Responsive evaluation

Responsive evaluation is a research investigation based on reliable evidence of quality program This aproach enables to evaluate the educational and other programs by comparing the program activity, the program uniqueness, and the social plurality of the people.

The most important feature in the Responsive evaluation is the responsiveness to main issues and problems, in particular those cases where people recognize at the site.

The Responsive evaluation emphazises:

1. Educational problems more than objectives or hypotheses
2. Direct and indirect observation of program participation (the pluralism of value standards held by various groups)
3. A continuous attention to audience information-needs and media for reporting

In order to achieve a well Responsive evaluation, it is essential to preordinate the evaluation.

• Preordinate Evaluation

This aproach designs a "front-loaded" with the evaluation tools consumed to accomplish the observations by interpreting them. The Preordinate Evaluation has a relative contrast with the Responsive Evaluation

The Preordinate Evaluation design highlights:

1. A formal statement of goals
2. Standardized tests of student performanceV
3. Value standards held by program staff
4. A “research-journal” type of report

• Responsive Design

The fundamental project of the Responsive predispositition is Stake’s 12 Prominent Events:

a) Identify program scope

b) Overview program activities

c) Discover purposes and concerns

d) Conceptualize issues and problems

e) Identify data needs

f) Select observers, judges, and instruments (if any)

g) Observe designated antecedents, transactions, and outcomes

h) Thematize and prepare portrayals and case studies

i) Winnow, match issues to audiences

j) Format for audience use;

k) Assemble formal reports (if any)

l) Talk with clients, program staff, and audiences (Stake, 1976)

• Strengths of Responsive Evaluation

The responsive approach is applicable to summative and formative evaluations

The formative evaluation is useful when the project staff needs help monitoring the program and when no one knows what problems are going to face it.

In summative evaluation is useful this approach when audiences want to understand the activities, the strengths and the shortcoming of the project

The Responsive Evaluation is preferred over the Pre-ordinate evaluation when someone wants to know the extent to which set objectives have changed (Stake, 1972). The responsive approach let to generate large bases of data, to allow for a thick description of a program. In conclusion, the Responsive Evaluation allows for evaluations of programs which are either limited or broad in scope and is especially suited for programs which are in transition