Evaluation of Online Course Websites

Evaluation of online course websites

• Course Design
• Are the learning objectives and assessment clear?
• Can the LOs be measured?
• Is the assessment relevant to the LOs?

• Design of the learning environment
• As an overall impression, does the website and home page appear interesting and engaging but uncluttered?
• Is the intended progress through the website clear and logical?
• Is the structure of the website clear and logical?
• Is the website layout easy to navigate? Are the course user interface (UI) elements, like navigation buttons, the menu, video controls, etceasy to find and use?
• Are the modules or topics logically structured? Is there visual consistency from section to section?
• Are the modules or topics presented in an engaging way?
• Are the images and multi-media resources of high quality and relevant to the course?
• Are the visuals appropriate for the tone of your subject matter?
• Do the sections include focal points and adequate white space?
• Are design items grouped logically?
• Knowledge transmission methods
• Does the content support the LOs?
• Is the content concise?
• Is the content presented through a variety of media types (video, audio, image, text, interactive, etc)
• Is all important content covered in sufficient depth?
• Is the content chunked appropriately and presented logically?
• Have alternative media been provided in case of access or bandwidth restrictions?

• Assessment
• Are the assessment instructions for completion and upload clear and easily accessible?
• Are the submission tools effective and relevant to the type of assessment?
• Are the questions and instructions?
• Is feedback available for incorrect answers?
• Are pathways for improvement clearly outlined and supported?

• Learning activities
• Are the learning activities relevant to the content, the LOs, and the assessment?
• Is there plenty of variety in the learning tasks and activities?
• Are regular opportunities for synchronous communication with teacher and other students embedded into the course?
• Is interactivity incorporated into the activities as much as possible?
• Are there opportunities for self-assessment and reflection?
• Is there customised feedback available to students?
• Is there provision for peer and group interaction?
• Have readings, texts and eReferences been integrated into the content logically?

• Student support
• Does the website or course include orientation activities?
• Are details of teaching team information and contact advice clear and easy to find?
• Are the course logistic requirements clear (bandwidth, textbooks, equipment, etc)?
• Are there clear details of technical support and assistance available for online tools?

• Interaction and Collaboration
• Are there opportunities for interaction with peers and teachers throughout the course
• Have the collaborative tools been scaffolded with instructions, training and opportunities for practice (particularly if they are being used for assessment)?
• Has provision been made for different time zones, study times, etc?
• Are there alternatives for students who are not always able to be online?

• Overall consideration of the workload and timetable
• Has the total workload been calculated and aligned with the course requirements?
• Is the workload spread evenly over the duration of the course?
• Is the assessment spread throughout the course
• Has a detailed, accurate, linked schedule been included?

• General comments, bugs and errors
• Are all the live links working?
• Are all the live links clearly marked?
• Are the images of good quality but not too large to load quickly?
• Are all the images titled?
• Are there scripts for video or audio resources?
• Are there any grammatical or punctuation errors?
• Are the sentences and paragraphs short and concise?
• Has the active voice been used in preference to the passive voice?
• Has a friendly and conversational tone been used throughout?
• Are technical or subject-specific terms been explained (eg in a glossary)?