essay about curriculum evaluation

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7 Factors That Influence Curriculum and Curriculum Evaluation

“The public believes, incorrectly, that classroom instruction is as natural as showing your child how to fish or helping a nephew play Ms. Pac-Man. But those comparisons don’t take into account the profoundly specialized discourse of K–12 instruction.”

–Todd Finley

Introduction

After a curriculum is developed, the curriculum committee can breathe a sigh of relief, but their work is not done. Only when the curriculum is implemented and then evaluated will the committee know to what extent their efforts were successful. It is fair to say that no curriculum is perfect because there are almost always factors that may influence the curriculum that were unknown during the development process. As a former curriculum coordinator, I know that every curriculum, if it is to be most effective, is revised based on the results of an evaluation.

Essential Questions

• Why is curriculum evaluation an essential part of the curriculum development process?
• How is monitoring different than evaluation?
• What are the types of curriculum evaluation?
• What are the key elements in writing good curriculum?
• How does a well-written curriculum affect teaching and learning?
• How can the Aligned Curriculum concept help to organize the curriculum development process?

Meaning of Curriculum Evaluation

Curriculum evaluation is the assessment of programs, processes, and curricular products that are resources, not people (Oliva, 2009). There are two parts to the evaluation of the curriculum instruction process. The first is the evaluation of students (most often in meeting the standards) which takes place before, during, and after instruction. The question is, have the objectives been met?  Teachers analyze student assessment data to see how many students have met or not met the objectives, and at what level of performance. The second is the evaluation of the effectiveness of the guides and resources, and the instructor or teacher. This is often done in groups, and over a period of time.

From Curriculum Studies , pp. 87- 93

Evaluation helps to establish the worth of a program and make decisions on whether to continue, stop, or modify the project. The various tools for collecting data and the sources of the data is also discussed.

As with most terms in the curriculum, there are a variety of definitions given to evaluation. Simply described, it is a process of establishing the extent to which the objectives of a program have been achieved by analyzing performance in given areas.  Thus, evaluation is a judgmental process aimed at decision-making. Doll (1992) also defines evaluation as a broad and continuous effort to inquire into the effects of utilizing educational content and process to meet clearly defined goals.

Yet another definition states that “evaluation is a process of collection and provision of data for the sake of facilitating decision making at various stages of curriculum development.” (Shiundu & Omulando, 1992)

Thus, curriculum evaluation refers to the process of collecting data systematically to assess the quality, effectiveness, and worthiness of a program. The process of curriculum development and implementation raises issues like:

• What are the objectives of the program?
• Are these objectives relevant to the needs of the individual and society?
• Can these objectives be achieved?
• What are the methods being used to achieve these objectives?
• Are the methods the best alternatives for achieving these objectives?
• Are there adequate resources for implementing a curriculum?

Certain terms are closely related to evaluation. These include assessment, measurement, and testing.

Assessment, Measurement, and Testing Relating to Evaluation

There is often confusion between the terms: assessment, measurement, and evaluation. The following descriptions help define the differences.

Assessment is the process that shows whether there has been a change in student’s performance in a certain academic area. The change revealed through assessment can be given a value by quantifying procedures referred to as educational measurement. Assessments include the full range of procedures used to gain information about student learning and the formation of value judgments concerning learning progress.

Measurement

Measurement is the means of determining the degree of achievement of a particular objective or competency.  For example, the outcomes for individual students are measured (using assessments) to see if the student has met the outcomes.   Measurement refers to the determination of the actual educational outcomes and comparing these with intended outcomes as expressed in the objectives of the program.  Measurement describes something numerically. There is currently a focus on the measurement of 21st century skills for students.

In the above context, evaluation is the process of making a value judgment based on the information gathered through measurement and testing. Evaluation of a curriculum occurs so that the developers can accept, change, or eliminate various parts of a curriculum. The goal of evaluation is to understand whether or not the curriculum is producing the desired results for students and teachers. Evaluation is a qualitative judgement.

