MEDT 7472 Online course review instrument

Adapted from University of West Georgia 5-Star Online Course Review and National Standards for Quality Online

Course : ARTH 4037 Italian Renaissance

Grade Level:
Teacher(s) of Course: Dr. Vida Hull
Date of Review: 6-Jun-16
Reviewer: Stephanie Stone

Rating Scale
0 Absent - component is missing
1 Unsatisfactory - needs significant improvement
2 Somewhat satisfactory - needs targeted improvements
3 Satisfactory - discretionary improvement needed
4 Very Satisfactory - no improvement needed

Standard A: Introduction and Information

The goals and objectives clearly state what the participants will know or be able to do at the
A1 end of the course. The goals and objectives are measurable in multiple ways, and are aligned
to National/State standards
The course content and assignments are of sufficient rigor, depth and breadth to teach the
A2 standards being addressed.

Students are encouraged to introduce themselves to the class

A3
The course syllabus is easily located, and provides complete and clear information pertaining
to ALL of the following: course objectives, grading, instructor contact information, required
A4 materials, the nature of distance learning, and honesty policies ensuring the integrity of student
work.

Course requirements are consistent with course goals, are representative of the scope of the
A5 course and are clearly stated.

Information is provided to students, parents and mentors on how to communicate with the
A6 online instructor and course provider.

Minimum technology requirements and prerequisite technology skills are clearly stated.
A7

Expectations for academic integrity, use of copyrighted materials, plagiarism and netiquette
(Internet etiquette) regarding lesson activities, discussions, and e-mail communications are
A8
clearly stated.

The instructor provides a biography/photograph, a welcome message, and an appropriate self-

introduction which presents the instructor as approachable and engaged.
A9

Privacy policies are clearly stated.

A10
Content Notes

The primary flaw in the content is that students really only have a vague sense as to the goals and objectives of the course. Th
course that is offered in a conventional academic setting, so a syllabus certainly exists for this course; creating an online versio
course that is offered in a conventional academic setting, so a syllabus certainly exists for this course; creating an online versio
would clear up many ambiguities. Another option would be to have the instructor create an introductory video to address the is
video that provided a comprehensive course overview would not only make the expectations of the course more clear, but it wo
content of the course. The designers of the course have not addressed iNACOL standard A at all. Based on my investigation o
concepts and structures of effective online instruction" and there is no evidence connected with the course that supports the ide
to enable student success"(iNACOL standards). Additionally, there is no evidence that the designers understand section H of th

Standard B: Instructional Design

Course design reflects a clear understanding of all students needs and incorporates varied
B1 ways to learn and master the curriculum.

The course is organized by units and lessons that fall into a logical sequence. Each unit and
lesson includes an overview describing objectives, activities, assignments, assessments, and
B2 resources to provide multiple learning opportunities for students to master the content.

The course instruction includes activities that engage students in active learning.
B3

The course and course instructor provide students with multiple learning paths, based on
B4 student needs that engage students in a variety of ways.

The course provides opportunities for students to engage in higher-order thinking, critical
B5 reasoning activities and thinking in increasingly complex ways.

Readability levels, written language assignments and mathematical requirements are

B6 appropriate for the course content and grade-level expectations.

The course design provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student interaction,

including opportunities for timely and frequent feedback about student progress.
B7

The course design includes explicit communication/activities (both before and during the first
week of the course) that confirms whether students are engaged and are progressing through
the course. The instructor will follow program guidelines to address non-responsive students.
B8

The course provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student and student-student

interaction to foster mastery and application of the material.
B9

Each activity and assignment is well-written, providing students with a clear understanding of
what is expected and how they should submit their work.
B10

Students have access to resources that enrich the course content.

B11
Instructional Design Notes
The design of the content of the course is appropriate. However, what is lacking are any activities that coincide with the informa
further resources for investigation at the end of each video. She does mention throughout many of the videos outside resource
artwork. Providing students with a list of these sources at the end of each video would give students a more succinct and clear
interactive components of the course. One suggestion for the designers of the course would be to have created an external lin
create an open forum for discussion for free - this is a forum that could be kept open continually and would allow for interaction
instructor. She could answer questions or clear up misconceptions students may have about the material. This would also allo
instructor. She could answer questions or clear up misconceptions students may have about the material. This would also allo
seems that the majority of these relate to the iNACOL Teaching Standards for section A. The designers of this course have not

Standard C: Student Assessment

Student evaluation strategies are consistent with course goals and objectives, are
C1 representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated.

