follow specific requirements. The general 8 rubrics are: course overview and introduction, learning objectives, assessment and measurement, instructional materials, learner interaction and engagement, course technology, learner support, and accessibility. These rubrics come with a crucial concept which is the concept of alignment. Alignment means that course component put to gather to form a course that can effectively meet the learning outcomes.

In addition to these 8 rubrics, Quality Matters (GM) adds one more optional standard to form G6-12 rubrics which is Compliance Standards.

Blackboard Exemplary Course Program (ECP)

Blackboard Exemplary Course Program is designed to allow instructor and designer to make their own judgment to their work. ECP consist of four general rubrics: Course Design, Interaction and Collaboration, Assessment and Learner Support. Under each general category there are a set of substandard that give the desirable details. Blackboard Exemplary Course Program adopts four criteria to evaluate online or blended courses; these are Exemplary, Accomplished, Promising, and Incomplete. These criteria must be given to each substandard.

California State University Chino (CSU Chino)

California State University Chino established rubrics as tools to create and evaluate the design of online or blended courses, inside or outside classroom. The rubric is designed based on the question that is what does high quality online course look like?  ROI is designed to represent a development process for online or blended course.

ROI consist of six general domains, under each one there are a number of standers that give the details and the explanation. ROI six domains are: learners support and resource, online organization and design, instructional design and deliver, assessment and evaluation of student learning, innovative teaching with technology, and faculty use of student feedback. ROI adopted three rankings (Basic, Effective and Exemplary).

In my view, the three standards and rubrics have the same general standards with a tiny different in classification. Some of these standards focus on the general standards of good instruction whether if it is traditional face to face instruction or online instruction, another focus on technological aspect of online instructions. The different between these three rubrics are in the way of the presentation, classification, and in some details. For example the numbers of standards vary from one to another but the content almost eighty percent the same,  the three rubric have the general standard which include, the instructional course design, objectives, assessment strategies, online resource availably, communication tools, students engagement activities, delivery method, and learners support,

The three rubrics use different rating method. GM uses a point of 100 to point the scale ranges from: Exemplary, Accomplished, Promising, and Incomplete. ECP uses criteria of Exemplary, Accomplished, Promising, and Incomplete, IRO uses Basic, Effective and Exemplary. ECP states criteria that I could not find in GM and IRO which is Accommodations for Disabilities that means the availability of Supportive mechanisms allow learners with disabilities to participate fully in the online community.

Feedback section is mentioned in IRO as a main domain include three subsections, While in ECP feedback criteria is mentioned only as subsection, I could not see any criteria in GM that refers to students feedback.

My delivery plan

Regarding my delivery plan, to ensure Exemplary online courses I would like to improve several assessment and feedback methods following California State University Chino rubric. I am planning to design training course presented to university faculty members. That makes the assessment strategies look a little bit difficult because as we know this kind of training program presented to staff and faculty not in line with students assessment.  I think in these circumstances I need to activate and improve some self-assessment strategies. I think this is a big challenge. Using and development of feedback strategies in two communications way might help instruction to follow the tack and ensure the achievement of course objective.  One method that I think of is to arrange an individual online meeting with each participant. In this meeting the instructor has to be trained to measure the desirable knowledge and skills that are stated in the course objective.