A presentation arguing for using "Developmental Evaluation" as an approach for evaluating educational interventions.

1. Developmental Evaluation
… an emerging approach, discipline ,
methodology, disposition…
Rita Ndagire Kizito
CTLM 30 March 2016

2. • Developmental evaluation is an emerging
approach to evaluating innovations (or
interventions) …that are in a continuous state of
unpredictable change and development (Patton,
2011; Reynolds, 2014).
• Builds on Patton’s (1978) earlier concept of
‘utilisation-focused’ evaluation.
• A form of design thinking that situates
evaluation differently ,as “ not simply part of
quality assurance, but as a key design, feedback
and planning tool”
(Leonard, Fitzgerald & Riordan, 2015)

3. • Outcomes and goals
are already known
• Seeks to establish if
progress is being
made towards these
goals
Conventional Evaluation
(Formative or Summative
Evaluation
Developmental Evaluation
• Seeks to ‘design’ the
goals
• Asks what works for
whom, and in what
circumstances?
(Leonard, Fitzgerald & Riordan, 2015)

4. Conventional
Evaluation
Plan Act
(Formative Evaluation)
(Summative Evaluation
Evaluate
Developmental
Evaluation
Evaluate
Time
Plan
Act
Evaluate

5. “these two types of thinking are seen to be
mutually exclusive, but developmental evaluation is
about holding them in balance” ( Gamble, 2006)
Developmental evaluation
merges
Evaluation
…about critical thinking
Development
…about creative thinking

6. Which type of evaluation is appropriate ?
“what ? So what? Now what ?”

7. Forms of evaluation
Object of
evaluation
Developmental
(In the initial stages
and along the way)
Formative
(along the way)
Summative
(at the end or
end of a
section)
Processes
and
procedures
Have we misjudged
something?
Has something
unexpected
occurred?
Do we need to
change our
assumptions?
Is there
anything we can
adjust to
improve what is
happening?
Delivery - Did
things happen
the way we
planned for
them to
happen?
Quality- how
well did things
get done?
(The next five slides are from a presentation by Prof Jeff
Jawitz, 2015, UCT)
Jeff Jawitz, 2015

8. Object of
evaluation
Developmental
(In the initial
stages
and along the
way)
Formative
(along the way)
Summative
(at the end or
end of a section)
Participant
satisfaction
and
experience
How well did
we understand
participant
expectations?
Can we identify
and address some
of the negative
aspects of
participant
experience?
Can we identify
and take
advantage of
positive aspects of
participant
experience?
Did participants
report positive or
negative
experiences of the
course?
Jeff Jawitz, 2015

9. Object of
evaluation
Developmental
(In the initial
stages
and along the
way)
Formative
(along the
way)
Summative
(at the end or
end of a section)
Participant
performance
and
achievements
(learning?)
How well did we
judge the
capabilities of
the participants?
How well have
we been able to
stretch
participants in
terms of
extending their
capabilities and
understanding?
Participant
engagement –
to what extent
did
participants
engage with
elements of
the
programme
- what was the
quality of
engagement?
Did participants
achieve the levels of
performance that we
expected them to
achieve?
Jeff Jawitz, 2015

10. Object of
evaluation
Developmental
(In the initial
stages
and along the
way)
Formative
(along the
way)
Summative
(at the end or
end of a
section)
Project
effectiveness
How realistic are
we in expecting
significant results
from the
effective design
and delivery of
projects within
the institutional
context?
Can we
improve
support for
project
design?
What levels of
effectiveness
of
participant’s
project was
achieved?
Jeff Jawitz, 2015

11. Object of
evaluation
Developmental
(In the initial
stages
and along the
way)
Formative
(along the
way)
Summative
(at the end or
end of a
section)
Task: Select a few items that you wish to evaluate related
to your project. Identify three questions that reflect the
three different evaluation focusses for each of these
items.
Jeff Jawitz, 2015

12. References
• Jawitz Jeff ( 2015). Presentation at TAU Fellowship workshop
• Leonard, S. N., Fitzgerald, R. N., & Riordan, G. (2015). Using
developmental evaluation as a design thinking tool for curriculum
innovation in professional higher education. Higher Education
Research & Development, 1-13.
• Patton, M.Q. (1978). Utilization-focused evaluation. Beverley Hills,
CA: Sage.
• Patton, M.Q. (2011). Developmental evaluation: Applying
complexity concepts to enhance innovation and use. New York:
Guilford Press
• Reynolds, M. (2014). Equity-focused developmental evaluation
using critical systems thinking. Evaluation, 20(1), 75–95.
doi:10.1177/1356389013516054 .