A degradable hydrogel and a method of making a degradable hydrogel is disclosed herein. The method comprises obtaining a hydrophilic polymer having at least two hydroxyl groups, reacting the hydrophilic polymer with a di-functional monomer comprised of an acid halide group and an alkyl halide group to form an intermediate having an ester bond and a terminal alkyl halide group, reacting the terminal alkyl halide group of the intermediate with a metallic salt of a vinyl acid monomer to form a macromonomer comprised of an ester, an alkyl group spacer, and a terminal vinyl group, and polymerizing the macromonomer to form a degradable hydrogel. A method is also disclosed for varying the degradation rate of the hydrogel as a function of the chemical composition of the alkyl group spacer in the terminal linkage of the macromonomer.