Tech

4102
 Done by:
Course Overview
This course is Aysha Al-Shuaili provided by Alison
that provides free online courses. It
was developed by (67060) Learning Innovation
co. In this course, learners are
supposed to gain Zainab Al-Shidhani MS word 2007
basics including: the new tool bar tools, tables, drawings and pictures,
advanced properties and texts formatting. This course is delivered as web-
based. Presentation of this course is provided in different ways. There are
flash movies prepared to describe the way the program works step by step.
In addition, the course structure is presented in hieratical textual manner
which shows the user what are the main topics and what goes under each
topic. Users are given the choice to select the order they want to follows in
learning this software. If the user finishes one topic, watching the video only,
he will be considered as he finished that section. There are no exams given
to learners to check their performance but once the learner registers with
Alison; a record will be created to this learner. In this record, learner can
monitor their advancement in Alison as whole (i.e. what courses he’d taken,
what certificates, and how many points he gained.

The purpose:
There many Alison courses in Alison.com. Arabic Training of MS Word 2007 is
the only Arabic course in Alison until know. This report will try to measure the
effectiveness of this course in teaching MS Word in Arabic in terms of content
accuracy and course visual design.

Participants:
This report instrument was uploaded in surveyconsole.com. 20 visitors had
responded to this survey. People who want to answer the survey were given
access to the evaluated course (we provided username and password to
those who are going to answer the survey to make it easer to participant
visiting the course (no need for registration). People who responded to this
survey were invited via mail to solve the survey. All of them are studying the
course of “Evaluation of Educational Technology”.

The evaluation instruments:

Two surveys were used to develop this report survey (See the reference).
This survey only includes items that evaluate content accuracy and course
design from students’ perspective. The survey consists of two main sections.
The first section was examining students’ perspective of the course content
accuracy (items (1-9)). This section has sub sections which are: content
arrangement, goal statement in the content, assessment and content and
content usefulness. The second section was examining students’ perspective
of course design (items (10-22). This section, also, has sub sections which
are: navigation and components clarity and functionality. At the end there is
a question asks students about there overall satisfaction about the course.
This survey apply 5 Likert scale (1.strongly disagree 2. Disagree 3.not sure 4.
Agree 5.strongly agree).

The results

Content Accuracy:
a. Content arrangment:
About 40% of participants think that the course organization is poor
and the course is structured illogical. The rest (45%)agreed (agree
(20%), strongly agree (25%)) that the course is well organized and
logically structured.

b. goals statement in the content

most of the responses for this section were in the not sure –
disagree area. 35% of participants didn’t understand the course
goals and objectves while the same percentage understood the
course objectives and goals. The rest were not sure. Similar result
was concluded for goals and objectives matching to the taught
content but the negative respones are more dominant. Those who
are not sure still 30% of the whole group.

c. Content usefulness:
Regarding course length appropriateness, most of the responses
were in the “not sure” area. Then 30% of those who responded
agree that the lenghth of the course wasn’t appropriate. The rest
(25%) agreed in the appropriateness of the course lenghth. The
difference between the two last groups only one participant
response. For participants view of the online facilitation of the
subjcet taught in the course, most of the responses fall in the “not
sure” area but most of them diagree or strongly disagree that this
course online materials have significant important in facilitating the
learning of the subject. Four participnats out of tewnty only agree
that the online course materials are useful. The third part of this
 section emphasizes participants previouse responses. Most of
participants (> 40%) disagree that the conetnt is useful and wealth
with information and skills.

d. Assessment & content:

Responses to this section show that most of participant don’t know
how they will be evaluated in this course (45%). Only 30% of
participnats belive that they know how they will be evaluated in this
course (20% of them are very sure of that). On the other hand, most
of patricipants believe that the course assessment strategies are
not approprite in terms of time and content. Only 25% of
particpants agree (and some strongly agree) that course
assessment are appropriate to their learning as students.

Course Design:

e. Navigation:
The majority (55%) of responses to this item fall in the “disagree”
and”not sure” area. But when comparing the whole disagree
(disagree and strongly disagree) with whole agree (agree and
strongly agree) the “Agree” gains more responses (40%) than
disagree (35%). On the other hand, most of participnats (40%)
agree that the course content is easy to download and access.
Although this precentage is higher than other responses but the
difference between this AGREE and DISAGREE only 10%.
f. Components clarity & function:
The highest rate response is “not sure” (>42%) for the clarity of the
course title and instructor while more than the third agree that they
see the course title and instrcutor in the course homepage.
Regarding the other design compnents, icons are labled in
unapprporiate way (50%) and they are not properly sized in the
screen (50%). The number of these icons also seen as is excessively
used. Many participant weren’’t able to judge the menu consistancy
with course home page. Most of the responses related to the colors
and text in the course design are positive. These responses
indicates that text and colors make the content easy to read (50%)
and the used colors doesn’t affect the clarity of content in the page.
Majority of participants agree that this course design help deliver
information clearly (>50%) but still there is similar presecntage that
 said this ourse design doesn’t convey the meassage as it is (>45%).
On the other hand, most of participants belive that the course
pages are consistent visually & functionally. There preference of
Alison courses wasn’t so obvious. 40% think that they will join more
Alison courses whereas 35% don’t think so. The rest (25%) not sure.
Similar results found regarding the overall course design.

