5a1-9 – program evaluation – analysis of data collection

Assignment Instructions: 

1. Compare summative and formative evaluations. 
2. Justify methodological choices of a selected data collection method. 
3. Communicate through writing that is concise, balanced, and logically organized.

Refer to the 2009 journal article “Measuring Change in a Short-Term Educational Program Using a Retrospective Pretest Design” by Moore and Tananis. 

– Examine and Evaluate Moore and Tananis’s findings about the use of retrospective data.

– Address the following, keeping in mind the usefulness of retrospective data: 

1. Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a retrospective pretest design. 

2. Make certain to address the validity criteria of pretest-posttest designs.

3. Analyze the potential use of retrospective pretest-posttest designs. 

4. Discuss the practical limitations relevant to choosing a research design in a program evaluation. 

5. Discuss whether you would recommend using a retrospective pretest design in program evaluation. Why or why not? 

6. Justify your rationale throughout your assignment with information from the Moore and Tananis article as well as from your textbook readings. 

7. Communicate through writing that is concise, balanced, and logically organized.

8. Communicate through writing that applies current APA style and formatting and conforms to all assignment instructions.

9. You must have a conclusion and references

Scoring Guidelines:

* Analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of a retrospective pretest design and makes explicit reference to the validity criteria of pretest-posttest designs. 

*Analyzes the potential use of retrospective pretest-posttest designs and identifies assumptions on which the analysis is based. 

*Discusses the practical limitations relevant to choosing a research design in a program evaluation, and makes explicit reference to the literature or relevant best practices to support the limitations discussed. 

*Discusses recommendations regarding the use of a retrospective pretest design in program evaluation and notes criteria that could be used to evaluate the recommendations

*Consistently communicates through scholarly writing that is concise, balanced, and logically organized, that flows with smooth transitions between ideas, and that demonstrates critical analysis of the literature. 

*Consistently communicates through writing that applies current APA style and formatting, is free of errors, and conforms to all assignment instructions.