Unit+1+Overview

=Unit 1 Overview of History and Theory of Program Evaluation=

Program evaluation is a cross-disciplinary field of study. It has a knowledge base that is of value and utility to educators in both conventional education and distance education settings, to nurses and nurse educators, to those responsible for training and to trainers in government, in business and industry, and in the military, and to many involved in post-secondary or higher education. This unit introduces you to the historical development of the field of program evaluation, and the theoretical frameworks that helped to create program evaluation as a specialized area of study. Program evaluation is a fascinating field to study, in that it has borrowed from many disciplines in its formulation of models and approaches. It is also of considerable practical value, in that it can be used to assess the merit and worth of educational programs in all kinds of setting, and can be used to improve learning outcomes; something that we all, as educators, strive to accomplish.

Without an understanding of the historical scientific measurement roots of program evaluation, and the development of various models and approaches over an extended period of time, it is difficult to understand why there are so many approaches available to evaluators today. Your readings in Unit 1 will provide the understanding of the history and theoretical foundations of program evaluation.

Unit 1 - Objectives
After completing this unit, you should be able to do the following:
 * 1) Discuss how the roots of program evaluation lie in research, particularly scientific measurement.
 * 2) Distinguish between program evaluation's purposes, uses, and essential activities.
 * 3) Differentiate between formative and summative evaluation.
 * 4) Distinguish between testing and evaluation.
 * 5) Discuss the emergence of modern program evaluation in the 1960s.
 * 6) Describe five theoretical frameworks for program evaluation.