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Session Number 1793

Reflections of Evaluating Web-based Courses: A Case Study Deepthi (Dee) Werapitiya, Jennifer Drez, Jerald L. Rounds University of New Mexico

Abstract This paper explores the methods and process of evaluating two web-based courses, which form part of the Construction Advancement Institute (CAI) Certificate program for the construction industry. The CAI program was designed to enable practicing construction professionals to take the core construction courses offered at the University of New Mexico through a professional development track, rather than an academic track. A companion paper entitled Taking Construction Education to Practicing Professionals: A Case Study has been submitted for presentation at this conference discussing the evolution of the CAI program.

The two courses under study are Construction Safety CE 475/575 and Methods Improvement CE 479L/579L both offered by the Civil Engineering Department. These two courses have been offered in a traditional mode for many years, but were offered fully online for the first time in spring 2003 using the WebCT platform. A majority of the students enrolled in these courses are practicing professionals in the construction field.

This case study begins by describing the evaluation methods developed for CAI courses. The first evaluation step was to conduct an initial instructional design evaluation of the two courses. In the spring 2003 semester, Midcourse surveys were offered to assess the effectiveness of the course design and content. The analyses of the results of the Midcourse surveys indicated some revisions and changes were necessary to improve the two courses, which were incorporated when the courses were offered in the following fall of 2003. As part of the commitment to improve these courses and to cater to the particular needs of the students who participate in them, a Pre-course and Midcourse survey were offered in the fall 2003 semester. The paper will examine whether changes implemented through the use of the Midcourse surveys improved student satisfaction from one semester to the next.

Finally, implications and suggestions for future course design and evaluations are also discussed.

History of the Construction Supervisor Certificate Program The University of New Mexico (UNM) in partnership with the Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute and the Construction Advancement Institute (CAI) launched a fully online professional Civil Engineering certificate program in the fall of 2002. The Construction Supervisor Certificate (CSC) program was created based on projected demands in the construction industry, as tracked by CAI. The professional certificate requires a total of thirty (30) credit hours for completion, and includes lower and upper division courses. The upper

Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2004, American Society for Engineering

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Drez, J., & Werapitiya, D., & Rounds, J. (2004, June), Reflections Of Evaluating Web Based Courses: A Case Study Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--13899