Emergent Evaluation: An initial Exploration of a Formative Framework for Evaluating Distance Learning Modules
Palitha Edirisingha [pe27@le.ac.uk], Phil Wood [pbw2@le.ac.uk], University of Leicester, School of Education, No. 21, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RF, United Kingdom [http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/education]
Abstract
Evaluation of student learning is becoming ever more important in higher education, partly because of increasingly performative structures within universities, and partly as the result of a developing interest in rolling development of curricula and teaching resources. Historically, for both face-to-face provision and distance learning, such evaluation has generally been captured by end-of-module questionnaires. Whilst these evaluative media may capture some reflections of student learning, they are often poorly focused, and rely wholly on summative perspectives which are captured at a point remote to the learning process itself. The current paper reports on an initial investigation centring on developing a formative framework for evaluating distance learning modules. It is distinguished from typical summative questionnaire evaluations by the collection of “live” feedback from students as they undertake a module, allowing for insight and feedforward to develop materials as students undertake the module. This is achieved by using a modified version of an approach called Lesson Study, a collaborative planning and evaluation tool which originated in Japan (Lewis et al., 2009).
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