Discussion:
Most of the responses were nagative. In the content accuracy responses, the
responses are conflicting with each other. While 40% said that the
organization is poor, there are participants whole found the organization and
structure is logical and well arranged. This response can be interpreted as
participants didn’t understand the structure of the course. Also, many
participants didn’t understand the goals stated in the course home page and
content when presented. This maybe because these objectives werent
written in “points” manner, ethier they were announced in verbally when the
lessons are presented (flash presentation) or they were written within the
introductory paragraph in the homepage. Participants responses to the
usefulness part wasn’t clear enough because most of them responded as
they are “NOT SURE” which means they don’t find it useful nethier useless.
Finally, the assessment part. Participants responses consistant with what was
mentioned in the introdution of this report, that this course evaluation is not
clear. The only abvois way to know particpant progress is finishing watching
the videos which will mark the finished one with blue bullet (if all watch) or
red bullet (if patially watched).
Participants responses to the navigation were slightly possitive. Participant
maybe find the way the content arrangment some how traditional which may
ease the navigation for others and no for others. Many responses shows that
this course design components are not clear (title, instructor, icons lables,
icons size and number in the screen). This is maybe because the very
simplisity of the course design. Participants were satisfied with colors and
text used in the course this is also may be refered to the desighn simplisity
of the course. The last part of this evaluation instrument was examining the
participants perception about the design role in delivering the information.
Most of them agree in the functionallity of the course design in deliverig the
content. This is conflict with what they said regarding the course
organization and content clairty. All these conflicts in the results caused by
the careless in responding to the survey. Most of the responses doesn’t
refelct the course quality and the abvious evidince that the average time
taken to answer the survey was only 1 minute.

Advantages and limitations of the technology, based on the

findings.
according to what was mentioned in the discussion, most of the responses
were conflecting each other and don’t represent the course quality. But
overall. This course have number of advantages and disadvantages which
are:
advantage:
1. The only course in arabic in Alison.com
2. The content is accurate and well organized
3. The goal is stated in the introdution (but not in bulleten form)
4. The content useful and its lenghth is appropraite in relation with the
objectives.
5. The course design components are clear but they need more caption
or clearer lables (for some icons)
Limitations:
1. Course objectives are not mentioned clearly in textual manner
2. The course assessment not appropriate to assess students progress
3. The navigation through Alsion needs more practice untill someone will
not be lost in the course website.

Reference:

Mark, S., & Charles, W. S. (2007, 12 2). Student Course Evaluations: Common
Themes across Courses and Years. Med Educ Online , pp. 1-9.

Statewide, N. (n.d.). Course Rubric Checklist. Retrieved April 28, 2009, from Rubrics
for Online Instruction:
dev.scs.nevada.edu/committees/connectivity/06minutes/060606docs/RUBRIC%20C
HECKLIST.doc
Appendices:
Appendix A: screen shots of the course
Appendex B:

Research Instrument: Survey:

Please respond to these items according to what you perceive about the
Arabic Training Course for MS Word. You response should represent your
opinion about the course. The used scale means the following:1= strongly
disagree 2= disagree 3= not sure 4= agree 5= strongly agree

Content Accuracy:
a. Content arrangment:
1. The course was well organized and was presented in a logical
sequence.
b. goals statement in the content
2. I understood the goals and objectives of the course
3. What was taught matched the goals and objectives.
c. Content usefulness:
4. The length of the course was appropriate.
5. What was presented in online materials facilitated my learning of
the subject
6. The content is helpful and wealth with information and skills
d. Assessment & content:
7. I understood how I was to be evaluated in this course.
8. Course has multiple timely & appropriate activities to assess
student learning.
Course Design:

e. Navigation:
9. It is easy to navigate through the course
10. Course content is easy to access/download
f. Components clarity & function:
11. Course title and instructor obvious on homepage
12. Icons are clearly labeled
13.Images/icons are sized appropriately
14.Aesthetic design presents & communicates course information
clearly
15. Text type & color easy to read
16.Page background color or image does not interfere with font
17. Homepage does not have an excessive number of icons (12-16)
18.All pages are visually & functionally consistent
19.Course menu is consistent with course homepage
20. Course provides visual, textual, kinesthetic, and/or auditory
activities to enhance learning.
21. I think, the overall look of the course is appropriate for all
audience
22.I like the course design
23.I need to join other courses in the Alison site or other sites that
provide online courses