Evaluate

Step 1

Define the objective and focus of your evaluation

First, it is important that you have a clear understanding of what success looks like. One commonly used model is Guskey’s Model, which has five levels of evaluating professional learning: (1) participants’ reactions, (2) participants’ learning, (3) organisational support and change, (4) participants’ use of new knowledge and skills and (5) student learning outcomes. These levels build on one another. In addition to evaluating effectiveness, you can also assess if the blended CPD trajectory is cost-effective, inclusive, and sustainable. To ensure a thorough evaluation, you should meet with the design and evaluation teams to establish your evaluation objectives and questions. Use the available tool  to formulate a set of evaluation questions, matched with Guskey’s evaluation levels.

Step 2

Collect evaluation data

Second, to get the information you need,  think carefully about what you want to learn and choose the right data collection methods, whether that’s through surveys, interviews, or other methods. When collecting data, think about what information already exists and what data you need to collect to meet your evaluation goals, keeping your participants’ privacy and data security in mind. To do this, it’s a good idea to have policies and standards in place to protect sensitive information and follow data protection laws in your area.

Step 3

Analyse, interpret and learn from the data

Third, you’ll need to organise and prepare your collected data for use. This includes categorising, coding and presenting it in a useful way for analysis and interpretation. Then, you’ll choose your analytical approach based on the type of data you have and the frequency of data collection. The next step is data interpretation and learning, which involves relevant stakeholders and provides an opportunity to bring different perspectives and experiences. Dissemination and communicating your findings are important for take-up among stakeholders. It’s recommended to use ICT to collect, analyse and disseminate data and insights, as it’s more efficient, cost-effective and flexible. Blended CPD offers the opportunity to collect a lot of data on participation, engagement and progress. This allows for shorter feedback loops and learning.