MDDE+617+Assignment+2

= = =Assignment # 2: Critique of an Evaluation Report Using Five Forms of Program Evaluation=

This is a team or pair assignment, and should be completed with one or two other learners. You are free to select your own team-mates, but your team should be limited to a maximum of three members. As a team, you will use the final report of a distance education program evaluation entitled Strategic Technology Application for Rural Telework—Rural Telework Initiatives Program located in your Case Study Text.


 * You will develop a critique of the evaluation presented in the Report, in the form of a paper of approximately 10-12 pages.
 * Your critique should include determination of which evaluation form has been applied, [which form? Of course there will be one!]
 * if the form is aligned with program development stage, [what program development stage?]
 * how well the form was applied, and [pros and cons of how well they applied the form? anything special to note]
 * if the application was sound, from an approach/model perspective. [hmm... need to think about what does it mean to be //sound//?!]

This assignment is worth 25% of your course grade, and is due on completion of unit 3.

Anything in [square brackets] are my comments. - Rebecca

This course was written by: [|Mary Kennedy]

Telework?!?!
Geez... I was thinking that telework had something to do with telecommunication, like installation of computer networks, LAN, or internet. It's always good to Google terminology before you read a paper!

"Telecommuting, e-commuting, e-work, telework, working from home (WFH), or working at home (WAH) is a work arrangement in which employees enjoy flexibility in working location and hours. In other words, the daily commute to a central place of work is replaced by telecommunication links. Many work from home, while others, occasionally also referred to as nomad workers or web commuters utilize mobile telecommunications technology to work from coffee shops or myriad other locations. Telework is a broader term, referring to substituting telecommunications for any form of work-related travel, thereby eliminating the distance restrictions of telecommuting. All telecommuters are teleworkers but not all teleworkers are telecommuters. A frequently repeated motto is that "work is something you do, not something you travel to". A successful telecommuting program requires a management style which is based on results and not on close scrutiny of individual employees. This is referred to as management by objectives as opposed to management by observation." ([|Wikipedia])

"The term telework is the term favored in Europe and other countries while telecommute is used more often in the U.S and Canada." ([|webopedia])

Clarificative or Interactive Evaluation???
Thinking that it is Clarificative or Interactive Evaluation... not sure yet. Program clarification has a strong formative purpose. Normally, the evaluator works closely with program management and delivers to conceptualize and describe the characteristics to a program and... (Clarificative - p.192)

Generally relies on combination of document analysis, interview and observation. (Clarificative - p.191)

The provision of systematic evaluation findings through which local providers can make decisions about the future direction of their programs. (Interactive - p.222)

... there is a concentration on program delivery and implementation. ...program providers want evaluations want evaluations which will support change and improvement. (Interactive - p.222)

Stake's approach is orientated towards client understanding. This is a legitimate evaluation role, in that Responsive evaluation leads to enlightenment of stakeholders from which they can make decisions about program change. This Approach provides an illumination of issues fro the perspective of someone with knowledge of the context in which the evaluation is set. (Interactive - p.224)

Orton (1992) defines action research as a collaborative research... espouses the values of ... cooperation, and is intended to be a learning experience for those involved, to produce a change for the better in the practice and ...(Interactive - p.224)

Hmmm... I am leaning more towards Interactive because it e xamines program implementation including the extent to which a program is being delivered in the way it was intended to be delivered and the information gained is used to determine how the implementation of the program could be improved. ([|website])


 * Assignment #2**

Grade: 25/25

Mike and I used [] to work collaboratively. There is no sign-up with EtherPad and it is very easy to use. This collaborative assignment that was true collaboration. Normally, I would have done my part and Mike would have done his and hopefully when we put our parts together it would be readable--most collaborative assignments that I have worked on have been less than stellar. This assignment was definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

Rebecca