Reflecting on Online Course Evaluations: Five Must-Do's for Faculty and Students

Gina Cicco*
Associate Professor, Department of Counselor Education, School of Education, St. John's University, NewYork, USA.
Periodicity:June - August'2016
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jsch.12.1.8078

Abstract

This article will review the experiences of a graduate counselor educator in teaching and evaluating her online courses. The author will summarize her most effective instructional and assessment mechanisms, based on student performance through achievement of course objectives as well as students' feedback and comments on specific online counseling courses and methods. The article will then provide five guidelines or must-do's that have demonstrated success for faculty members and students in fully online courses at the graduate education level. These five must-do's emerged from a thorough and comprehensive review of ten online graduate counseling courses taught at a metropolitan university in New York City within the past three years. The data collected is currently being analyzed and synthesized into a research report. The five recommendations proposed by the primary instructor include Presence, Interaction, Clarity, Consistency, and Availability, which create the acronym, “PICCA”, to summarize a proactive and creative approach to teaching and learning in online courses (Cicco, 2013; Cicco, 2015). Underlying the faculty and student roles in a PICCAbased online course is the understanding that each individual has a responsibility to remain attentive and engaged throughout the duration of the course and should hold an authentic commitment to strive for an optimal learning experience. The article will also include suggestions on specific ways to adapt and implement PICCA in the virtual classroom.

Keywords

Counselor Educator, Course Evaluation, Graduate Education, Online Classroom, Online Counseling Courses, Online Instruction, Student and Faculty Roles, Virtual Classroom.

How to Cite this Article?

Cicco, G. (2016). Reflecting on Online Course Evaluations: Five Must-Do's For Faculty and Students. i-manager's Journal on School Educational Technology, 12(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.26634/jsch.12.1.8078

References

[1]. Cicco, G. (2013). “Online learning experiences of counselors-in-training: Implications for online course design, assessment, and research”. In INTED2013 Digital Library, INTED2013 Publications.
[2]. Gina Cicco (2014). “Learning-Style Assessment in Online Courses: A Prerequisite for Academic Success”. imanager's Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 11, No. 2, Jul-Sep 2014, Print ISSN 0973-0559, E-ISSN 2230-7125, pp. 1-6.
[3]. Gina Cicco (2015). “Virtual Learning and Instructional Tools: Perfecting the Weekly Roadmap”. i-manager's Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 12, No. 2, Jul-Sep 2015, Print ISSN: 0973-0559, E-ISSN: 2230-7125, pp.1-6.
[4]. Grady, J.R. (2013). “Improving student satisfaction with large-scale, compressed timeline online courses”. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 195-208.
[5]. Haberstroh, S. (2010). “College counselors' use of informal language online: Student perceptions of expertness, trustworthiness, and attractiveness”. Cyberpsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, Vol. 13, No. 4, pp. 455-459.
[6]. Hollins-Alexander, S. (2013). Online Professional Development through Virtual Learning Communities. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
[7]. Horton, H.E. (2013). “How technological advances are customizing the student experience”. Community College Week, Vol. 25, No. 15, pp. 8-9.
[8]. LaBarbera, R. (2013). “The relationship between students' perceived sense of connectedness to the instructor and satisfaction in online courses”. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 209-220.
[9]. Reiner, C.M., and Arnold, K.E. (2010). “Online course evaluation: Student and instructor perspectives and assessment potential”. Assessment Update, Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 8-10.
[10]. Robb, L., and McDaniel, R. (2012). “Transforming online learning through narrative and student agency”. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 344-355.
[11]. Rust, J.P., Raskin, J.D., and Hill, M.S. (2013). “Problems of professional competence among counselor trainees: Programmatic issues and guidelines”. Counselor Education & Supervision, Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 30-42.
[12]. Trepal, H., Haberstroh, S., Duffey, T., and Evans, M. (2007). “Considerations and strategies for teaching online counseling skills: Establishing relationships in cyberspace”. Counselor Education & Supervision, Vol. 46, No. 4, pp. 266-279.
[13]. Yukselturk, E., and Yildirim, Z. (2008). “Investigation of interaction, online support, course structure and flexibility as the contributing factors to students' satisfaction in an online certificate program”. Journal of Educational Technology &Society, Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 51-65.
[14]. Zacharis, N.Z. (2011). “The effect of learning style on preference for web-based courses and learning outcomes”. British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 42, No. 5, pp. 790-800.
If you have access to this article please login to view the article or kindly login to purchase the article

Purchase Instant Access

Single Article

North Americas,UK,
Middle East,Europe
India Rest of world
USD EUR INR USD-ROW
Pdf 35 35 200 20
Online 35 35 200 15
Pdf & Online 35 35 400 25

Options for accessing this content:
  • If you would like institutional access to this content, please recommend the title to your librarian.
    Library Recommendation Form
  • If you already have i-manager's user account: Login above and proceed to purchase the article.
  • New Users: Please register, then proceed to purchase the article.