| Evaluation
Evaluation is a key component of any course. Evaluation can mistakenly be tagged on at the end of a course when it should be conducted on an ongoing basis to ensure that the course is meeting the needs of the participants and the overall programme objectives. It is also helpful to include some form of follow-up analysis some time after the course has finished. This will allow participants to reflect on how they have been able to implement what was learned over the duration of the course.
Purpose of Evaluation
Evaluation serves a number of purposes and can be used to:
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Inform decision making and future planning |
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Generate ideas about new courses or future training events |
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Assist with quality control or quality assurance |
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Establish if the admission criteria and assessment procedures were satisfactory and pitched at the correct levels |
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Critique teaching methodologies |
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Determine if the course objectives were met |
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Ascertain if the actual learning outcomes matched the anticipated outcomes |
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Decide if the proposed learning outcomes were realistic and achievable |
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Establish if the resources allocated to the programme were sufficient |
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Determine if/how the participants changed their behaviour, or adopted new practices |
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Suggest how future training might be improved |
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Profile the students attending the training |
Evaluation should take place at a number of levels: course, student, tutor, and management. This section will look at how students can be involved in the evaluation process. The following section will look in greater detail at the roll of tutor self-evaluation and management reviews.
The steps:
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Define the issue to be evaluated |
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Formulate questions which will provide you with the necessary information |
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Decide how you wish to gather the information, e.g. use of questionnaires, interviews, or group review |
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Ensure that some questions are open in format so as to extract comments and observations |
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Determine how the information will be used |
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Develop a reporting procedure so that the relevant information/results are communicated to teaching staff and management |
Students' Self-evaluation: During and After the Course
Tutors and/or course co-ordinators can work with students to encourage them to reflect on their participation on a course. It is important that students think about how they might have impacted on the overall success of the course. Ultimately, students need to take responsibility for their own learning. It is important that students get sufficient support and encouragement, but not all responsibility resides with the tutor. However, sometimes, there may be a tendency to blame the tutor or the teaching styles for lack of understanding.
Encouraging students to reflect on their own participation in the learning process helps them understand how they can have a central role in the success, or otherwise, of a course. Monitoring their own performance helps students engage in critical thinking. Students might ask themselves:
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Did I have realistic expectations at the start of the course, and were these met? If not, why? |
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Was I fully aware of what was involved, e.g. time commitment, etc? |
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How might I better inform myself in future? |
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Was I comfortable in the group? Why, why not? |
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Which elements of the course did I enjoy most? Why? |
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Which elements of the course were problematic? Why? |
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Did I make a positive contribution to the class? |
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Did I respect the tutor and other students? |
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Did I participate willingly and engage in the group activities? |
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Did I act in any way that might have had a positive or negative impact on the group dynamic? How and why? |
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Could I have worked differently to get more from the course? |
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Did I make all the necessary efforts to complete readings, projects, etc., on time? |
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Did I stretch myself to achieve my absolute best, or did I only do enough to get by? |
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Did I at any time show resistance to tasks? How might this have been frustrating for the tutor or other students? |
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Did I encourage others? |
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Did I help others in the group by sharing information, offering assistance with studying, etc.? If so, how did this impact on the group dynamic? |
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At any time, did I behave in a way that would have intimidated another student? If so, how did this impact on the group dynamic? |
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Did I communicate effectively? |
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If I disagreed with the tutor, or other student, was the point made in a constructive, logical fashion? |
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Did I take steps to address any problems I had with the tutor or programme organisers? |
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How will I apply what I have learned? |
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What are my new goals/targets? |
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Are there any new skills that I would like to acquire? |
Suggestions for Reflection |
- How do you give students feedback on work they have submitted?
- Is this feedback mechanism satisfactory, or how might it be improved?
- How do you evaluate your courses?
- How could you encourage students to engage in a self-evaluation of their participation on a programme?
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Practical Classroom Tips
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Present and illustrate content concisely in simple terms |
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Define technical terms when using them |
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Avoid jargon |
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Organise and structure content appropriate to the level of the course |
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Begin each learning session by motivating learners, expressing positive expectations, and sharing your objectives |
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Be enthusiastic |
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Vary methods of presentation/teaching styles |
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Use audio visual aids, charts, etc. |
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Involve the students - provide opportunities for questions and group work |
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Use student led seminars - team presentations, research exercises |
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Pose challenging questions |
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Encourage feedback |
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Promote peer tutoring |
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Use varied forms of assessment |
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Explain assessment |
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Give real life examples/practical applications/case studies |
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End each session with a conclusion that connects what has happened today with what will be covered during the next session |
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Request feedback at the end of each session about the material covered, methodologies used, pace of the class, etc., |
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Be guided by learners during teaching. Continually observe their reactions, acknowledge them, and modify teaching when indicated. |
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