Monitoring versus Evaluation

From Curriculum Studie s, p. 89

What is monitoring? It is a continuous review of the progress of planned activities. Put differently, it is the routine daily, weekly, or monthly assessment of ongoing activities and progress. Monitoring focuses on what is being done. It is centered on two questions:

• Is the curriculum project reaching the specified target population?
• Are the various practices and intervention efforts undertaken as specified in the curriculum project design?

Monitoring is important in examining the inputs and outputs. Indeed, it can be considered as a “process evaluation.” Monitoring thus helps to ensure that the implementation is on course.

Evaluation in relation to monitoring is the episodic assessment of the overall achievement. It examines what has been achieved, or what impact has been made. Evaluation also examines the gaps in the curriculum in addition to what may have been achieved by the students but wasn’t.

Purposes of the Evaluation

From Curriculum Studies , p. 90

Evaluation can serve as a diagnostic tool for remedial teaching to improve pupils’ learning, but it also serves different aspects and participants in the education process. These include feedback to students themselves, classroom purpose including appropriateness of methods, curricular materials, and even the community itself.

It is also the process of determining whether or not the objectives have been attained; often at the end of the program (summative) but sometimes periodically, during implementation (formative). Monitoring focuses on whether the targeted population is being reached, assessment of the flow of inputs and outputs, plus their adequacy and relevance. Evaluation checks on the attainment of objectives and provides objective data on various aspects of the curriculum and its effect on targeted beneficiaries. Continuous information from monitoring helps to identify weaknesses and strengths in the process (e.g. inadequate resources). This could help in modifying objectives, among other changes.

Evaluation data can improve curriculum development through decision-making, whether to modify curriculum content, methods, proposed teaching, and learning materials, and even evaluation approaches recommended. Timely decisions ensure the right direction is taken promptly in the development process.

Evaluation serves the following purposes:

• Discover what the students have learned (knowledge, skills, attitudes, and adjustment, etc.).
• Ascertain the student’s status in class.
• Discover where the child needs help, and the nature of the help needed.
• Analyze data to determine what is needed to guide each student’s overall growth and development.
• Which of the objectives has been achieved?
• Are the methods and activities relevant and practicable?
• Is re-teaching necessary?
• Curriculum materials purposes – Are they relevant, usable, appropriate, and affordable?
• Assess the overall effectiveness of the institution.
• Reveal over or under-emphasis in individual classrooms.
• Reveal learning areas needing more attention throughout the school.
• Assist the school administration and staff in planning for institutional improvement.
• Provide data useful for school-wide instruction and interventions.
• Community – What are the attitudes and inputs of the community to the curriculum and the curriculum development process?

Essentially, evaluation ensures that strengths and weaknesses are detected at an early stage, thus saving time, resources, and frustration to increase the chances of success of a program.

Tyler proposes evaluation at the end of the program to provide data for making decisions about the curriculum, such as reviewing and modifying, etc. John Goodland, on the other hand, proposes continuous evaluation throughout the entire process of curriculum making. This information provides feedback as the process continues and revisions are expected to be made accordingly and promptly.

Types of Evaluation

From Curriculum Studies, p. 91

There are various types of evaluation including pre-assessment, formative assessment, summative evaluation, and impact evaluation.

Pre-assessment

This process helps to determine whether the students possess the prerequisite knowledge and skills to enable them to proceed with new material. It is useful to have this information at the beginning of a new course, or the beginning of a new year in school. It is also useful for teachers new to a class who have not taught before.

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is that which takes place during the implementation of a curriculum project or program. It guides and promotes the development of the program by providing data for its improvement.

Note: Formative evaluation needs to take place at all stages of curriculum development and implementation.

Summative Evaluation

This is an evaluation carried out at the end of a program. It facilitates major decisions about whether to continue with the program as it is; expand it, modify it, or stop it all together depending on the extent of success or failure of the program.

Impact Evaluation

Impact evaluation is an assessment of how the intervention being evaluated affects outcomes. The effects can be intended or unintended. The analysis of the impact requires an examination of what the outcomes would have been without the interventions. These evaluations are an aspect of summative evaluation and are usually conducted at the state level because it requires rigorous statistical analysis. They establish the impact of the program on the beneficiaries or recipients of the program, and the community, and are generally reported at the state and/or national level.

