Task 5 - Develop and implement the evaluation plan
Evaluation goes beyond measuring performance against indicators. It answers questions about quality, value, merit and learning achievements such as whether a learning initiative is worthwhile and achieving the expected outcomes, what works well (or not) and why.
Without defensible evaluation evidence, you can't really know whether learning initiatives are effective or are achieving your desired outcomes.
APS Learning Evaluation Framework
The APS Learning Evaluation Framework (the Framework) emphasises the interdependent relationship between continuous and routine monitoring, evaluation and organisational insights. The Framework seeks to highlight and strengthen the connection between these three elements. Each of these elements is mutually supportive of the others and assists to improve their qualities as well as its own.
What to include in an evaluation plan
Acquiring rich information about learning transfer and its effects requires different inquiry methods than those used to measure attendance and learner perceptions. You should choose appropriate evaluation data collection methods to enhance the quality and potential impact of your organisational insights.
When seeking to answer evaluation questions, chosen inquiry methods must be feasible to implement within the allocated time period and available resources.
Look at the example Evaluation Plan Template to better understand how an evaluation plan can help.
Selecting the right methods for data collection
Acquiring rich information about learning transfer and its effects requires different inquiry methods than those used to measure attendance and learner perceptions. Learning practitioners should choose appropriate evaluation data collection methods to enhance the quality and potential impact of their work on organisational insights. When seeking to answer evaluation questions, chosen inquiry methods must be realistic to implement within your allocated time period and available resources.
Fact sheet 10 in the handbook contains information about data collection methods for evaluation.
Telling the story
Narrative methods are a form of qualitative, storytelling data collection that can provide a rich source of powerful feedback about learning transfer and its effects.
Although narrative methods don’t need to be included in every evaluation and shouldn’t be used on their own, incorporating narrative methods into the evaluation plan provides a range of benefits.
Fact sheet 11 in the handbook describes the benefits of narrative methods in learning evaluation and outlines two narrative methods you can use.
End of Task 5: Select another tile to continue exploring the Learning Evaluation Handbook.
Contact the APS Academy
For further information and support, or to provide feedback on the Handbook, please visit the APS Academy's contact page.