Evaluation in Virtual Exchanges

Learning objectives of this module:

You are familiar with the forms, functions, objectives and possible dimensions/focal points of evaluations.
You are familiar with evaluation methods and can choose a suitable method for your evaluation objective/focus.
You are familiar with possible evaluation results and the relevant courses of action.

1. Introduction

1. Activity:

Have you ever evaluated one of your courses? How did you evaluate it?

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2. Activity:

Evaluations can be conducted for a variety of reasons. Have a think and tick the relevant boxes:

1.1 What is an evaluation?

“An evaluation is a systematic description and assessment of objects found in our social reality based on existing or newly collected data”. (Beywl / Schepp-Winter 2000: 17)

This definition from evaluation research can be applied to our context with relative ease: The object of our evaluation is virtual exchange projects. As can be seen from this definition, an evaluation follows a certain scientific standard, because it should be systematic and based on data. In this module, we will therefore show you how to go about designing and conducting evaluations and which data you can collect and use to evaluate your own VE projects. You will be given a range of specific, practical tips that will enable you to evaluate your VE projects independently.

1.2 Why should I evaluate my VE project?

The aim of evaluations is usually to improve our own teaching, in our case to improve our VE projects. Now, you could argue that this goal could also be achieved through observation and self-reflection. Indeed, the ability to reflect actively and appropriately in a situation is a key aspect of self-evaluation. In the field of teaching, most cases involve self-evaluations because you (and your VE partners) will be responsible for both the object of evaluation (in this case the VE project) and the evaluation itself. No evaluations are carried out by outsiders as is the case with third-party or peer evaluations. This means that you should be aware of your dual role, which entails a certain conflict of interests; you probably want your students to achieve the learning and teaching objectives and to have a positive view of your lessons as being geared towards those objectives.

In order to counteract this conflict of interests and help us reflect objectively, we can use evaluations and specific evaluation results, which “serve as a kind of extended external perspective” (von Werthern & Knödler n.d.: 4) and thus provide a basis for reviewing and improving our VE projects and our own teaching activities. The ultimate goal of an evaluation is therefore to obtain concrete information for the (further) development of your own teaching and educational projects and to actively implement your findings (see Fig. 1).

Fig. 1: Action-reflection cycle (based on Altrichter/Posch/Spann 2018: 14)

Evaluations can take place either at the end of a VE project or during a VE project. If you conduct an evaluation during a VE project, you will be able to identify any serious issues that arise during the project and take the necessary countermeasures. This will help increase the success of your students and prevent the possible failure of the project.

1.3 How can I integrate an evaluation into my VE project?

3. Activity:

If you want to take a systematic approach to evaluations, you will have to follow certain steps. In this exercise, think about how the different steps involved in planning and implementing VE projects and evaluations might fit together. To do this, arrange the following steps in a logical order.

All illustrations on this site by @storyset (https://www.freepik.com/author/stories)