6: Measurement Techniques In Evaluation

Abstract

The demand for sophisticated and compre hensive evaluation of educational efforts is affecting thinking about measurement techniques and strategies. Evaluation for many years has been equated with a process of determining whether specified objectives are attained, but current evaluation models focus on a larger number of phenomena. The objectives of an educational effort are still an important component of evaluation, but the current models are more inclusive.Evaluation theorists indicate that evaluation should attend to outcomes other than specified objectives, to inputs or antecedent conäitions, and to processes or transactions.The implementation of an input-process-outcome evaluation plan raises important measurement problems. The inclusion of the many variables in a comprehensive evaluation requires a massive amount of measurement and classification. There are also problems associated with obtaining valid and reliable measurement and classifications of a great many variables, including many not traditionally considered in evaluation methodology.