The course structure includes adequate and appropriate methods and procedures to assess
C2 students mastery of content.

Ongoing, varied, and frequent assessments are conducted throughout the course to inform
C3 instruction.

Assessment strategies and tools make the student continuously aware of his / her progress in
C4 class and mastery of the content.

Assessment materials provide the instructor with the flexibility to assess students in a variety of
C5 ways.

The grading policy and practices are clear and easy to understand.
C6
Student Assessment Notes
While there is a opportunity within the YouTube page to resond or comment on the course, there is no mention or suggestion by
students to utilize the discussion section for any questions about the content could easily have been integrated into an introduc
quantity of information presented in the course requires some sort of assessment feature. The designers of the course could e
instructor to present to the student, and then answer. This would have allowed the students to self-grade their mastery of the in
students with a menu of asssessment options at the end of the course. Again, the designers of the course could have created o
at the conclusion of the course. Since this is a conventional academic course, providing the syllabus for the course along with
than ignoring the idea of assessments alltogether. The designers of the course are not in compliance with any of the iNACOL st

Standard D: Technology
Clear and consistent navigation is present throughout the course.
D1
The course is complete (does not have any section under construction).
D2
All external links are functional
D3
Supplementary resources and links are available to students and are labeled as required or
D4 optional.
Rich media are provided in multiple formats for ease of use and access in order to address
D5 diverse student needs.

The course uses content-specific tools and software appropriately.

D6
Technology Notes
The course is technologically sound. All of the functions work properly and the sound quality is good and the visual images are
the monotony of watching 43 videos on the subject. The designers could easily have integrated a Prezi into one or more of the
more external links increases the chances of a technological glitch and could cause the course to not function as seemlessly. iN
allowed that information is presented in multiple formats. However, there are no allowances offered for students with disabilities
of learning.
Assignment requirements (to be filled by Professor only) NOT APPLICABLE TO PROJECT 1 ANALYSIS
OF ONLINE COURSE

A syllabus that tells the students the objectives of the lesson and provides detailed and clear
instructions on how to complete the weeks activities and explains how the learners will be
evaluated. It also must include instructors contact information and office hours

The course is complete

At least two well-thought-out discussion topics pertaining to the lesson

Some type of pedagogically-sound project the student must complete pertaining to the lesson.

Some form of advanced technology on display. This might include a narrated PowerPoint
lecture, podcast, video or movie cast, interactive tutorial, etc.

Some form of assessment (quiz, rubric, checklist, etc).

The integration of the interactive tool (blog, wiki or digital storytelling) you chose in the Tools
for online engagement and communication discussion, with instructions on how to access and
the activities your students will develop.

