Evaluating from Multiple Perspectives
Another approach to reflecting on your course, in order to identify areas to change next term, is to evaluate your course from multiple perspectives. Following the tenets of Brookfield’s four lenses, the same four lenses or perspectives can be used to holistically evaluate your course design. Questions to consider when evaluating your course design from the four lenses are provided below.
Self Reflection
- Did your teaching strategy achieve the outcome you were expecting?
- Is there something you would change next time to improve your practice?
- Would you recommend your approach to a colleague?
- Was the technology appropriate?
- You could also use a checklist to help guide your own self-assessment or self-reflection of your course such as this checklist designed by the University of British Columbia.
Peer Feedback
- Have a colleague look at your course – what feedback do they offer?
Student Feedback
- Obtain feedback from your students through surveys, focus groups, or short minute papers where they provide quick feedback during the semester.
- Are students engaging with your online activities or resources?
- Do they have any trouble with the technology?
- Do they feel more engaged?
Theory/Scholarship
- Explore the literature in educational technology in relation to the online technology you have chosen to use in your course.
- How does your experience compare with the reported findings in the literature?
- Are the outcomes similar or very different from what others have reported? If your outcomes are different, it is not necessarily a negative thing, as your context may be different.
Additional Optional Resources
- Kilgore, W. (2016). Humanizing online teaching and learning. (free OER)