20100928 - Devey, ...Heuristic Formative Evaluation of an Online Course...

The e-volving practioner: A heuristic formative evaluation of an online course based on an action research methodology by Devey, Patrick L., M.A., Concordia University (Canada), 2002 , 199 pages; AAT MQ72844 My Interest: 1) Heuristic formative evaluation. 2) Context – online course. 3) Action research methodology. Action: To read specific parts of dissertation in future. Motivation Teachers using traditional classroom methodologies have had the option to consult with vast amounts of literature and research, not to mention the diverse and extensive knowledge of their colleagues, when in need of inspiration for their courses. On the other hand, due to the fact that online instruction is still in its infancy, instructors who delve into e-Learning do not have the same luxury. The nominal amount of research in that field usually ends with recommendations and possible remedies to encountered problems, as opposed to practical solutions or "cures" to the identified issues. Research Goal This thesis will make use of those limited studies, and combine that knowledge to the experience of practitioners in the field, as well as with the feedback from the participants in the e-Learning environment, in order to devise a set of successful practices for an undergraduate statistics course offered entirely online. In other words, this research aims to successfully implement practical procedures into a Web-based course in order to make it the best possible experience for everyone involved. Contribution of Knowledge In accomplishing these goals, this work could then serve as a resource for other practitioners in the field by providing them not just with recommendations for Web-based courses, but also with concrete, proven, and successful interventions in this particular environment. Comment: Softcopy Dissertation is scanned version; cannot copy and paste; difficult to to blog about it. Chapter Two: Literature Review Chapter Three: Methodology and Results