Evaluation of eLearning for Best Practice/Assessment/Assessment criteria

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Assessment information

For this course you are required to complete an evaluation project based on eLearning Guidelines for New Zealand: http://elg.massey.ac.nz/

As part of the project you will do the following:

  • identify and rationalise two eLearning guidelines which can be used to measure quality in your context;
  • investigate evaluation theory and processes in your context.


There are four parts to the assessment for this course (Evaluation of eLearning for Best Practice) and each is worth 25%. It is best to have a good read of all the requirements and check out the marking schedules for each part of the assessment. Please do ask questions if you are not sure of anything.

  1. Part One: Progress weblog and weekly activities - this is a journal in the form of a web log, or blog showing evidence and reflection about what you are doing in the course.
  2. Part Two A: Negotiate and write an evaluation plan and Part Two B: Prepare and present an evaluation plan.
  3. Part Three: Conduct an evaluation.
  4. Part Four: Evaluation report.


Much of the assessment can be developed on your blog. To assist with this, please make sure that you do the following:

  • Ask for help as you go and request feedback from others in the course.
  • Have fun giving each other feedback and assistance - comments on each others blogs, discussion on the course wiki.
  • Try and keep up with the activities on the weekly schedule - otherwise you will get behind with your evaluation project.
  • Complete work for the assessment in a timely fashion and finish all parts by the due date (7 July) unless an extension has been requested.

Make sure you tell the facilitator/lecturer when parts of your assessment are ready for feedback e.g Part Two A: Negotiate and write an evaluation plan.

Grading for the course

For an A grade you will be expected to:

  • communicate at a high level with the class - original ideas, practical and theoretical concepts;
  • provide feedback to others in the class;
  • produce work of an excellent standard with original thought and debate;
  • support your work with evidence - current references from academic research and literature;
  • demonstrate an excellent understanding of the subject.


For a B grade you will be expected to:

  • communicate moderately with the class - original ideas, practical and theoretical concepts;
  • produce work of a high standard with original thought;
  • support your work with evidence - references from academic research and literature;
  • demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the subject.


For a C grade you will be expected to:

  • communicate a little with the class - original ideas, practical and theoretical concepts;
  • produce work of an average standard;
  • support your work with evidence - references from academic research and literature;
  • demonstrate an average understanding of the subject.

Part One: Progress weblog and weekly activities

This assessment is worth 25% of the total marks for this course.

It is an ongoing and iterative assessment. Follow the schedule, explore the assigned material, participate in activities, and post notes to your blog with responses to weekly questions.

Your tasks

  • Complete all blog entries by end of the course (3 July 2008).
  • Make entries to include the following four topics during the course - also listed in the marking schedule further on - completing the weekly activities will help with this:
  1. Identify and discuss quality issues for eLearning and evaluation processes, eg eLearning Guidelines, in your context and the wider tertiary sector;
  2. Describe the main inquiry paradigms which currently influence evaluation methods and their association with a range of evaluation models - indicate how they fit with your practice;
  3. Demonstrate skills and understanding for planning and carrying out an evaluation of an eLearning course or product.
  4. Summarise the ideas, experiences and understanding of at least three other participants in the course and whether you agree with their postings - perceptions and ideas about evaluation.
  • Post progress reports on your learning and what you are doing for the evaluation project.
  • Demonstrate your understanding of the assigned material and activities.
  • Include original thoughts, descriptions, analysis and synthesis, what you have learned and applications in your practice; also include references.
  • Do more than summarize readings or activities - Make connections between the weekly topics and the blogging of other participants.
  • Read your classmates' blogs and give feedback on their ideas.

Your facilitator will look at your blog from time to time and comment during the course and mark it at the end of the course.

NOTE: It would be helpful to the other participants if your comments on their blogs are more in-depth than "I agree, great blog!". It would be good if you tried to discuss some of the main points they have made and offered an opinion and suggestions. Extra information from information sources would be great as well.

Things to do to set up your blog

  • To track the blogs of other participants, you may wish to set up an (RSS) news reader and subscribe to their blogs. There will be a RSS feed of all participant blogs on the course blog. See help in getting started with an RSS news reader.

Marking schedule for Part One: Progress weblog and weekly activities

This part of the assessment is worth 25% of the total mark allocation for this course.

Topic Mark
Identify and discuss quality issues for eLearning and evaluation processes in your context and the wider tertiary sector. 5
Describe the main inquiry paradigms which currently influence evaluation methods and their association with a range of evaluation models - indicate how they fit with your practice. 5
Demonstrate skills and understanding for planning and carrying out an evaluation of an eLearning course or product. 5
Summarise the ideas, experiences and understanding of at least two other participants in the course and whether you agree with their postings - perceptions and ideas about evaluation. 3
Posts to the blog are made regularly, and demonstrate reflection; there are links to other material eg, evaluation theory and studies, websites etc., and others' ideas, 5
Progress through the assigned material and activities and the evaluation project is demonstrated. 2

Part Two: A. Negotiate and write an evaluation plan and B. Prepare and present an evaluation plan

These parts of the assessment together are worth 25% of your total course marks.

For this part of the project you are required to negotiate an evaluation plan with the lecturer. As part of the plan you will need to include the information listed in the Marking Schedule further on.

Remember: you are doing the course so you can find out how to do all this - do not expect to know how to do this already. If some of you already have experience in an area of evaluation, use this opportunity to explore another method, unfamiliar to you.

