This is a document from WWWDEV listserv that had the questions in University of Alberta's
"Fit analysis" that resulted in their choosing WebCT.




Distributed Learning --- EVALUATION GUIDE

For users attending the Fit Analysis February, 1998



PART A:  Scenarios/Questions



Scenarios/questions to be covered and graded in this evaluation are grouped into five main categories:  Student, Instructor, Interface & Client, Administrative/Technical, and Other.  

Please grade the 'fit' for each scenario/question on the Grading Worksheet (Part B) as we progress through the list.  Please turn in your Worksheet before leaving today.

The scenarios/questions, by assigned category, are as follows:


STUDENT

1. Is useful HELP documentation provided online?

2. Can students post private messages for one another and for the instructor just using their browsers?

3. Are well-developed (ie. Multiple rooms, avatars) synchronous, textual chat facilities provided, and can the chat be logged?

4. Can students create private, individual annotations for course documents?

5. Can students take self-correcting self-assessments?

6. Is there a controlled or secure presentation area for student projects and papers?

7. Can students track and bookmark their progress through the course?

8. Can conferencing messages be searched and sorted according to different criteria?






INSTRUCTOR

9. Is thorough HELP documentation provided both online and off?

10. Can instructors track the progress of individual students?

11. Can students be assigned quizzes which are marked online?

12. Is there well-developed grade management for students, which is able to "communicate" with desktop applications such as Excel?

13. Are multimedia course materials supported (Shockwave, RealAudio)?

14. Can students be registered in batches?

15. Is there a calendar function for scheduling, and how well integrated is it with the other components?

16. Are old course materials (including conferencing activities) archived or deleted?

17. Can third-party web development tools be used (i.e. WS-FTP, Word97, FrontPage98)?


INTERFACE & CLIENT

18. Does the program require the use of frames?
19. Is a JavaScript enabled browser required?
20. Is a Java-enabled browser required?
21. Are navigation labels and aids used effectively and consistently?
22. Is unnecessary complexity avoided in the student and instructor interfaces?
23. Do the graphical elements appear professionally designed and suitable for post-secondary settings?
24. Does the interface appear to be easy to use and attractive?
25. Are the interface and interface graphics easily modifiable?

ADMINISTRATIVE/TECHNICAL
26. Is printed and detailed administrative documentation provided?
27. Are the server components SSL compliant?
28. Is an open architecture used in the design of the server-side components?
29. Can default settings be customized for U of A installation, and to what degree? (i.e. Homepage settings using a U of A emblem)
30. Can defaults be set for separate instances/uses of the program?
31. Can certain components (i.e. conferencing, testing) be used in isolation from others?

OTHER
32. What are the chances of developers being around in 2 years?
33. Is the asynchronous interaction message database accessible or exportable for analysis by other qualitative or quantitative evaluation tools?