While we all try to build better courses with more interactivity, videos, better quality audio, images, etc, how does one measure the quality of a course? I was wondering if any of you are aware of what the parameters are that could be used to measure the quality of a course, and what weight-age each criterion should have. Really appreciate your ideas and suggestions on this Heroes!
It is a "quality" course if it meets/exceeds the stated, measurable, and correct learning and behavioural objectives of the audience it was designed for.
If you do a course on Quality standards, it is almost always pointed out that "quality" means "fit for purpose", not necessarily "feature rich". In a poor part of a city a plastic/paper bag is the correct "quality" for shopping rather than Louis Vuitton, one gets the job done, one gets you mugged.
Sometimes, in commercial/corporate eLearning, we do not need all the "wizzy shiny things", although as Tom says, a good-looking bad course is preferable to a bad-looking bad course!
If the course meets the objectives of the course the it is a quality course. The objectives should be actionable and measurable. If the viewers of the course can meet the objectives of the course then it is a quality course. Any "shiny" or "wizzy" things should add to the content, it doesn't make the content. Why put $5,000 spining rims on a $800 car.
Thanks for your feedback everyone! I do agree that it is the needs of a learner that the course has to meet. But I am looking at how to compare between different courses designed to evaluate what was a better designed course say. Here are some parameters I had in mind. Would love discussions around the same!
By the way, I do agree with both Bruce as well as Jerson. It's just that, in a similar way to Nancy's checklist, I am trying to come up with a set of rubrics against which the Design of a course can be measured. Is is a course that meets learners needs? Yes! Is it a course that justifies the salary of an Instructional Designer, Graphics Designer, or a Course-ware Engineer? Well I hope so?!
6 Replies
It is a "quality" course if it meets/exceeds the stated, measurable, and correct learning and behavioural objectives of the audience it was designed for.
If you do a course on Quality standards, it is almost always pointed out that "quality" means "fit for purpose", not necessarily "feature rich". In a poor part of a city a plastic/paper bag is the correct "quality" for shopping rather than Louis Vuitton, one gets the job done, one gets you mugged.
Sometimes, in commercial/corporate eLearning, we do not need all the "wizzy shiny things", although as Tom says, a good-looking bad course is preferable to a bad-looking bad course!
Bruce
The only real measure of the quality of a course is if the learner's performance improved as a direct result of taking the course.
This is often a hard thing to measure.
If the course meets the objectives of the course the it is a quality course. The objectives should be actionable and measurable. If the viewers of the course can meet the objectives of the course then it is a quality course. Any "shiny" or "wizzy" things should add to the content, it doesn't make the content. Why put $5,000 spining rims on a $800 car.
Thanks for your feedback everyone! I do agree that it is the needs of a learner that the course has to meet. But I am looking at how to compare between different courses designed to evaluate what was a better designed course say. Here are some parameters I had in mind. Would love discussions around the same!
By the way, I do agree with both Bruce as well as Jerson. It's just that, in a similar way to Nancy's checklist, I am trying to come up with a set of rubrics against which the Design of a course can be measured. Is is a course that meets learners needs? Yes! Is it a course that justifies the salary of an Instructional Designer, Graphics Designer, or a Course-ware Engineer? Well I hope so?!
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