Thesis
Evaluation criteria in online courses: Student and instructor perceptions
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2005
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/409
Abstract
This study examines how instructors facilitate critical thinking in online courses through the use of evaluation criteria. Through conducting and analyzing interviews it was shown that the student participants in this study work toward what they view as the instructor's expectations. Instructors in online environments communicate their expectations through interaction in online discussions and feedback to the students. When instructor participation is consistent and meaningful, the students work at higher levels because they see the instructor as being engaged and therefore as having higher expectations. Merely communicating expectations through the use of a tool such as Washington State University's Critical Thinking Rubric does not translate as high expectations to the students. Furthermore, instructors who make use of the rubric need to be sure that they are integrating it into their assignments and modeling critical thinking themselves. If the rubric is not fully integrated, instructors may find themselves teaching to the rubric rather than the course content. This disjointed type of teaching encourages students to build subject matter knowledge in a silo without linking new knowledge to what they already know or what they are learning.
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Details
- Title
- Evaluation criteria in online courses
- Creators
- Xyanthe Nicole Neider
- Contributors
- Kelly Ward (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Education, College of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525103201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis