Online Course Evaluation Project

The Online Course Evaluation Project (OCEP) has been created to provide distance learning administrators, instructors and course designers with a resource to explore the availability, quality, and completeness of online courses for higher education, Advanced Placement®, and high school. The EduTools project provides access and functionality to give users of this content an effective tool to search and compare course evaluations.

Online courses are identified and measured against a set of objective evaluation categories. These criteria were developed through extensive research and review of instructional and course design guidelines, best practices from leading organizations specializing in online education, and from numerous academic course evaluations. The emphasis of the evaluations is on the presentation of the content and the pedagogical aspects of online courses, yet OCEP also considers the instructional methods and communication tools so vital in a successful online learning experience.

Each evaluation addresses a list of 52 categories that address course features, including aspects of Scope and Scholarship, User Interface, Course Features and Media Values, Assessments and Support Materials, Communication Tools and Interaction, Technology Requirements and Interoperability, and Course Developer and Distribution Models. Course developers are given an opportunity to respond to evaluations and note unique course aspects and support services.

The evaluation process employs a three-member team for each course, consisting of a Course Evaluator, Academic Evaluator (subject matter expert) and Technology Evaluator. Team members are experienced in both the development and teaching of online courses.

This site has received support from:

The Monterey Institute of Technology and Education (MITE) has developed the Online Course Evaluation Project (OCEP) to identify and evaluate existing online courses in college, Advanced Placement®, and high school.

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation provided generous support for the development of both MITE's Online Course Evaluation Project and WCET's EduTools site. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation's Education Program funds policy studies, research, development, demonstrations, evaluations, dissemination, and public engagement.  The Foundation supports the use of technology to improve access to exemplary educational content for schools, colleges, universities, and individuals throughout the world.

Funding for Advanced Placement® course evaluations has been provided by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education's Western Consortium for Accelerated Learning Options (WCALO). WCALO, funded through the federal government's Advanced Placement Incentive Program (APIP), is a partnership of nine Western states to increase the number of low-income students who are enrolling and succeeding in Advanced Placement® courses and tests.

WCET, the Cooperative for advancing the effective use of technology in higher education, operates the EduTools site. EduTools provides independent reviews of e-learning products and provides tools to aid in the decision-making process.