PSYC 661 Program Development, Implementation, and Evaluation

This course prepares students to develop evidence-based mental health programs within organizations and evaluate their effectiveness. Students will learn 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. Emphasis is given to developing evaluation questions with appropriate data sources, data collection methods, analytic techniques, and the use of logic models and work plans to guide evaluation.

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a foundation of the key elements of program evaluation. Students learn 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. Students 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 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.

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. Each thread must be at least 400 to 600 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 1 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 150 to 300 words. Each thread must include at least 2 scholarly citations in current APA format, along with 1 Bible source integration. Each reply must incorporate at least 1 scholarly citation in current APA format. (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).

The student is expected to “actively” read (survey, question, read, recite, and review) all required reading materials. The reading summary will include an integration of selected chapter(s) from Royse, Thyer, & Padgett, text and journal articles related to each module: week. The summary should include an introduction section, the body (three paragraphs) each with a major theme supported by at least two empirical sources and the conclusion section. Each reading summary should be 1.5 to 2 pages in length.

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 students to 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 a 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)