EDUC 780 Evaluation and Measurement Tools

This course provides an in-depth analysis of evaluation and measurement tools used in applied social science research for the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of academic programs and co-curricular departments in an institutional setting. Students will review major evaluation theories and advanced measurement models used in policy making and for program development and modification. The use and review of data-driven resources is emphasized to help inform continuous improvement and increase student achievement.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Effective educational leaders and professionals must understand the importance of evaluation and measurement tools and how they can be used to impact change, inform policy, and guide institutional decision-making. This course offers knowledge, skills, and understanding that will allow the student to determine if action plans are needed and how to recommend improvement plans based upon the interpretation of data-driven evaluation and measurement tools.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the candidate will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the candidate is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. Each thread must be 400 words, demonstrate course-related knowledge, and include 1 professional citation in APA format and 1 scripture reference. In addition to the thread, the candidate is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be 200 words. There is no minimum citation requirement for replies. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

The candidate will create questions and conduct a written interview with Microsoft Copilot, discovering the various Institutional Effectiveness (IE) methods and measurement tools employed by colleges and universities in the United States. An 800-word essay will reflect on the experience with Copilot, the new information gained, and an overview of best practices in IE within institutions of higher education. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)

Institutional Effectiveness Research Project

In this course, the candidate will research an institution of higher education’s methodology for its institutional effectiveness evaluation. The candidate will choose an institution of higher education (i.e., community college, college, or university) and solicit an interview with someone in the institution’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness (IE) along with other exploratory measures. The candidate’s goal is to identify the institution’s methodology for program evaluation and student learning outcomes. The research necessary for this project will be completed in the assignments below:

Annotated Bibliography Assignment

The candidate will find 7 professional journal articles that align with his/her chosen institution’s effectiveness evaluation strategies and selected measurement tools. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Proposal Assignment

The candidate will propose the research he/she will conduct for this project using the template provided in Canvas. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Interview Assignment

The candidate will conduct an interview with a higher education faculty/staff member from the institution he/she has selected for this project regarding institutional effectiveness strategies. The candidate will record and transcribe the interview and utilize member checks for accuracy. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)

Final Submission Assignment

The candidate will compile his/her research into a 10–15-page paper in which he/she analyzes an institution of higher education’s methodology for its institutional effectiveness evaluation. Connections must be made to research with at least 15 sources cited, 7 of which must be current within the last 5 years. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)

The candidate will conduct a validity study of an assessment currently in use or one of his/her own creation and will identify a list of 8–10 experts that can provide input on it. The candidate will use the Lawshe method to establish validity for the assessment and will report the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and the Content Validity Index (CVI) for the selected instrument. The validity data results will be presented in a narrative report. (CLO: C, E)

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned Modules: Weeks. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 10 multiple-choice, true/false, and 1 essay question, and have a 1-hour time limit. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)