Session+7

There are three separate sections (each has there own chapter) in this session. In Chapters 10 and 11 you read and thought about why the evaluation was necessary and what the ‘object’ of the evaluation was to be.
 * Session 7 **
 * Introductory Remarks **

If you imagine yourself as an evaluator these two chapters focused your attention to the core purposes of the evaluation and the interests of the most pertinent stakeholders which lead to the specific description of the ‘object’ of the study.

Chapter 12 focuses on the questions to be asked which will guide the study. These evaluative questions have a profound impact on the evaluation study itself.

Imagine that the object of your evaluation study is public transportation system that caters to the disabled. If the evaluative question was: “How cost effective is this system?” the evaluation study would be focused on the costs of providing the service, number of riders, maintenance costs, etc. However if the evaluative question was: “How satisfied are disabled people with the services provided by this transportation system?” the data collected would be very different from the cost-benefit study.

Simply put the object of the evaluation (the thing that is being evaluated) and the evaluative questions must be clear, unambiguous and agreed upon by the appropriate stakeholders.

With those two crucial fundamental issues taken care of the rest of the evaluation study is rather mechanical.

Chapter 13 looks at the planning necessary to conduct a credible study while Chapter 14 begins describing the process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting data. The **required reading** for Session Seven consists of Chapters 12, 13 and 14 of the Fitzpatrick, Sanders and Worthen text.
 * Required **** Readings **** and Assignments **

The **assignment** for Session Seven is to follow the instructions given in the Chapter/Readings Review assignment. The deadline date is May 29, 2009.


 * Recommended Reading**



I have adjusted the Related Article/Discussion Question Assignment. You are now only required to make two rather than three submissions. The deadline dates are: June 3 and June 8. Early submissions are always appreciated
 * IMPORTANT NOTE **