Your tasks

  • Contact the course facilitator to negotiate your plan early in Week 8 - you are advised to post some ideas on your blog first.
  • Present your evaluation plan at the start of Week 9 or before - this is so you can gather feedback and include it in your final written plan.
  • Choose a medium for your presentation.
  • Include all sections in the written plan as per the Marking Schedule.
  • Submit your final evaluation plan at the end of Week 9 - this can be via the Digital Drop Box for the course, or on your weblog or via email to the lecturer.

Suggestions for the presentation

Prepare a short 5-10 minute digital presentation about the evaluation you are planning to conduct. The aim of the presentation is for you to share your ideas about your evaluation project and gather feedback.

  • You can choose to prepare either an executive summary (one page overview of the plan), or a more dynamic electronic presentation.
  • If you choose to do an executive summary, post it either directly or as a link on your blog.
  • The following media will assist if you choose to create a dynamic presentation:
  • A slide presentation with supporting audio published on a popular media sharing network (ie. http://myplick.com or http://slideshare.net)
  • Audio can be created by using Audacity, an open source product or My Mp3 Recorder.
  • A video published on a popular video sharing network (ie. http://youtube.com)
  • Other audio visual presentation published on a popular media sharing network (ie. http://ourmedia.org)
  • A recorded webconference (http://elluminate.tekotago.ac.nz) or a recorded live presentation (ie. http://ustream.com)
  • Decide how you will gather feedback. For example,
  • Voting on your blog,
    • feedback via comments on your blog,
    • email - list serv, Google groups discussion, etc.
  • Present in real time or asynchronously.
  • Provide a link to your presentation on your weblog.
  • If you decide to present in real time, do not forget to record the session and post a link to it on your weblog.
  • Report on feedback in your blog and acknowledge it in your plan.
  • Provide feedback to at least two other people.

Marking schedule for Part Two A & B: Negotiate and write an evaluation plan and Prepare and present an evaluation plan

This is worth 25% of the total mark allocation for this course.

Topics Marks
Background and rationale - includes the context, an explanation of why the evaluation is being done and the need for it. 2
Aim - the purpose and what is intended in one or two sentences, goals and objectives and outcomes are clear and relevant. 1
Evaluation questions - the "big picture" questions which the evaluation will answer - appropriate and at least two. 1
Decisions - what is important to inform stakeholders (management, teachers, students, industry.) 1
Methodology - design of the evaluation is comprehensive, situated in context, linked to evaluation theory - paradigm, model, method is described, eg, formative, summative etc.,data to be collected and how it will be done, outline of intended analysis. 4
Sampling tools included, eg, questionnaire, focus group questions etc. 3
Timeline and milestones mentioned. 1
References - list provided, referencing in the body of the plan. 2
Plan is negotiated - this is done in a timely and appropriate manner and feedback is actioned. 2
Plan is presented to the class and a link to the presentation posted on the blog. 1
The medium used for the plan is appropriate and enables feedback to be gathered. 5
Feedback obtained from the class is reported on in the blog and acknowledged in the plan. 1
Feedback is given to at least two other participants on their blogs. 1

Part Three: Conduct an evaluation

This assessment is worth 25% of your total course marks and this is where you action your evaluation plan.

Your tasks

  • Carry out the evaluation using the plan you prepared. As part of this, you will need to do the following:
    • collect data using the sampling instruments you decided on eg questionnaire, focus group, interview etc.;
    • analyse the data;
    • write up the results.
  • Submit a draft of your results to the lecturer via Digital Dropbox, your blog or via email - the finished product will go in your evaluation report (Part Four).
  • Post a summary of results on your blog by the end of week 13.
  • Provide feedback to at least two other people.

Note: Be careful not to use real names for courses, people or organisations in your summary or in the draft or final results.

Marking schedule for Part Three: Conduct an evaluation

This is worth 25% of the total mark allocation for this course.

Item Marks
Data is collected using the sampling instruments originally decided on eg questionnaire, focus group, interview etc. 4
Data is analysed using appropriate methods. 6
Results are presented in tables and/or graphs. 5
Results are described clearly and in reasonable depth and submitted to the lecturer. 6
A summary of results is posted on the blog. 2
Feedback is provided to at least two people on their results. 2

Part Four: Evaluation report

This assessment is worth 25% of the total marks for this course. This is the final part of the assessment where you bring everything together in a report. The Executive Summary is key for informing the discerning reader; keep it to one page or less.

Your tasks

  • Include the sections listed in the Marking Schedule.
  • Ask for assistance as you need it.
  • Submit by a week after the end of the course (10 July) via the Digital Dropbox or email to the lecturer - an extension can be negotiated if circumstances prevent this.
  • Recommended word limit is 2000 words.

Marking schedule for Part Four: Evaluation report

This is worth 25% of the total mark allocation for this course.

Item Marks
Title page, Table of Contents, list of tables and/or graphs is provided. 1
Executive summary is provided. 2
Introduction - includes background and rationale, aim, goals, objectives, outcomes, big picture questions and the sections which will be covered in the report. 5
Methodology - includes paradigm, models, design i.e. type of evaluation (function)- formative, summative, etc, sampling tools, questionnaire etc., participants. 3
Results - tables and/or graphs used to illustrate and description of the results is clear and in-depth. 4
Discussion and recommendations - links to big picture questions are made, what the results demonstrated, references to other studies, what worked and what did not, ideas for further investigation. 6
References - list provided and referencing of statements made in the report. 3
Appendices - example of sampling tool eg questionnaire etc, data not presented in results section etc. 1
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