Aligning Curriculum and Evidencing Learning Effectiveness Using Semantic Mapping of Learning Assets

Phil Ice,Justin Beals,Jennifer Staley,Melissa L Burgess

doi:10.3991/ijet.v7i2.1972

Abstract

The ability to evidence learning effectiveness in virtual learning environments for accreditation purposes has posed as a challenge to higher education institutions who offer online courses. Many instructional designers have tried several methods for retrieving learning object, resulting in varying levels of object quality. For institutions who offer online courses and who are initially applying for or seeking renewal accreditation, rigorous alignment of curriculum to goals to learning objects is paramount. To date, there has been no evidence in the literature of this type of semantic mapping to harvest high quality learning objects that further align to course content to learning objects to course goals and objectives. A research and development team at a fully online higher education institution addressed this challenge by employing an open source repository and semantic engine for analysis and alignment of content, materials, and learning activities to goals and objectives across all courses within the School of Business. The result was a highly detailed, accurate mapping of the programs' knowledge base to established goals and objectives. Discussion, conclusions, and future directions are provided.

Highlights

As educational policy-makers continue to struggle with definitions of quality in terms of learning effectiveness in traditional face-to-face classrooms, a new set of challenges have emerged in online learning environments
Subsequent content development, which was added to the existing repository, resulted in a second run in which all but three goals and objectives could clearly be mapped to corresponding course content and activities
From an Instructional Designers (IDs) perspective, semantic analysis of content allows for confirmation that all goals and objectives have been fulfilled, identification of existing gaps, and the need for generation of other materials

Summary

Introduction

As educational policy-makers continue to struggle with definitions of quality in terms of learning effectiveness in traditional face-to-face classrooms, a new set of challenges have emerged in online learning environments. Ensuring the alignment content against desired goals and objectives has always been at the core of effective instructional course design—whether the instruction is delivered face-to-face, or via the support of distance technologies. With the latter method of instructional delivery, the architecture of a Learning Management System (LMS) challenges online instructors and Information Technology (IT) departments to locate and/or create high quality digital learning objects that align to goals and objectives. They provide only incremental improvements to what remains a highly manual process

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion