WikiEdProfessional eLearning Guidebook/Evaluating the impacts of eLearning/Goals of evaluation

A major goal of any evaluation activity is to influence decision-making. For any organization to be able to attain its mission, a comprehensive evaluation strategy for ascertaining the impacts of its various teaching, learning and research related activities is crucial. This strategy needs to be systemic and systematic in its approach to gathering different types of data and feedback from a range of sources, and with the help of a variety of instruments. The gathering of this kind of data and feedback is also crucial to ensuring a high quality of service, and effective utilization of information and communications technology in teaching and learning.

The term “evaluation” is being used here to refer to the systematic acquisition of feedback on the use, worth and impact of some activity, program or process in relation to its intended outcomes (see Naidu, 2005). The most basic distinctions between various types of educational evaluation activities are drawn between formative, summative, and monitoring or integrative evaluation (see also Kirkpatrick, 1994; Naidu, 2002; 2005; Reeves, 1997; 1999).