Susan Kossman, Mennonite College of Nursing
Online courses can enhance learning beyond what students achieve in traditional classrooms, yet are often viewed from a deficit perspective. This presentation challenges the belief that online courses are not “as good as” traditional ones and the assumption that they should be evaluated in the same way. It points out limitations in accreditation standards’ guidance on online course evaluation and suggests that effective evaluation should go beyond assessing comparability with traditional courses to focus on how technology improves teaching and learning outcomes. It should raise the bar beyond meeting baseline quality measures to capture value-added outcomes of technology-enhanced education. The presentation summarizes best practice guidelines for online teaching, highlights value-added aspects of online courses and provides suggestions for effective evaluation criteria and assessment strategies for online courses.