Total points

Overall feedback
Course Description: This course is a comprehensive overview of artists and their major artistic works during the Italian Renais
each artist, but primarily focuses on analysis of the artists most well-known pieces and explains how the time period influenced
graduate level course, so the targeted audience would most certainly be someone who already has a foundational understandin
political, and religious factors that led to the Italian Renaissance. Strengths: The sheer amount of information provided is def
providing a succinct, but in-depth analysis of each piece presented. Additionally, the instructor did a great job of selecting piece
Michelangeo's David, and Botticelli's Birth of Venus, but she also includes some of the lesser known pieces by these famous ar
course is that the instructor doesn't focus soley on paintings, but incorporates a variety of artistic mediums that were produced
definitely helps students understand the analysis of each piece. Weakness: As stated above, the absence of any assessmen
than a mini-series on Italian artwork. If this is going to be billed as an online course, there needs to be some assessment comp
instructor. Another area of weakness in the course is the lack of resources for further enrichment. Opinon about the conten
and provides an appropriate level of depth for a graduate level student majoring in art history. Suggestions for improvemen
activities, goals & objectives, interactive components, resources for further enrichment or remediation) it would have proved ben
artist discussed. Artwork is typicall a representation of the life, thoughts, and dreams of the artist- the artist is merely a represen
certainly have been somewhat familiar with the biographies of these key artists of the time period, but it would have created ano
had provided more background on the artists and even posed a rheortical question or two for the students. Persuasion is really
that the information they are presenting is worth buying into. This course has an abundance of logos - the instructor does a gre
explicitly stated, there is a level of ethos embedded in the course. The instructor is a tenured professor at an accredited univers
pathos - she does an adequate job of presenting the emotions conveyed in each piece of art, but she doesn't regularly connect
human being who created it. The information presented in the course is very interesting, but the course as a whole disregards
Online Teaching. If the designers of the course and the instructor added some key components, this would be a rigorous cours
providing a succinct, but in-depth analysis of each piece presented. Additionally, the instructor did a great job of selecting piece
Michelangeo's David, and Botticelli's Birth of Venus, but she also includes some of the lesser known pieces by these famous ar
course is that the instructor doesn't focus soley on paintings, but incorporates a variety of artistic mediums that were produced
definitely helps students understand the analysis of each piece. Weakness: As stated above, the absence of any assessmen
than a mini-series on Italian artwork. If this is going to be billed as an online course, there needs to be some assessment comp
instructor. Another area of weakness in the course is the lack of resources for further enrichment. Opinon about the conten
and provides an appropriate level of depth for a graduate level student majoring in art history. Suggestions for improvemen
activities, goals & objectives, interactive components, resources for further enrichment or remediation) it would have proved ben
artist discussed. Artwork is typicall a representation of the life, thoughts, and dreams of the artist- the artist is merely a represen
certainly have been somewhat familiar with the biographies of these key artists of the time period, but it would have created ano
had provided more background on the artists and even posed a rheortical question or two for the students. Persuasion is really
that the information they are presenting is worth buying into. This course has an abundance of logos - the instructor does a gre
explicitly stated, there is a level of ethos embedded in the course. The instructor is a tenured professor at an accredited univers
pathos - she does an adequate job of presenting the emotions conveyed in each piece of art, but she doesn't regularly connect
human being who created it. The information presented in the course is very interesting, but the course as a whole disregards
Online Teaching. If the designers of the course and the instructor added some key components, this would be a rigorous cours
Quality Online

There are no clearly defined standards that are being targeted in the
There are
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However, objectives
is clear that theprovided
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student Thisa is a conventionaloverview
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Score Comments
syllabusthe
breaks would
videos help ansections
into online student fully understand
that correspond the intention
geographicaly with of the
course. The
sections of the description
country; this of the course
helps - "An Introduction
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course does have a discussion component in which students couldAgain, if
This definitely speaks to the depth and rigor of the course.
the instructor
introduce had included
themselves and pose somequestions
specific learning
or comments, targetsbut then the student
this
2 would have a much clearer picture as
interaction is not stated anywhere on the course page. Interaction to the standards they are being withheld
to.
peers is what makes learning real, and instructor or the powers that
maintain this online course could easily have incorporated some verbage
0
on the homepage to encourage students to identify themselves.
The scope of the course is clear from the listing of forty-five online videos
that
There comprise
is no syllabus the course. for thisHowever, if the student
course provided; as statedis notabove,
alreadythis is also
0 somewhat familiar with the topic, then
offered as a conventional face-to-face course at East Tennessee they would have no way of State knowing
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a potential problem
3
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for that students
students misusing would watch before
or incorrectly citingengaging
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consultation. of the An
course.
integration of an online syllabus would have easily helped dispell any
issues as to how this course, and the information presented should be
0
used.