Criteria for Curriculum Evaluation

The criteria for evaluating the curriculum generally includes alignment with the standards, consistency with objectives, and comprehensiveness of the curriculum. Relevance and continuity are also factors. Many assessments do not cover the entire range of objectives due to difficulty in assessing some of the objectives effectively and objectively (e.g., the affective domain where value traits such as integrity and honesty are tested through written exams). The psychomotor domain, which helps our brain coordinate physical task such as catching a ball, have objectives that are often inadequately tested due to difficulties in logistics. Even with the cognitive domain, the knowledge involving the development of intellectual skills, only a small portion is usually tested. However, a lot of effort is made to try and ensure quality examinations at least at the summative evaluation level through a vigorous process of developing exams, which go through several stages including group analysis, etc.

Consistency with objectives, i.e., curriculum evaluation, should assess and measure the attainment of the curriculum objectives. The various levels of learning objectives need to be kept in mind as per Bloom’s taxonomy, i.e., knowledge; comprehension; application; analysis; synthesis; and evaluation).

The various domains need to be kept in mind (i.e. cognitive, affective, and psychomotor). For example, from a civic education curriculum, one affective domain objective could be, “Learners display appropriate attitudes towards national patriotism.”

The process of evaluation looks for evidence that such attitudes have been developed (e.g. education concepts for good citizenship are often evaluated in terms of knowledge of the government structure or knowledge of civics). This is inadequate (end of citation from Curriculum Studies ).

There are a variety of proposals in curriculum literature on what constitutes criteria for evaluation. One example is Wilson’s Curriculum Preliminary Rating Scale which she used in her graduate class, and could be very helpful when evaluating district or state curriculums. If you choose to use this scale, Dr. Wilson would like for you to contact her via the website and give her feedback.  Curriculum evaluation can be judged by consistency of evaluation with objectives of a project; comprehensiveness, validity and reliability, and continuity.

Also, practical skills, or psychomotor skills in home economics, agriculture, biology, etc. are often evaluated through checking for knowledge of facts on the topics, and not the actual practice (demonstrating, applying, or performing the actual skills). This again is inadequate.

Comprehensiveness

From Curriculum Studies , pp. 92-93

All the objectives of the curriculum are evaluated. Often only the cognitive domain is tested through the recall of facts. To test for comprehensiveness, one could carry out an evaluation of the broad administrative and general aspects of the education systems to find out how good the education system is and how relevant the program is.

• Evaluation pertaining to course improvement is determined through assessment of instructional methods and instructional materials to establish those that are satisfactory and those which are not.
• Evaluation related to individual learners will identify their needs and help to devise a better plan for the learning process.
• Feedback to the teachers can shed light on how well they are performing.

Validity, Reliability, and Continuity

This criterion answers the question, “Do the evaluation instruments used (e.g. examinations and tests) measure the function they are intended to measure?”

Reliability

Reliability provides a measure of consistency with respect to time (i.e. reliable instruments give the same results when administered at different times).

Evaluation is a continuous process; an integral part of the curriculum development process and classroom instruction. Hence, to provide continuous feedback on weaknesses and strengths for remedial action to be taken.

Another set of widely shared evaluation criteria that are applicable in any field are relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability.

Relevance indicates the value of the intervention or program with others. Stakeholder needs, state and national priorities, international partners’ policies, including development goals.

Efficiency answers the question, “Does the program use the resources in the most effective way to achieve its goals?”

Effectiveness

Effectiveness pertains to the question, “Is the activity achieving satisfactory results in relation to stated objectives?”

Impact focuses on the results of the intervention (intended and unintended; positive and negative) including social, economic, and environmental effects on individuals, institutions, and communities.

Sustainability

Education provides the way each generation passes on its culture, discoveries, successes and failures to the next generations. If there is not adequate inter-generational education, knowledge and accomplishments cannot be sustained. Education is the foundation for formulating, challenging and disseminating ideas, knowledge, skills and values within communities, nations and also globally.

