Evaluation Strategies

Formative evaluation strategies will be conducted prior to the release of the stress course and will consist of data collection, course analysis, and validation. Formative evaluation is a valuable tool that provides rapid feedback on the efficacy of the unit of instruction on stress management. Evaluation strategies, such as those listed below, will be used to assess the stress management course and provide information that could perhaps aid in improving and strengthening the design, content, and instructional delivery. Evaluation strategies will provide course, instructor, and student feedback include:

Instruction Evaluation Strategies:
Design Review – Expert courseware designers having content knowledge and experts in online instructional design will review the course content, adult learning theories, usability and prototype testing (storyboards, screen shots, beta testing, etc.) and university pedagogical goals to evaluate the course design. By doing so, sets the stage for continual course instructional design improvement.

Expert Review – Subject matter experts (SMEs) in the area of stress management will check the courseware validity, relevancy, and currency of the materials and provide their conclusions to the course developers prior to the course implementation.

Developmental Testing – The course will be validated using learners from the target population to work the material to determine:
1. If the course teaches what it is designed to teach
2. If the course reaches the intended audience
3. If the course actually prevent learner attrition
4. If the course actually teach students how to be happier while they complete the one-year certificate program, balance work, family, community, personal health, and educational pursuits
5. The effectiveness of the unit of instruction on stress management
6. Progress made towards the goal of the unit of instruction on stress management
7. Student attitudes and stress levels prior to the course and after taking the course
8. What generated the most stress for students and how the stress was handled
9. What generated the most stress for the faculty and how the stress was handled
10. If the course as designed helped both students and faculty to manage their stressors

Questioning and Classroom Discussion – The instructor can use questioning and classroom discussion to increase and expand students’ understanding and suggest strategies like:
1. Inviting students to discuss their thinking, in small groups, about a question or topic about stress and then sharing the results with the larger group.
2. Asking students to summarize what they believe to be the main points of a lecture, topic, or subject about stress.
3. Speaking to each student individually or in groups to determine stress factors in their personal lives.
4. Having students to write a paper about what they believe stress to be, how to manage it, and then discussing the idea with the entire class.
5. Questioning could be on what causes stress, what is the definition of stress, how does stress affect the student, or how to manage stress.
6. Classroom discussions could be on stress triggers, stress concerns, how tests might generate stress, what support services are available at the university to help students cope with stress, or the usefulness of the stress course.

Telephone Calls – Give students the opportunity to converse privately with their instructor and discuss whatever factors that maybe a stressor or potential stressor affecting their ability to learn, complete assignments, participate in class, or other matters. By providing this medium students will have a feeling that the instructor is more than a “talking head” or facilitator and that the instructor actually is there to help them to satisfy the course requirements and is willing to work with them. Let students know that phone calls are welcome.

Workshop Observations – At least two Workshop Observations will occur during the 8-week training timeframe to measure instructor stressors and management techniques. Workshop observations can be monitored via a review of documents collected (surveys, participation logs, number of sign-ins, or chat blogs) throughout the class period. Less participation may be a stress indicator while higher number of sign-in may be the opposite.

Electronic Mail – E-mail is a very useful strategy for instructor to use to converse about anything to include stress. Not only can email be used to make course assignments but instructors can have students to share his/her feelings or on-going concerns about stress within their lives or about the course itself.

Checklist of Course Lesson Strategies – Instructor asks the students which lessons were effective and which were not. Students are asked to provide suggestions on how the unit of instruction on stress can be improved. This survey helps the faculty to determine which lessons are vital for students and which are viewed as unnecessary and can be eliminated.

Instructor Surveys – Surveys will be given to instructor to determine if instructors are receiving the necessary training they need to teach the stress course to the students.

Student Evaluation Strategies:
Workshop Observations – At least two Workshop Observations will occur during the 8-week training timeframe to measure student stressors and management techniques. Workshop observations can be monitored via a review of documents collected (surveys, participation logs, number of sign-ins, or chat blogs) throughout the class period. Less participation may be a stress indicator while higher number of sign-in may be the opposite.

Student Surveys – Surveys will be given to students to determine if students received the necessary training needed to meet the course objectives.

Teaching Circles – Groups of students from within the same classes or throughout the university will get together either via webcam or chat room at least once a week to discuss or collaborate on their week, particular events that triggered stress, how they handled the situation, how the stress course helped them to combat or resolve the stressful situation, outcomes, and lessons learned.

Self-Evaluation – Self-evaluations is useful in providing a record of teaching goals, techniques, innovations, as well as outcomes. Have students to maintain a portfolio of their stressors. By doing so, it will provide a clear visual of the students’ stressors; identify stress triggers, what the student did to fix the stressors, and how often the stressors took place. The portfolio becomes a reflective analysis of the students’ stress, control strategies, and it act also as a file for students to post and have at hand lessons learned and resulting outcomes.

Threaded Discussions – Threaded discussions will enable students to chat to each other about videos showed in the class, effects of stress, stress management techniques, and other subject matter materials dealing with stress. Students can share information with their cohorts, work as groups/teams to complete projects on the subject of stress.

Checklist – Students will be given a checklist which will be useful for faculty to determine if the unit of instruction on stress management meet its intended learning objective and determine if students believe the unit of instruction is useful and helpful or should be continued or eliminated.

Questionnaire – The questionnaire will be computer generated so that students can return it promptly. It will ask specific questions about the unit of instruction on stress management and allow students to provide suggestions for improvement or otherwise.

Check on Learning – students will be asked to maintain a portfolio to identify, measure, and select techniques to rid or reduce stress within their life.

Field Trials – The field trails are evaluated to assess the field’s usability and functionality of the unit of instruction of stress management but to also assess the results of the field trial prior to full implementation of the unit of instruction.