Enhancing Widening Participation Evaluation through the development of a self-assessment tool for practitioners: Learning from the Standards of Evaluation Practice (Phase 2) project 2017-2019
Mountford-Zimdars, A; Moore, J; Shiner, R
Date: 1 July 2020
Journal
Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning
Publisher
Open University
Publisher DOI
Abstract
The ultimate goal of widening participation work, that unites policy
makers, practitioners and academics, is to enhance outcomes for
disadvantaged students in HE access, success and outcomes. This article
presents the Office for Students (OfS) commissioned project ‘Understanding
effective evaluation of the impact of outreach ...
The ultimate goal of widening participation work, that unites policy
makers, practitioners and academics, is to enhance outcomes for
disadvantaged students in HE access, success and outcomes. This article
presents the Office for Students (OfS) commissioned project ‘Understanding
effective evaluation of the impact of outreach interventions on access to
higher education: Phase Two’. This project sought to create a step-change in
robustness of evidence used and evaluation practices. Our 2017-19 project
explored evaluation practices among nine partner organisations drawn from
higher education providers (HEPs) and third sector partners. The initial aim
was to pilot test the Standards of Evidence developed during Phase One
research, to share practices that work and highlight examples of best
practice. As the project developed, a further outcome of the project was
envisaged through ongoing discussions between the OfS, academics, HEPs
and third-sector parties: a self-assessment tool for evaluation practitioners.
This tool provides a framework and guidance which allows practitioners to
map their own evaluation approaches. Through using prompts, the five
dimensions of the tool highlight strengths and weaknesses of evaluation
within five domains (strategic context, programme design, evaluation
design, evaluation design and learning). This new tool is in effect a five point
framework setting guidance about good evaluation practice. It was rolled
out to all HEPs in spring 2019 when providers were invited to return the completed tool and their reflection as part of their Access and Participation
planning.
School of Education
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
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