Evaluation Online offers a variety of options to faculty who want to solicit formative feedback electronically. Researchers interviewed faculty who have used this system for midterm student evaluation.
For decades colleges and universities have experimented with various technological innovations to deliver instruction. Although not new in higher education, use of learning technology has greatly increased in recent years (Burnaska, 1998). This increased use brings an increased need for understanding the methodologies and approaches best suited to the evaluation of learning technologies in higher education. Here we first review the literature and describe the methods used in a myriad of evaluation studies in this area. Our primary purpose, however, is to describe our experiences evaluating a campus-wide learning technology effort (the SCALE Project) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This evaluation spanned three years and used multiple methods. More importantly, it provided some challenges from which others may learn and benefit.
Accountability in higher education is no longer something that is merely addressed with some cursory effort. Justifying the worth of your program is not just a requirement dictated by upper level administration, but rather it is a question of the long-term survival of your organization. This article explains the motivation for the University of Illinois (UIUC) Division of Campus Recreation (DCR) to conduct an organization-wide assessment of the programs of services offered to the students, faculty, and staff at the University. The material explains the development of the three overriding questions the Division felt critical to maintaining a good marketing position with regard to both internal and external competitors. The three assessment methods used in this study were professional/student staff interviews, focus groups and a survey. The results of the data gathered are presented in ten figures. Four summary statements can be made concerning the results: (1) The DCR is considered to be a vital and important of the UIUC campus; (2) No group is clearly under-served by the DCR; (3) The overall image of the DCR is driven by the Intramural-Physical Education Building while other facilities are virtually unknown; and (4) The average user considers the time spent utilizing the DCR programs and services to be a positive force in both their work and academic production.
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