Indiana University IUPUI

Indiana University (IU), in a Cooperative Agreement with the Institute of Museums and Library Services, will develop an online, instructor-mediated course in outcomes-based evaluation (OBE) for library and museum professionals and students in library and museum educational programs. Funding during the three-year project will support course development, testing, and a two-year initial deployment at no cost to course participants. The course will prepare library and museum professionals to design and measure learner outcomes for projects and programs for which short- or medium-term learning is a key goal. The course will utilize case studies based on outstanding library and museum projects and will employ authentic multimedia examples and engaging, reality-based simulations that call for role-playing and response to emerging problems. IU will evaluate the online course for usability and learning outcomes, specifically assessing participants' mastery of OBE concepts, their skill in applying those concepts, and their implementation of OBE in their professional practice. Three different modes of access will be offered: IU's Oncourse (suitable for large institutions), Blackboard (for medium-sized institutions), and IU's Community Learning Network for small institutions or anyone with Internet access. In addition, IU will develop a business model for future deployment of the course, make course materials available for use by other providers at the end of the grant period, and disseminate the evaluation research on the online course through publications and conference presentations at professional associations such as the American Library Association and the American Association of Museums, as well as through a Web site.