Open AccessDevelopment and Validation of the Purdue Global Online Teaching Effectiveness Scale
Author(s) -
Elizabeth Reyes-Fournier,
Edward J. Cumella,
Gabrielle Blackman,
Michelle L. March,
Jennifer Pedersen
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
online learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.182
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 2472-5749
pISSN - 2472-5730
DOI - 10.24059/olj.v24i2.2071
Subject(s) - coursework , construct validity , psychology , measure (data warehouse) , scale (ratio) , construct (python library) , rating scale , confirmatory factor analysis , exploratory factor analysis , test (biology) , psychometrics , applied psychology , medical education , mathematics education , computer science , clinical psychology , structural equation modeling , medicine , data mining , machine learning , developmental psychology , paleontology , physics , quantum mechanics , biology , programming language
The currently available measures of online teaching effectiveness (OTE) have several flaws, including a lack of psychometric rigor, high costs, and reliance on the construct of traditional on-the-ground teaching effectiveness as opposed to the unique features of OTE (Blackman, Pedersen, March, Reyes-Fournier, & Cumella, 2019). Therefore, the present research sought to establish a psychometrically sound framework for OTE and develop and validate a measure based on this clearly-defined construct. The authors developed pilot questions for the new measure based on a comprehensive review of the OTE literature and their many years of experience as online instructors. Students enrolled in exclusively online coursework and programs at Purdue University Global, N = 213, completed the survey, rating the effectiveness of their instructors. Exploratory Factor Analysis produced four clear OTE factors: Presence, Expertise, Engagement, and Facilitation. The resulting measure demonstrated good internal consistency and high correlations with an established OTE measure; good test-retest reliability; and predictive validity in relation to student achievement. Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed a good fit of the data and yielded a final 12-item OTE measure. Further refinement and validation of the measure are recommended, particularly with students in other universities, and future research options are discussed.Keywords: online teaching effectiveness, instructor effectiveness, distance learning, student evaluations, asynchronous learning.