Evaluation and Implementation: Different Strokes For Different Folks

Why evaluate? Why should we, educators, test? WHY?? Well, the reason is largely being forgotten- We evaluate students so we and they can learn and continue to be motivated to learn. LEARN, MOTIVATION??? Yes, that is the sole reason for education... to obtain knowledge... not to memorize facts! To have the desire and drive to obtain and hold fast to the precious information we call knowledge. So, how can we evaluate effectively? There are many models besides the well-known CIPP and Kirkpatrick models. Here are two:

1. The Brinkerhoff Success Case Method is a more flexible, effective HRD evaluation model, and requires the evaluation to focus on all levels of learning. Brinkerhoff feels that evaluation should not only happen at the end of a lesson or study.

 

There are six stages when evaluation needs to take place:

Stage 1: Evaluation of Needs/Goal Setting – What are the needs, and are they real?

Stage 2: Evaluation of Program Design – What is required to meet these needs, and will the program design do so?

Stage 3: Program Implementation and Operation – How do we evaluate the program being used?

Stage 4: Evaluation of Learning– Did the participants learn, and if so what?

Stage 5: Evaluation of Usage of Learning – Are the participants implementing their learning?

Stage 6: Evaluation of Payoff/Worth – Did it make a worthwhile difference to the participants’organizations and their personal development? WAS IT WORTH IT?

2. Eisner’s Connoisseurship Model relies 100% on the teacher's judgment to assess the quality of their program/lesson.

The two ideas behind this model are educational connoisseurship (appreciating the program being taught) and educational criticism (the ability to explain the program to those who do not understand/appreciate it). He called his model "non-scientific" and "humanistic." The primary purpose is to improve education, not just make students accountable, and to do this through evaluating the students' synthesis of the program. The "connoisseur"/teacher guides students towards knowledge and is the catalyst for evaluation of synthesis to begin. It is suggested that faculty involve students in developing the criteria for evaluating their work. The student motivation is higher when they are involved in the learning/evaluating process. Synthesis is hard to assess so this method recommends that as many faculty members as possible be allowed to evaluate students' work.

One main question that most evaluation models do not ask is... Was the evaluation enjoyable to the student? I feel that when the student is empowered to choose how an evaluation might be enjoyable, they might be more successful. I, one semester, allowed my students to choose one of three different assessments over the same topic. I kept it basic- 50 questions T/F, or Multiple Choice; 2 essays; or a short project assessment (this particular time they had to place events on a timeline, match key figures with the events, and add a short description/outcome of the event). The students loved having an option, but it was very painful to grade :).

 

Since this is a time of economic decline, and many schools do not have the money budgeted to afford different technologies, we the faculty need to be creative on ways to keep technology in the classroom. First, in a professional, or staff, development meetings the librarians need to speak to the staff about what electronics they have to loan out to classes. Many teachers are not aware of the large amount of hardware libraries have on hand for faculty members to use. Second, all "teams" or subject areas should be required to apply for a grant by the end of the 1st semester. Teachers from the campus need to have representatives who go to seminars (local and free) and learn about grant writing. This information needs to then be taught to others. Third, and lastly, all teachers need to be aware of Web 2.0 applications. An easy link to access them is:  http://www.go2web20.net/

All educators, whether your district is in a economic decline, or not, should play around on many of these applications. I have used an elementary math application (game) to teach a GED prep student basic addition and subtraction. This particular student was so far behind the rest of the class, that I had them play around with this for homework. He was so excited the next class to tell me he was hooked playing for 4 days, and had graduated from a 1st grade level to a third grade level in one week. This young man was about to give up on getting his GED before he tried this program. Web 2.0's are free online applications. Some are free trials, and ask for $$ to get the "full version" or after a trial period. But there are thousands of applications! I will end with a quote that I live by, especially when times are tough... "Attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching?"