eERL Project Summary - Think Aloud Testing

eERL Project Summary: Classroom Implementation & Outcomes Assessment



		The first measured classroom implementations of eERL were conducted during spring 2004. Initial eERL implementation plans called for 20 volunteers/instructors. In March of 2004 ten eERL Collection Specialists were asked to each find two classroom instructors who would serve as eERL Classroom Implementation Volunteers. However, by early April only eight volunteers were identified.



Great Expectations Meets Diminishing Returns Initial eERL implementation plans called for 20 instructors. However only eight instructors were identified by April 2004. Of these, only five volunteered to participate in this study. 20 8 5		Eight Letters were sent on March 19, 25, 31 and April 7, 2004 to identified eERL Classroom Implementation Volunteers. However, by mid-April only five instructors were still participating in the eERL Classroom implementation. Background information on eERL was sent to each volunteer. Each volunteer was asked to consider implementing eERL at one or more of the following levels: introduce eERL to your class as a new resource – and reinforce this introduction with subsequent referrals during later classes, suggest eERL as one of a number of resources for preparing class projects or papers, create a class assignment or project utilizing eERL (for ideas see the eERL Teacher's Guide - http://www.uni.edu/neuhaus/eerlteachersguide.html) For more details see: Evaluation Summary for the eERL (ATEEL) Project September 2002 – July 2004



Of these, only two returned their student and instructor classroom implementation surveys 20 8 5 2		Each of the five volunteers was mailed one classroom implementation outcomes assessment instructor survey and 20-40 classroom implementation outcomes assessment student surveys along with an pre-stamped envelope addressed to the eERL evaluator Chris Neuhaus. Follow-up e-mails were sent to each of the five volunteers on May 12, May 20, and June 2 to encourage the return of these surveys. Despite this encouragement only two of the five volunteers returned their student and instructor surveys. For more details see: Evaluation Summary for the eERL (ATEEL) Project September 2002 – July 2004



The student survey focused on: Student internet behavior Student perceptions of instructor's use of online resources Student perceptions of eERL		The eERL Outcomes Assessment for Classroom Implementation Survey of Students was designed to gather: background information about each student (age, gender, internet usage, online resource preferences) student perceptions of online resources, including eERL, utilized by the instructor (type and frequency of use) student perceptions of eERL (ease of use, utility) A total of twenty-nine students and two instructors completed eERL Classroom Implementation Surveys. These students were all enrolled in a Community College Environmental Technology 101 class. The average age of the students was 27 with age extremes of 18 and 40. For more details see: Evaluation Summary for the eERL (ATEEL) Project September 2002 – July 2004



A total of twenty-nine students and two instructors completed eERL Classroom Implementation Surveys. These students were all enrolled in a Community College Environmental Technology 101 class. 52% of the responding students claimed that eERL was either "easy to use" or "very easy to use." Another 24% claimed that eERL was "somewhat easy to use." 14 % of students claimed eERL to be "Very Useful" Another 20% claimed eERL to be "Useful." Another 31% claimed eERL to be "Somewhat Useful." For more details see: Evaluation Summary for the eERL (ATEEL) Project September 2002 – July 2004



		Teacher's Guide

The eERL Teacher's Guide was designed to encourage and facilitate classroom implementation of eERL. The Guide is divided into three sections: Ideas for eERL Implementation Classroom Excercises eERL Websites for In-Class Activities		The eERL Teacher's Guide was initiated and developed by eERL Evaluator Chris Neuhaus with major contributions from eERL Collection Specialists between November 2003 and January 2004. The eERL Teacher's Guide was designed to encourage and facilitate classroom implementation of eERL. The Guide is divided into three sections: Ideas for eERL Implementation Classroom Excercises eERL Websites for In-Class Activities Contributor's to eERL Teacher's Guide content include: Jeff Bates Associate Professor Columbus State Community College Gail Celaschi QA/QC Specialist West Sacremento CA Dan Chiras Adjunct Professor University of Colorado at Denver Sharon Flanagan Associate Professor of Biology Coordinator Nunez’s Environmental Program Mike Jund Eastern Iowa Community College Kevin King Professor Clinton Community College Richard Knaub Center for Sustainable Communities and Civic Engagement Deb Rowe Senior Fellow, University Leaders for a Sustainable Future Cheryl Stith Affymetrix West Sacremento CA