The term sustainability is often only applied to environmental and community issues. Yet to redefine education, the term can also be applied to creating an atmosphere in the classroom that promotes independent skills and attitudes that can sustain the need for life-long learning. It is a given that teachers are under pressure to cover mandated curriculum standards so that students meet learning expectations. However, students are concerned about having relevant experiences that bridge the classroom and the real world. One way to promote these connections is to create a sustainable classroom community through the teaching of self-regulated learning (SRL) skills. (Gerretson, Ilisko and Fortino, 2010).

The Role of Teachers in Curriculum Evaluation

As pointed out earlier, curriculum evaluation refers to the process of collecting data systematically to assess the quality, effectiveness, and worthiness of a program. For evaluation to be carried out effectively, the teacher has to be involved in the process.

Teachers should provide data on the progress of students and materials. Teachers are best placed to judge the quality of materials, the depth to which the topics have been or will be dealt with, and the sequencing of the topics. They document their experiences and those of the learners. Teachers also need to have skills for observing and documenting their observations, constructing appropriate tests and examinations, and systematically reporting their findings.

Teachers’ involvement with curriculum evaluation is of great importance because they are constantly interacting with the learners, so they know them well, and they have continuous opportunities to collect evaluation data through a variety of means including observation, tests, and measurements. They can also easily assess the relevance, quality, and adequacy of teaching and learning resources.

Educational administrators also have a key role to assist the teachers and to coordinate the teachers’ contributions in the area of evaluation. The subject panels or focus groups that are organized at local levels in some countries can, if properly utilized, be a very effective system of initiating and sustaining teacher participation in this process. Through focus groups, many more teachers can be incorporated in curriculum development and evaluation than is possible through the national panels operated at curriculum development institutions in the various countries. A few questions can be discussed on the role of teachers in curriculum development and evaluation. These are:

• How effectively are the teachers involved in curriculum evaluation?
• To what extent are teachers providing feedback to the district curriculum coordinators?
• Are curriculum coordinators seeking information from the teachers?
• To what extent is the feedback from the teachers incorporated in the curriculum and curricular materials?
• Do teachers have adequate skills, time, and resources for observing, testing, measuring, gathering other relevant data, and documentation?
• How well are teachers prepared for developing curriculum and implementing new curricula?
• How coordinated is the flow of information between teachers, administrators, district coordinators, universities, and state agencies?

The involvement of teachers in curriculum development and evaluation could, in the long-run lead to relevant, cost-effective, and self-sustaining education programs.

In addition to the evaluation criteria mentioned, it is important to keep in mind that what is most important in the curriculum development process is the end product . Leslie Owen Wilson states, “Good curriculum development and instructional design should always start with key questions. Where do we begin when we start the curriculum development process?”

Owen Wilson has good advice for those who develop curriculum and urges us to guard against the “for-profit” entities, as well as some of the pitfalls of commercial curriculums that she describes in The Instructional Design/Curriculum Development Process.

Finley (2013) adds that the public has no idea how much mental muscle curriculum planning requires, but corporations that sell education materials do know. Unfortunately, their support is often in the form of selling a “sure-fire” scripted curriculum that “guarantees” growth (if teachers will just follow directions). There are, however, several reasons why scripted curricula-in-a-box do not work:

• What works in one classroom often will not work the next period, so flexibility, intuition, and judgment calls by instructors are needed.
• Values and motivations vary by classroom.
• Prepackaged curricula undermine teachers’ professionalism and agency.
• Cultural sensitivity does not come in a package.
• All students are not at the same level of development.
• Scripted lessons interfere with the all-important teacher-student relationship.

Unfortunately, prepackaged programs are often used with students from low socio-economic populations. For all these reasons, it is best when teachers develop their own lesson plans.

As an alternative to prepackaged programs, teachers can become the center of a curriculum evaluation or review process if they are supported using a collaborative model. Instructional technologists at an international school described in the following article were able to incorporate 21st-century skills instruction that was relevant to the schools. The process led to some innovations in classrooms as well as discussions that focused on a few standards and essential questions that allowed assessments to be uniform as well as options for differentiation of curriculum that were supported by technology.

