Evaluation plan

An evaluation plan is a written document that details the steps that will be taken to conduct the evaluation and assessment of an educational product or experience. An evaluation plan largely follows an evaluation model that explains how evaluation and assessment activities will provide valuable insights for making decisions.

Definition

An evaluation plan is a written document that specifies the steps that will be taken by the evaluation and design teams to design instruments, collect data, and perform analyses for evaluation and assessment purposes.

Additional Information

Similarity of an evaluation plan to an evaluation model

An evaluation plan is similar to an evaluation model. While an evaluation plan is simply the documentation of the specific steps that will be followed to conduct evaluation and assessment activities, the evaluation model is instead a description of the various elements of evaluation that are to be considered in the conduct of evaluation, the specification of how these elements are related to each other, and a description of how and why the evaluation activities are expected to yield evidence that can be used to generate insights.

In other words, the evaluation plan is the practical part of evaluation by detailing the specific steps that will be taken by the team, where the evaluation model is the theoretical part of evaluation that outlines what concepts or phenomena should be attended to in an evaluation and why. Because they generally describe the elements that should be investigated, evaluation models guide the writing of evaluation plans for specific products.

The evaluation plan is always based on goals of the product. When first starting an evaluation plan, evaluators should ask themselves what the product seeks to achieve and demonstrate. This will determine the kinds of research questions that are asked, which provide direction for data collection and analysis efforts.

Typical Evaluation Plan Contents

A detailed evaluation plan provides a roadmap for exactly how evaluation and assessment activities are to be conducted.

All evaluation plans are typically written documents. (more info on documenting/writing an evaluation plan >>)

By documenting and detailing the steps of an evaluation plan, it makes the plan systematic in its approach and can be readily replicated by a third party if needed (which is a desirable aspect of good evaluation or research). Detailed documentation allows everyone on the design team, evaluation team, and anyone curious about the findings or quality of the data to know exactly how the evaluation was systematically conducted.

Most evaluation plans will at the least contain the following topics or sections, and for each section will discuss in detail the details of the procedures that will be conducted.

1. Description of the product
2. Learning objectives and intended usage of the product by the participants
3. Detailed research questions
4. Instruments, data sources, and procedures for data collection
5. Analysis methods and procedures for data interpretation
6. Potential results and insights
7. Potential uses of the findings from the evaluation

For more information on the writing and documentation of an evaluation plan, visit the documentation of evaluation plans page.

Common process and steps of developing an evaluation plan

Each evaluation plan is different based on the research questions being asked and the context in which the product was implemented. But any evaluation plan will generally be written across these seven steps.

1. Define the research questions. The beginning of any evaluation involves defining the questions that will be asked and why they matter. Evaluators must define specific questions whose answers will provide useful information toward improving the product and demonstrating that the product works.
2. Identify the audience. Each audience is different and may have varied needs. To interpret the evaluation validly, reliably, and fairly, the evaluators should consider the unique composition of any audiences that will use the product, as well as the contexts in which the product will be implemented.
3. Determine analysis methods and instruments. To answer the research questions, the evaluators must define both the analysis methods and the instruments that will to be used to collect and analyze data.
4. Conduct the evaluation. After the planning is complete, the evaluation is conducted while the educational product is being implemented. Learners are assessed using both summative and formative approaches and data are collected on how the product and its individual design features are used. The evaluation plan will describe the steps and processes that should be done to conduct the evaluation's data collection and formative analysis efforts while the educational product is being used or implemented.
5. Conduct the analysis. Using the data that were collected during implementation, analyses are completed based on the evaluation plan and results are generated after implementation. However, with formative assessment, the analyses and interpretation are completed while the product is being implemented so that the experience can be improved for learners as they participate. The evaluation plan should discuss how the analysis will be done and what steps are necessary.
6. Interpret and review the results. From the analyses and the results they generate, the evaluators will generate insights about what happened, how people learned, and how people used the product as intended. The evaluators will interpret the findings using standard industry practices and make claims about what the evidence means. The evaluation plan should include a discussion on how the results might be interpreted and how they might be used to improve the product, promote the product, or compare the product to alternative approaches.
7. Report and share findings. The results and findings from evaluations are typically shared with parties interested in knowing how a product worked, including funders, potential implementers, educators, and purchasers. Results from evaluations are most often shared in the form of reports, descriptive studies, and research papers that describe the product, the research questions, the data, the analysis approaches, and the results. The evaluation plan should have a discussion about how the results of the evaluation will be shared or disseminated to interested audiences or stakeholders.

Tips and Tricks

• When writing an evaluation plan, consider the information and tips on the documentation of evaluation plans page.
• Be sure to be as detailed as you can be in writing your evaluation plan, while paying attention to any page limit constraints. Also, different decision-makers, teams, or organizations might require specific elements in an evaluation plan. Every evaluation plan is different - be attentive to the required sections that must be in your plan!

Related Concepts

• Evaluation and assessment
• Documentation of evaluation plan
• Evaluation model
• Research question
• Instrument
• Analysis method

Examples

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External Resources

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