1 / 21

Evaluation Plan for the Master of Geographic Information Systems (MGIS) Program

Evaluation Plan for the Master of Geographic Information Systems (MGIS) Program David DiBiase and Ann Luck John A. Dutton e-Education Institute & Department of Geography The Pennsylvania State University 10 th Sloan-C International Conference on Asynchronous Learning Networks

odessa
Download Presentation

Evaluation Plan for the Master of Geographic Information Systems (MGIS) Program

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Evaluation Plan for the Master of Geographic Information Systems (MGIS) Program David DiBiase and Ann Luck John A. Dutton e-Education Institute & Department of Geography The Pennsylvania State University 10th Sloan-C International Conference on Asynchronous Learning Networks 13 November 2004

  2. Today’s Objective To apply the principles of the Five Pillars to create a comprehensive evaluation plan for an online degree program.

  3. Agenda • Background: Certificate Program in GIS • Background: Master of GIS Program • Evaluation Framework and Plan

  4. 1. Background: Certificate Program in GIS

  5. Four course, non-credit certificate program that began in 1999 Six, 10-week courses (10 CEUs), offered quarterly (January, April, July, October) Paced, asynchronous courses; Project-based; Utilize PSU e-Portfolio space for assignment submission All courses are Web-based, accessed through University’s CMS (ANGEL), but content is located on College server Demographics: 2570 enrollments by 1070 students over 21 quarters (last quarter--WI04—was our best ever with 193 enrollments) 37% female 85% have Bachelor’s degree or higher Geographically dispersed (15% PA, 3% international) Certificate Program Overview

  6. CPGIS Curriculum

  7. 2. Background: Master of GIS Program

  8. Master of GIS Program - Program Goals Help graduates advance their careers by becoming not only knowledgeable and skillful users of geographic information technologies, but also leaders in their organizations with regard to the design, specification and management of geographic information infrastructures. Strengthen the geospatial workforce by nurturing not only technical competence but also the articulacy, analytical skills, and professionalism required for leadership in any organization. Expand and strengthen the Department of Geography’s capacity to serve a national and international market of adult professionals who need to participate on a part-time basis and at a distance.

  9. MGIS Curriculum

  10. MGIS Program Timeline

  11. 3. Evaluation Framework and Plan

  12. Quality Assurance Framework • “The Five Pillars of Quality in Online Education” • Learning Effectiveness • Student Satisfaction • Faculty Satisfaction • Cost Effectiveness • Access

  13. Research Questions • Learning Effectiveness: • To what extent is the MGIS program successful in preparing students for leadership roles in their organizations? • How responsive is it to the evolving requirements of the GIS workforce? • Beyond its existing curriculum, what knowledge, skills, and attitudes should the MGIS program seek to help students develop? • Does the program provide the frequency and character of interactions among students and faculty members that are needed to foster learning?

  14. Research Questions • Student Satisfaction: • How satisfied with the MGIS program are current and former students? • Are their expectations met and exceeded with regard to attentiveness and knowledge of program faculty and timeliness of student support services? • What are students’ perceptions about the quality of course content? • In what ways can student satisfaction be increased?

  15. Research Questions • Faculty Satisfaction: • How satisfied with the MGIS program are its participating faculty members? • To what extent are they satisfied with their quantity and quality of their interactions with students? • Do they perceive their workload to be sustainable? • Is their participation adequately valued and rewarded? • Do they receive adequate training and support from the appropriate support staff? • How is the program perceived by non-participating faculty members? To what extent is the relationship between the MGIS program and the Department of Geography’s resident programs synergistic?

  16. Research Questions • Cost Effectiveness: • To what extent is the program financially viable and sustainable? • Do the benefits of the program to stakeholders (including students, the GIS profession, and the University) outweigh its costs (including opportunity costs, as well as real costs)?

  17. Research Questions • Access: • To whom and under what conditions is the MGIS program accessible to its intended audience? • Whom does it exclude? • What technological, socioeconomic, or other barriers prevent or discourage prospective students from participating in the program? • Can barriers be removed? How?

  18. Data Gathering Strategies • Market Research (Outreach Office of Marketing Research and Planning) • Program Application Statement of Goals and Experience (MGIS Applicants) • Entry Interview (Advisors) • Semi-annual Advising Interview (Advisors) • Course Evaluation Surveys (Instructors) • Exit Interviews (Advisors) • Graduate and Employer Surveys (Outreach Office of Marketing Research and Planning) • Faculty Interviews and Peer Reviews (Dutton e-Education Institute)

  19. Analysis and Reporting • MGIS Graduate Program Assistant (Jan Moyer) and World Campus Evaluation Team • Recording of survey and interview data into confidential database • Quality Assurance Manager (Ann Luck) and World Campus Evaluation Team • Data analysis and interpretation • Publication of an Annual Report to MGIS Advisory Board and Geography faculty • Triennial program evaluation report for the Graduate School

  20. Sample Report Data • Learning effectiveness: Comparison of students’ stated pre-program areas of professional strength and needs for professional development with mid- and end-of-program interview data; Student and faculty feedback on frequency and character of interactions; Graduate and employer survey data on program effectiveness • Student Satisfaction:End-of-course and end-of-program satisfaction data (including recommendations for improvement) • Faculty Satisfaction:End-of-course and faculty interview satisfaction data from faculty and advisors (including recommendations for improvement) • Cost effectiveness:Number of program applicants per quarter; % of applicants accepted/rejected;Course enrollment data; Annual gross and net revenue data (including summative data on administrative program costs); Student feedback on actual program “costs” • Access: Demographic “snapshot” of program students; Market research analysis of program audience, including summary of potential barriers to access; Technology access data from “Initial Course Surveys”

  21. Questions? David DiBiase – dibiase@ems.psu.edu Ann Luck – luck@ems.psu.edu Dutton e-Education Institute – http://www.e-education.psu.edu MGIS Program Information – http://www.e-education.psu.edu/gis

More Related