Reading Reaction Chapter 7

According to Dabbagh & Bannan-Ritland "evaluation has been characterized as a process used to judge the "worthwhileness" of something in order to make decisions" (2005). In evaluating online learning environments it is important to not only consider the effectiveness, or "worthwhileness", of the learning environment, but also consider the learning that takes place in the environment. In my example of a WebQuest about the Modern Era of history and literature, I would use the evaluation to determine if my students understand the link between historical events and literature, and to determine the effectiveness of the online learning environment (the WebQuest) and to note areas in need of improvement. To reach this goal I would use a variety of evaluation methods. The first would be an exit survey given to students to get feedback on the functionality of the WebQuest. The second method would be the final time-capsule project. The third method would be a short essay response at the end of the entire unit asking students to explain how the historical events of the Modern Era influenced the literature. The results of these methods of evaluation would allow me to determine areas of need in terms of the use of the WebQuest; they would allow me to determine how well students understand the link between history and literature given the opportunity to explore via online learning.

I believe that my evaluations would address Kirkpatrick's Levels 1, 2, and 4. The survey would fall under Level 1 - Reaction allowing students to provide feedback about their online learning experience. The time capsule and the essay piece would cover Levels 2 and 4 by allowing students to demonstrate their gain in knowledge as well as display their final results.