PSYC 661 Program Development, Implementation, and Evaluation

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

The purpose of this course is to provide the student with a foundation of the key elements of program evaluation. The student learns by participation in readings, presentations, practical assignments and in-class discussions. Importance is placed on application of knowledge and development of evaluation skills, including methods for conducting program evaluations, the role and function of evaluation within program life cycles, and the basics of formative, process, outcome, and cost evaluation. The student will benefit from an accumulative class project that engages participation in a mock evaluation plan.

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

Discussion: Class Introductions

The student will post a thread with answers to the several prompts provided and introduce himself/herself to the rest of the class. Then, the student will post a reply to one of his/her classmates’ threads. The thread and replies must be in current APA format. There is no minimum word count and no citations are required.

The student will complete 2 Video Discussions in this course. For each reflection, the student will record and submit a video response of at least 5–7 minutes, and he/she must also provide one video reply of at least 2–3 minutes to a classmate’s reflection. (CLO: A, B, D, E)

Evaluation Proposal: Selection Assignment

The selection of a research topic allows the student to start thinking and planning the weekly assignments around his/her applied evaluation program setting of interest. Each week the student will develop his/her skills of critical thinking, critiquing empirical literature, and engaging in discussions, which will help in the scholarly preparation of the Evaluation Proposal: Final Assignment (18 pages). So, the student should start compiling, reviewing, and evaluating empirical literature and resources related to his/her selected applied evaluation starting in the first week. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E).

This assignment requires the student to engage with the weekly readings by creating a visual representation (infographic, concept map, or mind map) that synthesizes key themes from all required materials (textbooks, articles, and presentations). The student will complete 4 visual summaries throughout this course.

The visual summary assignments are a core component of this course, encouraging active engagement with the weekly materials while developing the student’s ability to synthesize and present information in a structured and meaningful way.

The student will select an empirical study in a peer-reviewed journal and formulate a written 4-page critique of that article. Special attention should be given to the research methods as it relates to the study of program evaluation. These critique articles will equip the student to understand scholarly critique peer-review literature. The student will learn how to critically dissect and evaluate empirical literature which will be beneficial for his/her Evaluation Proposal Final paper, his/her dissertation, and attaining scholarship in his/her discipline.

The student will write a 10-page evaluation paper in current APA format that focuses on Evaluation Proposal Setting Selection. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)

Evaluation Proposal: First Draft Assignment

The assignment must be 3 pages (exclusive of title page, abstract, references pages). The assignment must include at least 3 empirical studies in peer-reviewed journals in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible. A minimum of 2 sources should be peer-reviewed articles published within the last 5 years.

Evaluation Proposal: Second Draft Assignment

The assignment must be 10 pages (exclusive of title page, abstract, references pages). The assignment must include at least 5 empirical studies in peer-reviewed journals in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible. A minimum of 3 sources should be peer-reviewed articles published within the last 5 years.

Evaluation Proposal: Third Draft Assignment

The assignment must be 18 pages (exclusive of title page, abstract, references pages). The Program Evaluation must include at least 7 empirical studies in peer-reviewed journals in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible. A minimum of 5 sources should be peer-reviewed articles published within the last 5 years.

The student will write an 18-page evaluation paper in current APA format that focuses on Evaluation Proposal Setting Selection. The Program Evaluation must include at least 7 empirical studies in peer-reviewed journals in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible. A minimum of 5 sources should be peer-reviewed articles published within the last 5 years. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)