Developing Courseware for Higher Education: Reflections on the Role of Evaluation

摘要

In CFL development, relationships can be established between development team organisational maturity, selection of an iterative development methodology, and effective use of evaluation in a pedagogical as well as a technological domain, as guides to successful project outcomes. A large, higher education multimedia CFL product was developed as two projects (two years apart) by multidisciplinary teams. The first project was developed using a linear-sequential methodology. Significant technical evaluation took place but only minimal pedagogical evaluation was undertaken, mainly after alpha testing. The second project used an iterative approach to development and incorporated formative pedagogical evaluation as part of the development methodology. Resource wastage was considerably reduced and student learning requirements were better realised.