Insight 7.0

School districts often opt for pre-packaged programs because corporate representatives “sell” administrators and school boards on the advantages of their programs because they do not require teacher input. This can be a disadvantage because teachers are not always invested in programs developed without their input. It would be wise for school districts to consider the importance of grass-roots support from schools and teachers with any new curriculum.

If teachers and administrators are interested in a collaborative, curriculum-development process, the following resource will be helpful.

“All Aboard! How a New Curriculum-Development Review Process Brought Teachers, Administrators, and Learning Specialists to the Table and Resulted in Some Innovative Uses of Technology.”

Reflect on what the teacher’s role is in evaluating the curriculum.

• What is the most appropriate role for the teacher?
• How might time constraints play a role in this decision?

Utilize the ILA Responses Group as a way of capturing your thoughts.

Evaluation of the curriculum is a critical phase in the curriculum-development process. Even if all the steps are followed in the development process, it is when the curriculum is implemented that it becomes clear whether or not the objectives have been met and to what degree the students have made progress academically. This is a meaningful, but complicated process. Publishers know this, and in response, they have developed pre-packaged curricula that have many drawbacks. Guarding against these “for-profit” entities is essential in developing a good curriculum that is designed for the success of the students. As an alternative to pre-packaged programs, teachers can be involved in the evaluation or review process if they are part of a collaborative process.

Curriculum Essentials: A Journey Copyright © 2021 by Linda J. Button, Ed.D. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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7 Steps for How to Write an Evaluation Essay (Example & Template)

In this ultimate guide, I will explain to you exactly how to write an evaluation essay.

1. What is an Evaluation Essay?

An evaluation essay should provide a critical analysis of something.

You’re literally ‘evaluating’ the thing you’re looking up.

Here’s a couple of quick definitions of what we mean by ‘evaluate’:

• Merriam-Webster defines evaluation as: “to determine the significance, worth, or condition of usually by careful appraisal and study”
• Collins Dictionary says: “If you evaluate something or someone, you consider them in order to make a judgment about them, for example about how good or bad they are.”

Here’s some synonyms for ‘evaluate’:

So, we could say that an evaluation essay should carefully examine the ‘thing’ and provide an overall judgement of it.

Here’s some common things you may be asked to write an evaluation essay on:

This is by no means an exhaustive list. Really, you can evaluate just about anything!

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2. How to write an Evaluation Essay

There are two secrets to writing a strong evaluation essay. The first is to aim for objective analysis before forming an opinion. The second is to use an evaluation criteria.

Aim to Appear Objective before giving an Evaluation Argument

Your evaluation will eventually need an argument.

The evaluation argument will show your reader what you have decided is the final value of the ‘thing’ you’re evaluating.

But in order to convince your reader that your evaluative argument is sound, you need to do some leg work.

The aim will be to show that you have provided a balanced and fair assessment before coming to your conclusion.

In order to appear balanced you should:

• Discuss both the pros and cons of the thing
• Discuss both the strengths and weaknesses of the thing
• Look at the thing from multiple different perspectives
• Be both positive and critical. Don’t make it look like you’re biased towards one perspective.

In other words, give every perspective a fair hearing.

You don’t want to sound like a propagandist. You want to be seen as a fair and balanced adjudicator.

Use an Evaluation Criteria

One way to appear balanced is to use an evaluation criteria.

An evaluation criteria helps to show that you have assessed the ‘thing’ based on an objective measure.

Here’s some examples of evaluation criteria:

• Strength under pressure
• Longevity (ability to survive for a long time)
• Ease of use
• Ability to get the job done
• Friendliness
• Punctuality
• Ability to predict my needs
• Calmness under pressure
• Attentiveness

A Bed and Breakfast

• Breakfast options
• Taste of food
• Comfort of bed
• Local attractions
• Service from owner
• Cleanliness

We can use evaluation criteria to frame out ability to conduct the analysis fairly.

This is especially true for if you have to evaluate multiple different ‘things’. For example, if you’re evaluating three novels, you want to be able to show that you applied the same ‘test’ on all three books!

