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Evaluation and Its Types: Different Authors Have Different Notions of Evaluation

This document defines evaluation and discusses its types. Evaluation is defined as the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of information to make judgments about the effectiveness and efficiency of an educational program. The key elements of evaluation are the systematic collection of evidence, interpretation of the evidence, making judgments of value, and taking action based on the evaluation. The main types of evaluation discussed are formative evaluation, which is used during program development to make improvements, summative evaluation which assesses program effectiveness after completion, process evaluation which examines program implementation, outcomes evaluation which focuses on changes in participant knowledge and behaviors, impact evaluation which analyzes long-term program effects, diagnostic evaluation which identifies causes of learning difficulties, and placement evaluation which determines appropriate class placement

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627 views

Evaluation and Its Types: Different Authors Have Different Notions of Evaluation

This document defines evaluation and discusses its types. Evaluation is defined as the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of information to make judgments about the effectiveness and efficiency of an educational program. The key elements of evaluation are the systematic collection of evidence, interpretation of the evidence, making judgments of value, and taking action based on the evaluation. The main types of evaluation discussed are formative evaluation, which is used during program development to make improvements, summative evaluation which assesses program effectiveness after completion, process evaluation which examines program implementation, outcomes evaluation which focuses on changes in participant knowledge and behaviors, impact evaluation which analyzes long-term program effects, diagnostic evaluation which identifies causes of learning difficulties, and placement evaluation which determines appropriate class placement

Uploaded by

Asad Mehmood
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Evaluation and its Types

● General Definition of Evaluation?


"Evaluation is the collection of, analysis and interpretation of information about any
aspect of a programme of education or training as part of a recognised process of
judging its effectiveness, its efficiency and any other outcomes it may have."

● Different authors have different notions of evaluation:


1. Encyclopedia of Education Research:
To measure means to observe or determine the magnitude of variate; evaluation means
assessment or appraisal.

2. James M. Bradfield:
Evaluation is the assignment of symbols to phenomenon, in order to characterise the
worth or value of a phenomenon, usually with reference to some social, cultural or
scientific standards.

3. Gronlund and Linn:


Evaluation is a systematic process of collecting, analysing and interpreting information
to determine the extent to which pupils are achieving instructional objectives.

4. Patton, 1987
Evaluation is a process that critically examines a program. It involves collecting and
analyzing information about a program’s activities, characteristics, and outcomes. Its
purpose is to make judgments about a program, to improve its effectiveness, and/or to
inform programming decisions.

5. C.E. Beeby

Perhaps the most extended definition of evaluation has been supplied by C.E. Beeby
(1977), who described evaluation as “the systematic collection and interpretation of
evidence leading as a part of process to a judgement of value with a view to
action.”

In this definition, there are the following four key elements:

(i) Systematic collection of evidence.


(ii) Its interpretation.
(iii) Judgement of value.
(iv) With a view to action.
Let us discuss the importance of each element in defining evaluation. The first element
‘systematic collection’ implies that whatever information is gathered, should be
acquired in a systematic and planned way with some degree of precision.

The second element in Beeby’s definition, ‘interpretation of evidence’, is a critical


aspect of the evaluation process. The mere collection of evidence does not by itself
constitute evaluation work. The information gathered for the evaluation of an
educational programme must be carefully interpreted. Sometimes, un-interpreted
evidence is presented to indicate the presence (or absence) of quality in an educational
venture.
For example, in a two year programme in computers, it was observed that almost two-
third of each entering class failed to complete the two years programme. On closer
examination it was found that most of the dropouts after one year were offered good
jobs by companies.
The supervisors of companies felt that the one year of training was not only more than
adequate for entry and second level positions but provided the foundation for further
advancement. Under such circumstances, the dropout rate before programme
completion was no indication of programme failure or deficiency.

The third element of Beeby’s definition, ‘judgement of value’, takes evaluation far
beyond the level of mere description of what is happening in an educational enterprise,
but requires judgements about the worth of an educational endeavour.
Thus, evaluation not only involves gathering and interpreting information about how well
an educational programme is succeeding in reaching its goals but judgements about the
goals themselves. It involves questions about how well a programme is helping to meet
larger educational goals.

The last element of Beeby’s definition, ‘with a view to action’, introduces the
distinction between an undertaking that results in a judgement of value with no specific
reference to action (conclusion-oriented) and one that is deliberately undertaken for the
sake of future action (decision-oriented).
Educational evaluation is clearly decision-oriented and is undertaken with the intention
that some action will take place as a result. It is intended to lead to better policies and
practices in education.

Types of Evaluation:
 Formative
 Summative
 Process
 Outcomes
 Impact
 Diagnostic
 Placement
Evaluation
Definition Uses Examples
Type
 Evaluates a program
 When starting a new
during  development in  How well is the program being
program
order to make early delivered?
 To assist in the early
improvements  What strategies can we use to
Formative phases of program
 Helps to refine or improve this program?
development
improve program

 To help decide
 Provides information
whether to continue or  Should this program continue to be
on program
end a program  funded?
effectiveness
 To help determine  Should we expand these services
Summativ  Conducted after the
whether a program to all other after-school programs in
e completion of the
should be expanded the community?
program design
to other locations

 To determine why an
established program
has changed over
time
 Determines if specific
 To address  Did your program meet its goals for
program strategies
inefficiencies in recruitment of program
were implemented as
program delivery of participants? 
planned
Process services  Did participants receive the
 Focuses on program
 To accurately portray specified number of service hours?
implementation
to outside parties
program operations
(e.g., for replication
elsewhere)

 Focuses on the  To decide whether


changes in program/activity affect  Did your participants report the
comprehension, participants outcomes desired changes after completing a
attitudes, behaviors,
program cycle? 
and practices that
 To establish and  What are the short or long
Outcomes result from programs
measure clear term results observed among (or
activities
benefits of the reported by) participants?
 Can include both short
and long term results program

 Focuses on long term,  What changes in your program


 To influence policy
sustained changes as participants’ behaviors are
 To see impact in
a result of the program attributable to your program? 
longitudinal studies
activities, both  What effects would program
Impact with comparison
positive/negative and participants miss out on without this
groups
intended/unintended program?
Diagnostic Evaluation
This type of evaluation is carried out most of the time as a follow up evaluation to
formative evaluation. As a teacher, you have used formative evaluation to identify some
weaknesses in your students. You have also applied some corrective measures which
have not showed success. What you will now do is to design type of diagnostic test,
which is applied during instruction to find out the underlying cause of students persistent
learning difficulties. These diagnostic tests can be in the form of achievement tests,
performance test, self rating, interviews observations, etc.

Placement Evaluation
This is a type of evaluations carried out in order to fix the students in the appropriate
group or class. In some schools for instance, students are assigned to classes
according to their subject combinations, such as science, Technical, arts, Commercial
etc. before this is done an examination will be carried out. This is in form of pretest or
aptitude test. It can also be a type of evaluation made by the teacher to find out the
entry behaviour of his students before he starts teaching. This may help the teacher to
adjust his lesson plan. Tests like readiness tests, ability tests, aptitude tests and
achievement tests can be used.

The End

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