Throughout the course of the semester, we have been taught how to complete a program evaluation appropriately. There are multiple components that go into the process. The main component is finding a program that is willing to allow you to complete an evaluation. After completing an evaluation, the program can reassess their needs. An evaluator must clearly come up with research questions, explore the multiple research methods, and effectively communicate the results.

With this course, I have been able to decipher who and what a stakeholder is. The stakeholders are individuals that have something invested in a program. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a monetary investment. It could be someone that wants to better the community. In my opinion, an evaluator is an outside source that provides feedback to a program. We are a fresh set of eyes that recognize issues the stakeholders and employees may not. We give unbiased feedback to stakeholders, so they can improve their program.

Everything that has been learned in the course can be found in the multiple Tasks we had to complete throughout the course. One area of improvement was my critical thinking skills. Before starting this class, I hadn’t written an APA format paper in years. I also didn’t have to use any critical thinking in the workplace.  It took a while for me to get back in the swing of things. Although, there is room for improvement I can say that this class has helped me out a lot. This course does correspond with the field I want to pursue. It’s helping me how to explain myself on paper and provide as much detail as possible. It has also allowed me to get a glimpse of what I may have to deal with when I’m finally in my career field.

This course has helped me in my current workplace and everyday life. I’m able to provide more constructive feedback to my employers and people I encounter. This information/skill would be beneficial for me because I eventually want to open my own program. I would be open to having someone like myself come and evaluate my program. As stated earlier, sometimes we need a new pair of eyes to evaluate what’s going on. We may just be blind to the fact our program has issues. Overall, this course was very beneficial and helped me realize what I’ll have to deal with in my future career.

 

Chandell M.