Reader Question: Do you design the evaluation of a learning module first? Arguments for either approach?
From my perspective, all good instructional design begins with a clear understanding of the learning objectives for the activity. Since the learning objectives are what should drive your evaluation process, good instructional design is inherently tied to evaluation design. Sometimes I think online instructional design is driven by cool features/technology rather than serious attention to learning outcomes and the needs of the learner.
Evaluation is more than did the learners "like" the activity (satisfaction measures). But can you measure that they met some objective criteria for knowledge acquisition and did better than those who didn't do an online module. Did learners actually spend time in the learning module or just give it a cursory viewing?
One of the reasons for using outside evaluators in developing and measuring effectiveness and user satisfaction is the bias those involved in the development of a learning module bring to reviewing the data. It's only human to loathe criticism and revel in compliments. Thus, evaluation should be a collaborative process by those tasked with the design and evaluation of the learning module.
So what are your thoughts? I look forward to your comments.
