XplanaZine

How does one determine quality in e-learning and mobile learning courses? It is important to look at the content, learning goals, user needs and equipment, learning conditions, and faculty capabilities. The following is a checklist of points to keep in mind when evaluating a course or an elearning or m-learning program. The points do not appear in order of priority or importance — they are a starting point.

The program should:

1. Adhere to an institution-accepted set of Best Practices;

2. Support and maintain a consistent look, feel, approach, and learning philosophy;

3. Allow for solid technical and academic support;

4. Provide opportunities for training and professional development of faculty;

5. Require faculty competency;

6. Maintain up-to-date online library resources needed for academic success;

7. Provide multiple ways to obtain course content (in case of equipment or device malfunction);

8. Allow the learner to accommodate learning preferences;

9. Encourage learner interaction and collaboration;

10. Provide opportunities for mentoring and guidance that supports the learning goals;

11. Presents learning objectives and helps the learner understand what to do to achieve learning objectives;

12. Aligns delivery systems with the user’s / learner’s capabilities;

13. Utilizes the best approach to incorporating games and simulations;

14. Suggests multiple ways to download or obtain audio & video files in case of equipment incompatibilities or slow connections;

15. Makes sure that portable content is playable on a wide spectrum of players and portable devices.

Your guide in the video clip: Susan Smith Nash. Filmed by Dave Feiden.More information on mobile learning at http://www.elearningqueen.org