Evaluation, 15 Credits

Contents

General Introduction to course (Course Modules 1 and 2)

Evaluation is a research-based activity designed to assess the merits of policies and programmes. Increasing demands that policy decisions and public spending are done in a more accountable and evidence-based way, mean that evaluation increasingly permeates all sectors of decision-making in society. The growing social and political significance of evaluation in turn means that evaluations need to be of high quality and informative.

Against this background, this course is structured around three central questions: What do we evaluate? How do we evaluate? And why do we evaluate?

Module 1: Evaluation as practice, 7,5 hp

In module 1 of the course, evaluation is studied both as a social phenomenon and as a practice and craft. Questions dealt with during this part of the course are: What is policy and programme evaluation? How does evaluation differ from research? What social trends explain the expansion of evaluation and monitoring systems? How does evaluation relate to the “evidence debate”? From a more practical point of view, the course introduces different evaluation models and discusses how to design evaluations for specific purposes.

Module 2: The evaluation society and the use of evaluation, 7,5hp

Module 2 of the course addresses the following questions: What kind of problems are professional evaluators often confronted with in the course of their work? How are evaluations used? How can we assess the quality of evaluations (meta-evaluation)? The course also includes a component on information seeking skills.
 

Expected learning outcomes

Module 1. Evaluation as practice, 7,5hp

On successful completion of module 1 of the course, the student will:

• Critically analyse how evaluation relates to the “evidence debate”, and why it has become so widespread;
• Know how to apply ethical guidelines for evaluators;
• Be able to identify different evaluation models and their relative strengths and weaknesses;
• Demonstrate skills in designing an evaluation plan for a specific purpose;
• Communicate evaluation knowledge to different audiences.

Module 2. The evaluation society and the use of evaluation, 7,5hp

On successful completion of the course, the student will:

• Critically analyse the role of evaluation in society
• Have an understanding of practical problems that professional evaluators often have to deal with;
• Be able to analyse different forms of evaluation use;
• Demonstrate skills in information seeking;
• Demonstrate skills in meta-evaluation;
• Demonstrate independent skills in presenting an argument in written and oral form.

Required Knowledge

Basic eligibility

Form of instruction

The course content is delivered through lectures, seminars, group and individual work. Compulsory attendance is required in group work and seminars. All lectures and seminars are held in English.

Examination modes

Examination of module 1 of the course is in the form of active participation in seminars and group work, as well as an assignment. The assignment is to design an evaluation for a specific purpose. The case will be provided by the tutor. The assignment will be carried out in pairs or groups. The design will be presented both orally and in written form. Grades will be awarded for both the oral presentation and the written report.

The grading scale for this course is: Pass with distinction, Pass, Fail. Attendance at the compulsory seminars is required in order to be eligible for a pass grade for the course as a whole. Grading decisions are based on an assessment of the individual student’s performance. In case of a student being awarded a fail grade, she or he has the right to be re-examined in a form and at a time agreed upon in consultation with the examiner.

Examination of module 2 of this course is in the form of active participation in seminars and group work, as well as an assignment. The assignment is to conduct a written meta-evaluation of an evaluation chosen by the student. The meta-evaluation should demonstrate an understanding of the course literature. This assignment is to be carried out individually and handed in to the relevant course tutor at the end of the course.

The grading scale for this course is: Pass with distinction, Pass, Fail. Attendance at the compulsory seminars is required in order to be eligible for a pass grade for the course as a whole. Grading decisions are based on an assessment of the individual student’s performance. In case of a student being awarded a fail grade, she or he has the right to be re-examined in a form and at a time agreed upon in consultation with the examiner.

Students have the right to be re-examined up to five times per course. Examination and supplementary examination based on the syllabus outlined here can be guaranteed for up to two years after the start of the course. If a student is awarded a fail grade on at least two consecutive attempts of the examination of the course or part of course, she or he has the right to request a new examiner. The director of studies should be consulted in such circumstances.

Other regulations

Academic credit transfers are always reviewed individually. For further information about this contact the study advisor. See also Umeå University’s set of rules and academic transfer regulations.