Virtual Learning Environment implemented, with content and with 'real' learners; time to take a step back and consider what has been achieved.

Throughout the life of your eLearning environment there should be a state of perpetual evaluation and development in line with the changes in curriculum and within the organisation.

It would be illogical to implement a system that has been planned so meticulously and let it stagnate while the learning provider changes around it. Often people believe that once a VLE is in place that's the end to the project - a falsehood that could prove extremely costly in the long-run.

Evaluation should be a part of every...

• academic session and/or
  
• end of course and/or
• module and/or
• project and/or
• task etc.
  

...allowing the steering group to look at how the virtual learning environment is coping and how useful it has been.

Experience shows that it is a good habit, at appropriate times during the year, to survey learners, practitioners (and support staff), administrators and managers for their evaluations of the virtual learning environment. (Google Docs provides a free, online option for such surveys).

Consider how the VLE is being used, any interesting or unusual experiences, or anything causing problems.

Taking stock of what's happening, makes planning for future VLE development and staff training easier. So vital to your success is continuous evaluation that it should be built in to the initial system implementation plan.

Like any commercial product or brand on the market, you have to keep assessing how well it's doing and target development in weak areas.

Assessment Criteria: -

The virtual learning environment is an evolving entity and, in line with your development plan, the assessment criteria must evolve too. You may want to refer back to initial criteria such as "must improve the quality of teaching", "must cut down on administration overheads" upon each reflection - but you would not expect each evaluation to assess "has been implemented in subject area" if you're now evaluating how it has moved on in that subject area.

Some example criteria are listed below:

Initial 2 month evaluation (or half-term for those learning providers who have a term structure)

1. Are you using the VLE?
2. Have you created any resources?
3. Do you use the virtual learning environment during lessons/training?
4. Do you encourage your learners to use the virtual learning environment for homework/assignments etc.?
5. Have you provided extension work for your learners, using the VLE?
6. What sort of content have you provided on the VLE?
7. Are there any features, of the VLE, that you have found particularly helpful/useful?
8. Have there been any experiences, with the VLE, that you are proud of or particularly pleased with?
9. Are there any features you have found, with the VLE, that hinder your subject/curriculum area? - If yes please specify which.
10. Have there been any experiences, with the VLE, that you found frustrating and/or demotivating? - If yes please specify which.
11. How do you see your curriculum area, on the VLE, developing over the four months?

End of 4 month cycle evaluation (or term for those learning providers who have a term structure)

1. Has your use of the system increased this term?
2. Are all members of your department actively engaged in using the VLE?
3. What type of content have you been providing on the VLE this term?
4. Have there been any experiences, with the VLE, you are proud of or particularly pleased with?
5. Are there any features, with the VLE, you have found hinder your subject area? - If yes please specify which.
6. Have there been any experiences, with the VLE, you found frustrating or demotivating? - If yes please specify which.
7. How do you see your contribution developing over the next 4 months in your department/curriculum area?
8. If you could make a wish-list of features for development, to be considered by the VLE steering group, what would you request?
9. Has the VLE helped you or your department/curruculum area, to cut down on paperwork?
10. Has the VLE helped learners to engage with their learning more?

Questioning of staff will vary from learning provider to learning provider, dependant upon the steering group's or the management team's current evaluation criteria.

A series of questions, such as those above, will provide a direct audit trail, for inspections, SARs etc., that display progression from the initial "I'm not using the VLE" to "Heavily dependant upon it for teaching and extending work".

Note: 1: Experience shows that if staff see that changes are being made as a direct result of their input, they'll be more willing to experiment and push the project further forward.
2: As the VLE is developed, the steering group needs to consider evaluating the use of the system and it's performance in a slightly different way to that employed initially. Evaluations should keep management informed of how well the deployment and development of the VLE is progressing and allow documents to be produced that assist learning providers in the writing of...

• the ILT/eLearning Strategy
• the ILT/eLearning Action Plan
• the Self Assessment Report (SAR)
• the vision statement for the development of ILT/eLearning
• other strategy and policy documents
• funding bids
• additional documentation for Inspection.

and...

• demonstrates a commitment to ILT/eLearning within the organisation by...
  • raising awareness of the organisations vision
  • demonstrating that the staff's perception of the current position is valued and
  • engaging with all employees