Program and project evaluation
pp. 195-201
in: Jan Elen (ed), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology, Berlin, Springer, 2014Abstract
Educational technology research and development nearly always involves an intervention of some kind aimed at solving a problem or improving a situation pertaining to learning and instruction. Those involved—the stakeholders—naturally want to know whether the problem was solved and/or the extent to which the situation was improved. Attributing any outcomes to the intervention is not as easy as it may appear, as many factors are typically involved, beyond just the technology involved. This chapter describes a holistic approach to educational technology project and program evaluation. The emphasis is on evaluating the entire process from needs assessment through design, development, deployment, and support with particular attention to evaluating every aspect of the process so as to increase the likelihood of successful technology integration. The use of a logic model to organize evaluation as well as research is described.