Friday, January 29, 2010

Evidence Based Decision Making for Program Evaluation - Connecting the Dots from Course to Program

Evidence Based Decision Making for Program Evaluation - Connecting the Dots from Course to Program

Featuring Dr. Ron Carriveau, Assessment & Measurement Specialist for the Center for Learning Enhancement, Assessment, and Redesign at University of North Texas and Dr. Richard Plott, Senior Research Analyst for the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness at UNT

Friday, February 12
1 - 4 p.m.
Library 101, Denton

In this workshop for department chairs, Drs. Ron Carriveau and Richard Plott will present an outcomes-based decision making model for addressing course, department, and program evaluation. A hierarchal model for developing outcomes will be presented, and a method for matching course goal attainment to program goals will be offered. Also covered will be an evidentiary decision making process that will include the uses and benefits of a data management system for tracking, evaluation, and addressing course, program and institutional goals. Participants will break out into groups and use forms and rubrics to develop assessment and evaluation tools for their particular departments. Participants will leave with examples, ideas and strategies for developing their individual assessment and evaluation plans.

This workshop is offered at no charge, however we ask that you
register soon! The registration deadline is Wednesday, February 10.

Please contact the Office of Lifelong Learning at 940.898.3409 if you have any questions. We hope you can join us!

Monday, January 4, 2010

New Year’s Resolution for Your Online Course

Ok, it is really 2010; that is so weird to type or say. The spring semester is days away and you need to tweak your course. So what resolution have you made to rejuvenate your course?

The best way to put new life into your course for you and your students is to look way back into 2009 and see what the students had to say about the course. Look at the discussion board area where you asked students to post the muddiest points or general questions. If there was a theme among student questions or comments for an assignment or other areas, that maybe a good place to start. Reviewing the instructions you wrote and/or having a peer look at them for clarity or understanding can help future students. Also, if there was an assignment or assessment that was particularly difficult for the students, a closer look here could shed some light on how you could alter the instruction for the assignment or assessment to make the experience work more smoothly for the students and you.

If you have not included a Discussion Board section to cover the muddiest point or a Discussion Board area for general questions, now would be a good time to add this to your spring course. Faculty have found that by adding these questions to their Discussion Board areas, it has drastically cut back on their email from students. Many times, a posting to the Discussion Board area can answer many students’ concerns with a single entry from you. And the students in the course can help post an answer to other students’ questions as well. The students also feel more involved with their peers when faculty use these Discussion Board areas for students to use.

You may also want to consider adding group Discussion Board questions to your online course as a break from the whole class Discussion Board. This gives your students a smaller group to work with and allows the students an opportunity to get to know their peers better and have a deeper dialogue with them.

There are many ways to challenge your students with the Discussion Board and talking with your Instructional Designer is a great way to start.

Valerie Shapko
Senior Instructional Design Specialist, Houston Center
vshapko@twu.edu
713.794.2042

Heidi Ashbaugh
Senior Instructional Design Specialist, Dallas
hashbaugh@twu.edu
940.898.4000

Tracey Mac Gowan
Instructional Design Specialist, College of Professional Education
tmacgowan@twu.edu
940.898.2773

Jake McBee
Instructional Design Specialist, College of Arts and Sciences
jmcbee@twu.edu
940.898.2784

Teaching and Learning with Blackboard

For GAs and TAs working with Distance Education Courses

Friday, January 15, 2010
1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Location: Administration and Conference Tower (ACT), 503


Have your GAs and TAs register today!

Once again, Distance Education is offering a workshop to assist GAs and TAs working with DE courses. The workshop is Friday, January 15, 2010 in ACT 503. We will offer the basic workshop on Teaching and Learning with Blackboard.

GAs and TAs - Click here to register. The registration deadline is Wednesday, January 13.