objectives of the course. This could easily be solved by integrating an online syllabus. This is a
se; creating an online version of this syllabus and embedding a link would be a simple task that
 The only method for students to learn and master the curriculum of the
course is to view the forty-five videos and take notes on the information
presented. The instructor does provide a wide variety of images within
each video and this certainly helps learners who process information
visuall. The instructor does not provide students with a suggestion as to
how to further their understanding of the content. An addition to each
Score video of suggestions for how toComments process the information or how to organize
The course would
the content is organizedaddress effectively.
more learning The instructor uses each video
styles; incorporating a quick to
focus
summary on a specific
at the end in artist
of the in
each a chronological
video would also fashion.
create This isn't
a wayvideos. specifically
for students
2 The learning
identified by comes
the instructor, form
so of forty-five
if students fairly in-depth This to
rationalize
does the highlights ofThe each video. aren't familiar with this time
period or Italian art, this wouldn't be clear. There are no activities that and
not ensure learning. instructor does present some analysis
several
accompany images the of piecesThe
videos. of art into each
instructor video,relies
instead but there is nothing
on providing students
required of the student but to view recordings.
with a barage of information to process alone. At the conclusion This course would of appeal
each
2 The
to
video,learning
visualtheand/or comes
instructorauditory in the
could form of
learners,
have forty-five
but
easily does
integrated fairly
not in-depth
allow
some forsort
anyvideos.
oftactile This
or /
informal
does not ensure
kinesthetic
formative learning
assessment learning.
which The
is
to allow instructor
a major
students flawtodoes present
ofself-grade
online some
learning.
their analysis and
Because
understanding the
several
content images
revolves
of the content. of pieces
around of art
artwork, intotheeach video,
instructor but
could there
have is nothing
included a few
required of the student
artistic components withinbutthe to view
course.recordings.
She could Thishavecourse would appeal
suggested that
1 to visual and/or
students draw out auditory
famous learners,
paintings butordoes not allow
sculptures for any
to help them tactile or
understand
kinesthetic
the content learning
they convey. which is a major flaw of online learning. Because the
content revolves around artwork, the instructor could have included a few
artistic components within the course. She could have suggested that
1 students draw out famous paintings or sculptures to help them understand
The instructor
the content they does
convey.provide opportunities for students to engage in critical
The language
thinking by posing usedmultiple
by the instructor
interpretations is consistent with pieces
for differing a graduate level
of art. She art
history course. Additionally, the course does
encourages students to continue to come to their own conclusions about provide a higher level of in-
2 depth analysisbut
many pieces, of Italian
does not artwork
provide during the Renaissance.
students with resourcesThere are no
for further
assignments
investigation. associated with the course, but the instructor could easily
have
Thereintegrated an open-ended
are no assessments written response
or opportunities at the end
for interaction of each video
incorporated
to
intohelp
thestudents
course. processAgain, the theinstructor
information, relies and connect
soley on the the videos to each
presentation of
4 other. This would help create
information through videos anda images
helpful overview of the entirety
to help students masterof thethe
subject
content.ofAart in the Italian
mention Renaissance.
at the beginning of the course should have been
offered to students who may have questions or comments about the
0 information.
There is no way Thefor information
the instructor the instructor
to acknowledge presents or is pretty a student's
confirm
comprehensive,
engagement withbut thisallowing
course.for a dialogue there
Additionally, betweenis noinstructor
way for the and student
could help students enrich their learning.
instructor to address students who aren't responding to the information
presented. This course is soley informational and isn't designed to
provide students with formal academic credits. However, an integration
There
into theisvideo
no way of for
quizthe likeinstructor
questions to may
acknowledge
help create or an
confirm
informala student's
method of
0 engagement
communication. The instructor could go through the questionsthe
with this course. Additionally, there is no way for and
instructor
explain why to the
address
correct students
answers who arearen't
correct, responding
but also to the information
explain why the
presented. This course
incorrect responses are incorrect. is soley informational and isn't designed to
provide students with formal academic credits. However, an integration
There
into theare no activities
video of quiz like or questions
assignments mayassociated
help create with
anthis course.
informal As of
method
mentioned above,
The facilitators ofThe
communication. this is a
the instructor conventional
www.openculture.com face-to-face
could go through website
the do course offered
provideand
questions at of
a listing
0 East Tennessee State University. This standard could easily be
content
explain why the correct answers are correct, but also explain why the is
related to this online course. However, within the actual course
addressed
there by providing
littleresponses
incorrect information are students
offered
incorrect. thatwith
maya help list ofenrich
assessments
the content thatofare
the
typically
course. assigned
Within several in theofcourse.
the videos, Students would, ofcites
the instructor course, havetexts
several the that
option
help support her own analysis of each piece of art. Students couldallow
to not complete these assignments as this course does not
0 for any academic
potentially use these credit, but it would
resources to help provide
enrichaor deeper
remediateunderstanding
their learningof
which information is most important and it
of the content. The instructor or facilitators of the course could providewould create an outlet for
students with
students to analyze
a listing information
of these sources in their consulted
own way. by the instructor in a
syllabus, at the end of each video, or perhaps in a video that comes at the
2
conclusion of the entire course.

