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Syllabus:

Evaluation, 15 Credits

Swedish name: Utrednings- och utvärderingsarbete

This syllabus is valid: 2013-01-21 valid to 2013-01-27 (newer version of the syllabus exists)

Course code: 2SO134

Credit points: 15

Education level: First cycle

Main Field of Study and progress level: Sociology: First cycle, has only upper-secondary level entry requirements

Grading scale: Three-grade scale

Responsible department: Department of Sociology

Contents

Evaluation is a research-based activity designed to assess the merits of policies and programmes. Increasing demands that policy decisions and public spending are done in a more accountable and evidence-based way, mean that evaluation increasingly permeates all sectors of decision-making in society. The growing social and political significance of evaluation in turn means that evaluations need to be of high quality and informative.

Against this background, this course is structured around three central questions: What do we evaluate? How do we evaluate? And why do we evaluate? More specifically, evaluation is studied both as a social phenomenon and as a practice and craft. Questions dealt with during the course are: What is policy and programme evaluation? What social trends explain the expansion of evaluation and monitoring systems? How does evaluation relate to the “evidence debate”? How does the European Commission use evaluations? How does evaluation differ from research?

From a more practical point of view, the course introduces different evaluation models and discusses how to design evaluations for specific purposes. How can we assess the quality of evaluations (meta-evaluation)? What kind of problems are professional evaluators often confronted with in the course of their work. The course also includes a component on information seeking skills.

Expected learning outcomes

On successful completion of the course, the student will:
- Critically analyse the role of evaluation in society, its relation to the “evidence debate”, and why it has become so widespread.
- Be able to analyse different forms of evaluation use.
- Be able to identify different evaluation models and their relative strengths and weaknesses;
- Demonstrate skills in designing an evaluation plan for a specific purpose;
- Demonstrate skills in meta-evaluation;
- Know how to apply ethical guidelines for evaluators;
- Have an understanding of practical problems that professional evaluators often have to deal with;
- Demonstrate independent skills in presenting an argument in written and oral form;
- Demonstrate skills in information seeking;
- Communicate evaluation knowledge to different audiences.

Required Knowledge

Basic eligibility

Form of instruction

The course content is delivered through lectures, seminars, group and individual work. Compulsory attendance is required in group work and seminars. All lectures and seminars are held in English.

Examination modes

Examination of this course is in the form of active participation in seminars and group work, as well as two assignments.
Examination part 1: The first assignment is to design an evaluation for a specific purpose. The case will be provided by the tutor. The assignment will be carried out in pairs. The design will be presented both orally and in written form. Grades will be awarded for both the oral presentation and the written report. Examination part 2: The second assignment is to conduct a written meta-evaluation of an evaluation chosen in consultation with the course tutor. The meta-evaluation should demonstrate an understanding of the course literature. This assignment is to be carried out individually and handed in to the relevant course tutor at the end of the course.

The grading scale for this course is: Pass with merit, Pass, Fail. Attendance at the compulsory seminars is required in order to be eligible for a pass grade for the course as a whole. Grading decisions are based on an assessment of the student’s individual performance. In case of a student being awarded a fail grade, she or he has the right to be re-examined in a form and at a time agreed upon in consultation with the examiner. Students have the right to be re-examined up to five times per course. Examination and supplementary examination based on the syllabus outlined here can be guaranteed for up to two years after the start of the course. If a student is awarded a fail grade on at least two consecutive attempts of the examination of the course or course component, she or he has the right to request a new examiner. The director of studies should be consulted in such circumstances.

Other regulations

Decisions relating to academic credit transfers are made on a case-by-case basis. For further information about this contact the study advisor. See also Umeå University’s set of rules and academic transfer (regulations.www.umu.se/studentcentrum/regler_riktlinjer/regelsamlingen/examensfragor.html)

Literature

Valid from: 2013 week 4

Course literature

Quality, Context, and Use: Issues in Achieving the Goals of Metaevaluation
Cooksy Leslie J, Caracelli Valerie J
American Journal of Evaluation, 2005, 26: 31-44 :
Mandatory

Evaluation : a systematic approach
Rossi Peter Henry, Freeman Howard E., Lipsey Mark W.
7. ed. : Thousand Oaks, CAb Sage,c 2004 : Sage : 2004 : x, 470 s. :
ISBN: 0-7619-0894-3
Mandatory
Search the University Library catalogue

Hanberger Anders
The Real Functions of Evaluation and Respons systems
Evaluation, 17(4) 327–349 : 2011 :
Mandatory

The Mechanisms and Outcomes of Evaluation Influence
Mark Melvin M, Henry Gary T
Evaluation, Vol 10(1): 35–57 : 2004 :
Mandatory

Vedung Evert
Four Waves of Evaluation Diffusion
Evaluation, 16(3) 263-277 : 2010 :
Mandatory

Weiss Carol H
Theory-Based Evaluation: Past, Present, and Future
New Directions for Evaluation. (Special Issue: Progress and Future Directions in Evaluation: Perspectives on Theory, Practice, and Methods). Vol. 1997, no. 76. Winter 1997, pages 41-55 : 1997 :
Mandatory

Weiss Carol H.
Evaluation : methods for studying programs and policies
2., [rev.] ed. : Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall : cop. 1998 : xii, 372 s. :
ISBN: 0-13-309725-0 (hft.)
Mandatory
Search the University Library catalogue

Other texts will be included in the obligatory reading list for the course.