Today@Dal

The Faculty of Open Learning & Career Development (OLCD) has taken an important step in recognizing and understanding the impact of its courses, projects, and programs in the creation of the Office of Program Impact and Evaluation, which opened in March 2023. Understanding the impact of our work as a Faculty—for example, the impact of Dal Microcredentials on students who have completed them—has obvious importance. Through meaningful and detailed study, the process of impact and evaluation can make it possible to learn more quickly from the Faculty’s successes as well as to make meaningful improvements. “It's important to step into our work and take a deep look to understand its impact—where it is and where it can go. That’s what we’re doing,” says Brian Hotson, Senior Manager, Office of Project Impact and Evaluation. This is evident in the Office’s current evaluation project of Dal Microcredentials.

Working with lead investigator, Dr. Jeff Myers, Director, Community Partnerships and Projects, and stakeholders, Cindy Russell, Manager, Microcredentialing, and Dr. Erin Careless, Director, Professional Certificates, Career Essentials and Accreditations, the Office of Program Impact and Evaluation is examining key aspects of Dal Microcredentials by exploring answers to important questions, including:

·       What do we say students will gain from completing Dal Microcredentials?

·       How do those claims compare against learner perceptions of Dal Microcredentials?

·       Where should the Faculty focus its efforts to improve the effectiveness of Dal Microcredentials in the future?

Hotson is working with Dr. Myers as a co-investigator and collaborator to provide shape to the study. “Dr. Myers is using a survey tool as well as interviews to explore these questions, as well as an environmental scan of what we currently say about Dal Microcredentials in our promotional materials and on our digital media platforms. We have Research Ethics Board approval for this evaluation so that the results of this work can be reported and shared.” Hotson goes on to say, “Anytime you can say, ‘Here are the numbers…’ or ‘Our data shows…’, it grounds our work and builds confidence. It will show up in our courses and programming.”

Results of impact and evaluation projects like this one are of value to those inside and outside of Dalhousie University. For the field of microcredentials, for example, there is a lot that can be contributed to these largely unanswered questions in Canada to date. Dr. Dianne Tyers, Dean of the Faculty of Open Learning, explains, “There’s not a lot of empirical study on microcredentials in Canada. Projects like this one can lead not only to the discovery of vital programming information for our faculty, but also add to the knowledge of the field.” Dr. Tyers adds, “This impact and evaluation project has already drawn interest from others in the region. Evaluating and understanding the impact of our work opens our eyes to possibilities and opportunities while reflecting on the importance of our current work.”

Hotson, an education researcher and programmer who has worked in higher education, educational publishing, and education media production for the past 25 years, brings a breadth and depth of experience to this role. Among his publications, he has collaborated in studies published in the Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, as well as in the National Science Teaching Association’s Journal of College Science Teaching. Through the Office of Program Impact and Evaluation, Hotson is building its portfolio with other evaluation projects exploring the impact of the faculty’s Recognition of Prior Learning program, as well as the effectiveness of hyflex teaching in English language programming. If you’re interested in learning more about the Faculty’s Office of Program Impact and Evaluation, read the vision and operation statement and contact Brian Hotson at brian.hotson@dal.ca.