Logic Models & Performance Measures
Case Study Assignment # 1
Instructions:
Please read chapters 3 – 6 from Joseph S. Wholey, Harry P. Hatry, and Kathryn E. Newcomer, editors, Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation, Latest Edition as well as Module 2 lecture materials (and journal articles). Also, please watch the video in module 2…
Then you are expected to prepare a concise written response to the question(s) posed:
Question:
Case Study Assignment (Written Critique # 1):
Carefully consult your syllabus (Case Study Requirements) for instructions as well as the textbook and course resources link for information about your preassigned evaluation year for this and all future case study critiques. You must upload the article used alongside your critique.
Case Studies – Written Critiques (40% of course grade): Since one major goal of the course is to improve your skills as a consumer of research products in the field of evaluation, especially those which employ the ideas, methods, and techniques, which are covered in the course, each student is required to write and to submit critiques of two articles, which purport to apply these ideas, methods, and techniques to real- world policies or programs. Each critique will be worth 20% of the course grade. The articles are located under the textbook and course resources link in Canvas. Official submission dates are also specified.
Each critique must be 5-10 typed, double-spaced pages in length with standard, one-inch margins all around using New Times Roman and 12-point font written in third person only. Otherwise, general formatting should follow APA style. The instructor’s evaluation of each critique will be based on the
Preparation Guidelines for the Written Critique listed in this syllabus.
The students are required to access preassigned articles located under the textbook and course resources link in Canvas. These articles were obtained from the Evaluation Review.
Preparation Guidelines for the Written Critique
At a minimum, this critique should address the following questions or issues. If, in your opinion, your article does not address one or more of them, then you should say so and defend or justify why you believe that to be the case. In all cases, defend or justify your answers with specific references to words, phrases, or passages in the article and corresponding references to the assigned readings for the course. In other words, while your critique should be written in your own words (third person only), you do need to make references to specific words, phrases, and relevant passages in the text of your article, as well as corresponding references to the assigned readings for the course. Each of the following items in BOLD must be listed as a heading on your critique. Do not use bullet points. Discuss in your critique the questions/issues under each bolded item. If a question/issue does not apply, please explain why.
• Summary (1-2 pages)
o Summarize the contents of your article.
o Who wanted the policy or program evaluated? In other words, why did the
author(s) conduct the evaluation?
Syllabus Page 8 of 19
• Evaluation Goal(s)
o What were the goals or desired outcomes of the policy or program under
examination?
o How did the author(s) propose to evaluate the policy or program in terms of
its goals or outcomes?
• Theoretical Perspective (2-3 paragraphs)
o What theory connects the policy or program to the goals or outcomes?
o What rival or plausible explanations or theories were ruled out?
o How did the theory guide the author(s) in their conduct of the evaluation?
• Research Methods (2-3 paragraphs)
o What principal research method(s) did the author(s) use in the conduct of the
evaluation?
o Did any unintended or unanticipated consequences arise? If so, what were
they?
o How and why did they arise?
• Conclusion (1 page)
o What did the author(s) conclude? On what basis?
o Did the policy or program achieve its intended goals or outcomes in whole,
in part, or not at all? If so, why or why not?
o To what uses were the results of the evaluation to be put?
o Based on the results of the evaluation, what principal recommendations did
the author(s) make?
• Evaluation Concepts (1-2 pages)
o After you have written your summary, identify which of the following apply
to the article. Be sure to define the concept and explain how each of your
selections applies to your article.
Implementation evaluation
Process evaluation
Outcome evaluation
Goals or desired outcomes
Program theory
Quantitative methodology
Qualitative methodology
Dependent variable(s)
Independent variable(s)
Experimental design
Quasi-experimental design
Internal validity
External validity
Unit of analysis
Replication
Meta-analysis
Cost-benefit analysis
Cost-effectiveness analysis
