Outcomes Evaluation - Step 7

The purpose of this step is to evaluate the success of the course. You want to know what worked and what didn't work, where students learned what you expected them to learn and where improvement is possible. While student grades, formative and summative, provide important data, other information can be used to evaluate specific aspects of the course. A variety of formal and informal, formative and summative evaluation strategies may be used in this step.

During this step, you will accomplish the following:

1. Identify the learning activities which provide the best data for determining success in attaining the course mission, outcomes, goals, and objectives (Steps 1-3, Mission, Outcomes, and Learning Theory).

2. Determine which artifacts from the learning activities provide useful data for evaluation of student learning and course effectiveness.

3. Identify weaknesses highlighted by the evaluation process.

4. Plan for improvement of the course.

Course evaluation focuses on the process of determining whether the objectives of the course were met and planning for future improvements. Multiple questions need to be answered for this step. What information do I need to decide whether the objectives and mission of the course were met? Did students learn what was intended? Did they find the experience helpful and productive? Were the instructional strategies effective? Were the students satisfied with the experience? What improvements would improve the learning experience? Who needs to know what information about the successes of the course?

There are many sources sources of data for evaluating the course. Data collected for grading purposes is a primary source of information. Analyzing how the students performed as a group on aspects of assignments or on test items or constructs provides information about how well students assimilated, integrated, and applied the knowledge and skills they gained. Areas of weakness in learning experiences can be identified and revised for the next time the course is offered.