that coincide with the information presented. The instructor could easily have directed students to
the videos outside resources that have helped shape her understanding and analysis of pieces of
ts a more succinct and clear resource to enrich their understanding of the material. There are no
have created an external link to an online discussion forum. Classchatter.com allows instructors to
d would allow for interaction between students, but could also be frequently monitored by the
material. This would also allow the instructor to provide direction for remediation or enrichment. It
 Score Comments
The course does not have any evaluative components nor does it have
any goals or objectives. The absence of these features would make it
0 difficult for a student to discern whether or not they have truly mastered
The course lacks any assessment features. There are no quizzes, or
the content.
discussion post suggestions nor are there suggestions as to how students
0 could access an assessment or any information as to how students can
self-grade
The coursetheir lacksmastery of the content.
any assessment features. There are no quizzes, or
discussion post suggestions nor are there suggestions as to how students
0 could access an assessment or any information as to how students can
self-grade their mastery
As stated above, of the
there are content.
no assessment strategies employed within the
scope of this course. Any student who watches all of the informational
0 videos would have no way of determining their level of mastery of the
information
There are noprovided.
assessment materials imbeded into the course. The
instructor is merely a vessel through which prospective students glean
0 information. There is no measure of mastery,so assessment flexibility is
not
Theaabsence
relevantof issue
any with this policy
grading onlineresults
course.in a zero rating for this
standard. Because the course has no assessments (formal or informal)
0
there is no need to specify the percentages and weights of assessments.

no mention or suggestion by the instructor of this feature in any of the videos. Encouraging
n integrated into an introductory video provided for students at the beginning of the course. The vast
signers of the course could easily have embedded questions at the conclusion of each video for the
-grade their mastery of the information. Another idea for informal assessment would be to provide
course could have created online quizzes for students to take on their own, and embedded the link
us for the course along with the typical assessments students are assigned would be more helpful
ce with any of the iNACOL standards in section D in that there are no goals or objectives presented,
The entire course, comprised of 43 individual videos, is available on
Score YouTube and is easily navigable. Comments
Each video is titled and the title gives
the student a clear indication of the overall topic of the video. Navigating
4
from
All 43one video
videos to comprise
that the next isthe
seamless and the
course have functionality
working is precise.
links. Additionally,
each one has good sound and image quality to help convey the
4
information
Each video of accurately.
the course is a separate link and each link works
consistently. The
Eachopenculture.com
of the 43 videosonly is
other external
audibly link is
narrated byathe
linkinstructor,
to the affliated
and university
includes
4 The website lists four this
websites with related content.
(East Tennessee State University) and link works as well.
many
Thesevisual images
websites of artwork
feature coursesandthatdepictions of famous
focus on artwork artists
during of the time
specific
period. The quality of the audio is good and the images are
European time periods. All four of these links are labeled appropriately clear. Going
4
beyond just
and function. an audio narration of the information is a teaching strategy
that appeals to various types of learners. The designers of the course
3 could have taken instruction a step further by imbeding videos within each
video.
The only thing needed to participate in this course is a device that can
access the internet and an internet connection. Making the course easy to
4
access and use is a great way to encourage students to take the course.

od and the visual images are clear. Incorporating other media formats may have helped to break up
Prezi into one or more of the videos to summarize the instructors main points. Of course, adding
not function as seemlessly. iNACOL standards in section F are somewhat attempted as they have
d for students with disabilities and the course does not present information that appeals to all styles
 Score Comments

45 of 132

feedback
orks during the Italian Renaissance. The instructor briefly provides biographical information about
w the time period influenced the artistic representations. Target Audience: This is designed as a
s a foundational understanding of artwork, and is probably somewhat familiar with the historical,
of information provided is definitely one of the courses strengths. The instructor does a great job of
a great job of selecting pieces to cover in the course. She presents many well-known pieces like
n pieces by these famous artists. In a similar vein, another strength in terms of the content of the
ediums that were produced during the time period. The integration of images of these pieces
e absence of any assessments make the course very one-dimensional and really make it little more
o be some assessment component as well as some facilitation of interaction between peers and the
Opinon about the content: As stated previously, the content of the course is very succint, clear,
ggestions for improvement: Beyond the suggestions already noted (including assessment
on) it would have proved beneficial if the content went a little more in-depth into the lives of each
he artist is merely a representation of the world in which they live. Students taking this course would
but it would have created another layer of critical thinking on the part of the student if the instructor
tudents. Persuasion is really at the core of teaching; the instructor's job is to persuade the student
os - the instructor does a great job of presenting facts, and logical information. Even though it isn't
ssor at an accredited university, so that does speak to her credibility. What this course lacks is
he doesn't regularly connect this emotion from the innanimate piece of art to the living and breathing
ourse as a whole disregards mosst of the standards A through I of the National Standards for Quality
is would be a rigorous course and would prove beneficial for student learning.