Section I

Evaluation Planning

It is a well-established fact that planning evaluation up front yields superior results. For one thing, evaluators know which measures they need to look at to identify whether a program has actually made a difference. Evaluations are thus systemic, rather than reactive.

And yet, most instructional design models typically place the emphasis on evaluation at the end of the model. Take for example ADDIE: assess, design, develop, implement, and evaluate. Note that the model indicates that evaluation occurs after the program has been implemented.

Successful measurement and evaluation processes begin when stakeholder needs are identified and can inform the overall program design by identifying measures that are important to the organization. Asking the following questions clarifies expectations about business impact, job performance, knowledge acquisition, and the preferred approach to delivering content:

• What is the opportunity for the organization?
• Is the opportunity worth pursuing?
• What are the specific business measures that need to improve so that we are successful with this opportunity?
• What is or is not happening on the job (or in a system) that if changed would contribute to the improvement in the business measures?
• What do people need to know to improve the business measures?
• How best can the knowledge, skill, or information be delivered?

When the needs and expectations for a program or process are defined, developing specific, measurable objectives that will achieve these expectations becomes easier and increases the likelihood of program success. In addition, program objectives set the stage for evaluation, by leading evaluators toward the key questions they will ask during the evaluation, the timing at which the data will be collected, and the criteria for success.

With defined expectations and objectives in hand, the next step in the evaluation process is to plan the evaluation project. The more detailed the planning, the easier the execution.

In Section I, Evaluation Planning, you will learn to

• identify stakeholder needs
• develop powerful objectives
• plan the evaluation project.