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Designing and Evaluating E-Learning in Higher Education: A Review and Recommendations

November 28, 2005 

"The world has changed dramatically from earlier ages to today's highly technological world.  Similarly, learning has also evolved from the traditional classroom to distance learning and now to online learning, where students learn in 'invisible classrooms' (Phillips, 1998; Sutherland, 1999).   With technological changes, educational institutions must keep pace in providing ideal learning environment to meet changing demands.

Online learning (or E-learning) offers many opportunities that were not possible before.  The chance to learn from a reputable university from across the state or country can be extremely valuable.  Learning in an 'invisible classroom' setting promotes unlimited access to information.  It can also take away social and physical boundaries (like shyness, gender, race, location, etc.), leaving everyone on a more equal footing for learning.

Communication in education has most often emphasized one-way transmission.  Issues of ethics and morality become central to discussion in the business world (Beauchamp & Bowie, 2004).  In the academic setting, ther should be interactive transmissions that promote challenges, relevancy and dynamic creative thinking.  Interactive applications like chat areas or bulletin boards allow the learner to gain a wider and often immediate correspondence with peers and facilitators.  The use of discussion forums in online programs aims to break down communication barriers by providing a non-threatening environment for students.

Research over several decades has found strong evidence for the effectiveness of distance learning per se as a method of delivery (Moore & Thompson, 1997).  In choosing the medium for imparting knowledge, educators need to consider the qualitative, quantitative, and technical nature of the material to be covered.  Educators need to be constantly mindful that technology should not 'drive' their courses; instead, the course objectives and learning outcomes should be the driving forces.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2002), of the 4130 educational institutions in the U.S., 56% currently offer distance education, with 12% planning such offerings within the next three years.  With an institutional size of 10, 000 students or more, 95% are currently offering distance education, and 16% of institutions with a size of less than 3,000 are planning to offer distance education within three years.  With the increasing demand for this form of learning, institutions must consider crucial elements that will ensure their credibility, reputation, and survival (Best of the On-line, 2001, Phillips, 1998).

Institutions should provide training to the faculty in empowering them with the tools and skills to carry out their educational roles properly.  Further, faculty must be prepared to tackle the obstacles hindering their ways of imparting knowledge. Another aspect that institutions have to be concerned with is whether there are proper support infrastructures for faculty members.  Many educators face challenges when transferring knowledge using this new technology, as this approach is new to many of them.  Institutions must consider the amount of preparation time needed for each online faculty member, and include this as part of the training and induction program.

The student is generally more isolated from other students in the virtual learning environment.  Time and effort are common concerns that affect many online students.  The online learning environment can have particular effects on international students.  Although the assumption is that online learning allows flexibility and ease of learning, it may not be an attractive option to some students.

Technology is far from perfect.  The glitches in the technological world remain part and parcel of the 'virtual' experience.  Every institution is unique and has its own strengths in conducting courses online.

There are various ways to rate the effectiveness of the virtual classroom environment.  Quality in online learning is what most institutions have in mind to maintain their reputation and credibility.  Commissioned by the National Education Association (NEA), the Institute for Higher Learning Policy published a study that can guide institutions in maintaining excellence in distance education.  The benchmarks comprise seven categories of quality measures: a) institutional support, b) course development, c) teaching/learning, d) course structure, e) student support, f) faculty support, and g) evaluation assessment.

The evaluation process seeks to confirm whether the learning objectives and outcomes have been implemented and achieved effectively (Rae, 1999).  Feedback from students is crucial in assessing these objectives, and most institutions use questionnaires and surveys.  However, questionnaires have to be designed and developed with consideration given to what will be extracted from the information provided.  Institutions should design their questionnaires according to course objectives rather than relying on a general questionnaire for all courses.

One important outcome of any educational effort is to prepare the candidate to face the challenges in the working environment.  Kirkpatrick's model can be used to address evaluation outcomes (Kirkpatrick, 1996).  Kirkpatrick's four evaluation measures are reaction, learning, behavior, and results.   Reactions can be determined by the perceptions of the program and its effectiveness can be accessed through surveys (Arbaugh, 2000a).  Beyond the traditional end-of-course student surveys, institutions could send out questionnaires that ask students whether what they learned has prepared them well for six months to a year after they graduate and are employed.  Assessments of learning could be extended beyond the course environment (Arbaugh, 2000b).  Institutions could regularly evaluate the course curriculum (e.g., every two years) to ensure that course offerings are meeting the needs of the program.  Working closely with employers (perhaps selected at random), institutions may be able to extract the behavioral changes that candidates have undergone before and after the program.  As with any results, the results of online learning must be analyzed cautiously.  Since the effort to gather the information may be biased, the design of the model must be carefully crafted.

It is critical that the 'invisible' student is benefiting from quality higher learning.  Program design must maintain the standards of the institution, while at the same time making use of the diverse cohorts to exchange experiences, ideas ad knowledge constructively.  Dunn and Griggs (1995) indicated that cultural values influences the socialization practices of all ethnic groups, which in turn affects student learning preferences.  Cyberspace gives more people an entrance to available information.  However the traditional textbook is still a common preference for many students to use as both a reference and a guide.  With the information highway becoming more accessible, the possibility for students to be overwhelmed by information increases.  Not all lessons are suitable for the online-learning environment.

According to Gardiner (1994), the critical components and competencies that educational institutions provide students to face society include: a) capacities for critical thinking and complex problem solving, b) respect for people different from oneself, c) principled ethical behavior, d) lifelong learning, and e) effective interpersonal interaction and teamwork (Tham & Werner, 2005, p. 15-25)."

Reference: Tham, C.M.; & Werner, J.M. (2005).  Designing and evaluating e-learning in higher education: a review and recommendations.  Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 2005, Vol. 11, No. 2.

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Created: 2007-08-28, Updated: 2009-02-17