Evaluation of Online Instruction Site: Course Title: Course URL: Evaluation by: Yale PHIL 181: Philosophy and

the Science of Human Nature http://oyc.yale.edu/philosophy/phil-181 Jason Cribbs

**It is important to note that this course is a part of the Open Yale Courses. This means that these courses are available to all online, even though students will not receive college credit. It is clear that this was a course given in 2011, and the recorded lectures are now available online for any user.

COURSE OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION - The overall design of the course is made clear to the student at the beginning of the course The home page is clear and states the course overview which includes, course structure, the topics to be discussed, and course materials A clear introduction of the instructor is given that includes a photo The syllabus is linked to the home page for download and includes student expectations and requirements The idea of including a recorded lecture as well as text notes for each class session was very good It almost seems as that there is a disconnect because there is promotion of interaction The course seemed to say here is the information. Do with it what you will.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES - Learning objectives are measurable and are clearly stated. There are no learning objectives listed for the course A list of task to be covered is stated but it is very vauge.

ASSESSMENT AND MEASUREMENT - Assessment strategies are designed to evaluate student progress by reference to state learning objectives; to measure the effectiveness of student learning; and to be integral to the learning process. A clear listing of the assessments and their percentage toward the final grade/evaluation are included so that students may follow their progress The policy with regard to grades is explained but essentially means nothing because no college credit is received. Various means of assessments are used, but requirements of these measures are not clearly listed in the syllabus. However, one must remember this is like auditing a course It is not clear exactly how students assignments will be graded

Reflection is not at all encouraged in this course For an online course the assignments seem to be non-web based.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS - Instructional materials are sufficiently comprehensive to achieve stated course objectives and learning outcomes. The materials and resources used in the course are appropriately cited. The instructional materials are not as technologically current as they could be but are acceptable A link so that students may rent textbooks is available for students Very few instructional materials are the required, just the texts and recorded lectures The materials available coincide with the topics to be discussed but without learning objectives we cannot determine is they are sufficient for meeting the missing objectives Learner achievement through the use of the instructional materials is not discussed or explained

LEARNER INTERACTION AND ENGAGEMENT - Forms of interaction incorporated in the course motivate students and promote learning. The course seems to be designed with multiple learning styles in mind Activities for the course fail to promote or provide any interaction The only interaction that seems to be achieved through the learning activities is that of student-content. Collaboration is not even discussed much less promoted

COURSE NAVIGATION AND TECHNOLOGY - Course navigation and technology support student engagement and ensure access to course components. The media does a good job of supporting the course content Navigation through the course is logical and consistent The functionality of the content worked as expected There is no encouragement for students to become active learners

LEARNER SUPPORT - The course facilitates student access to institutional support services essential to student success. The Open Yale Course information page which includes general information and tech support links are available within the course

ACCESSIBILITY - The course demonstrates a commitment to accessibility for all students The course does a good job at providing visual content, auditory content, and a written transcript of all lectures. The course design facilitates readability and minimizes distractions.

COURSE ADMINISTRATION The course is designed in a topic format The amount of time students will spend on the course is reasonable for a working adult (1525 hours) The grading due to large numbers of students is appropriate for the faculty but only gives the student an idea of their understanding of the material, no credit. There is no online grade book

Summary The first thing I thought of when I saw this course was that it was like auditing a course in college. You dont get a grade and you really dont have to go. The bad part was they treated the course this way. The negatives I saw were a total lack of objectives and barely any goals. The course was there to present material only. No interaction was promoted. There was a half-hearted attempt to present a plan for grading but it made no sense why. The use of technological instructional materials was null. There were a couple of strengths to the course like how the instructor was introduced using text and a photo and that it provided a good bit of accessibility features. I was extremely unimpressed with this course.