Adapting to Student Needs
How might a specific number of required actions per week (e.g., number of posts in a discussion forum, expected number of hours in the LMS, required number of emails to students, required number of phone calls, etc.) possibly not be an appropriate measure from one course to another, or even from one week to another week within the same course in order to determine instructional quality?
Measurements such as required number of posts, length of time spent, number of emails etc may not be a great measure from course to course or week to week but students may be putting in the time to fulfill their requirements but it does not necessarily mean they are benefitting from the student/instructor interaction. A particular topic one week may be tougher therefore students may spend more time in the forums or reading material but it does not mean they understand the subject matter.
A specific number of required actions per week may not appropriately measure the particular weekly requirements of the course. For example, discussion board posts required of a math class may differ greatly from the number and length of discussion board posts in a Literature class. I would anticipate that the Literature class would involve more engagement from student to student and more critical thinking then would the solving of a Math equation. Similarly, the first weeks of a class are more introductory in nature and discussion and engagement may not compare to the quantity that is expected as the class becomes more familiar with the instructor, with the material and with their peers within the class. Preparation for a final exam is also a motivator towards increased discussion between instructor and student. The student make-up of a class can vary greatly from one term to another, so measuring the number of emails sent out or phone calls made will not make sense unless you are encountering the same issues and student behaviors in every class.
Anne ,
Good points of discussion. Especially your last point alluding to discovering trends in student behaviors across classes. Good post.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Counting the number of actions performed by the instructor is nothing more than "bean-counting." If the instructor utters some platitudes in a classroom blog, that may possibly mean nothing to the student(s). Therefore, should such an empty contribution count as instructional merit?! Maybe the counting of characters in the typed repsonse of the instructor would be an indicator of "quality," but it still does not possess the power to evaluate on an absolute basis--only on a superficial and relative basis. In short, frequency of visits, time spent online, and nunmber of words cannot do justice in the process of evaluating an instructor's competency or effectiveness.
William,
Very true. The quantitative is just the BEGINNING of evaluating quality. If the quantities do not we are quickly alerted to the areas of deficiency. If the required quantities of participation do exist, continued evaluation of the quality is a MUST.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Requiring a certain number of texts, emails, or log-in hours, are single dimensional metrics that can give a false or distorted view of the actual online environment. Just as not every brick and mortar classroom has the same level of student teacher interaction, not every online environment will interact in kind. For example, the level of interaction in a conversational language class requires a much higher degree of student-teacher interaction than perhaps a geometry class would. While that is an extreme example, the point is that using a quantitative metric only is not the best indicator of actual classroom dynamics.
Joseph,
Yes, both qualitative and quantitative evaluations are necessary for comprehensive assessments. Thanks for sharing.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