This will show that you gave each ‘thing’ a fair chance and looked at the same elements for each.

3. How to come up with an Evaluation Argument

After you have:

• Looked at both good and bad elements of the ‘thing’, and
• Used an evaluation criteria

You’ll then need to develop an evaluative argument. This argument shows your own overall perspective on the ‘thing’.

Remember, you will need to show your final evaluative argument is backed by objective analysis. You need to do it in order!

Analyze first. Evaluate second.

Here’s an example.

Let’s say you’re evaluating the quality of a meal.

You might say:

• A strength of the meal was its presentation. It was well presented and looked enticing to eat.
• A weakness of the meal was that it was overcooked. This decreased its flavor.
• The meal was given a low rating on ‘cost’ because it was more expensive than the other comparative meals on the menu.
• The meal was given a high rating on ‘creativity’. It was a meal that involved a thoughtful and inventive mix of ingredients.

Now that you’ve looked at some pros and cons and measured the meal based on a few criteria points (like cost and creativity), you’ll be able to come up with a final argument:

• Overall, the meal was good enough for a middle-tier restaurant but would not be considered a high-class meal. There is a lot of room for improvement if the chef wants to win any local cooking awards.

Evaluative terms that you might want to use for this final evaluation argument might include:

• All things considered
• With all key points in mind

4. Evaluation Essay Outline (with Examples)

Okay, so now you know what to do, let’s have a go at creating an outline for your evaluation essay!

Here’s what I recommend:

4.1 How to Write your Introduction

In the introduction, feel free to use my 5-Step INTRO method . It’ll be an introduction just like any other essay introduction .

And yes, feel free to explain what the final evaluation will be.

So, here it is laid out nice and simple.

Write one sentence for each point to make a 5-sentence introduction:

• Interest: Make a statement about the ‘thing’ you’re evaluating that you think will be of interest to the reader. Make it a catchy, engaging point that draws the reader in!
• Notify: Notify the reader of any background info on the thing you’re evaluating. This is your chance to show your depth of knowledge. What is a historical fact about the ‘thing’?
• Translate: Re-state the essay question. For an evaluative essay, you can re-state it something like: “This essay evaluates the book/ product/ article/ etc. by looking at its strengths and weaknesses and compares it against a marking criteria”.
• Report: Say what your final evaluation will be. For example you can say “While there are some weaknesses in this book, overall this evaluative essay will show that it helps progress knowledge about Dinosaurs.”
• Outline: Simply give a clear overview of what will be discussed. For example, you can say: “Firstly, the essay will evaluate the product based on an objective criteria. This criteria will include its value for money, fit for purpose and ease of use. Next, the essay will show the main strengths and weaknesses of the product. Lastly, the essay will provide a final evaluative statement about the product’s overall value and worth.”

If you want more depth on how to use the INTRO method, you’ll need to go and check out our blog post on writing quality introductions.

4.2 Example Introduction

This example introduction is for the essay question: Write an Evaluation Essay on Facebook’s Impact on Society.

“Facebook is the third most visited website in the world. It was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg in his college dorm. This essay evaluates the impact of Facebook on society and makes an objective judgement on its value. The essay will argue that Facebook has changed the world both for the better and worse. Firstly, it will give an overview of what Facebook is and its history. Then, it will examine Facebook on the criteria of: impact on social interactions, impact on the media landscape, and impact on politics.”

You’ll notice that each sentence in this introduction follows my 5-Step INTRO formula to create a clear, coherent 5-Step introduction.

4.3 How to Write your Body Paragraphs

The first body paragraph should give an overview of the ‘thing’ being evaluated.

Then, you should evaluate the pros and cons of the ‘thing’ being evaluated based upon the criteria you have developed for evaluating it.

Let’s take a look below.

4.4 First Body Paragraph: Overview of your Subject

This first paragraph should provide objective overview of your subject’s properties and history. You should not be doing any evaluating just yet.

The goal for this first paragraph is to ensure your reader knows what it is you’re evaluating. Secondarily, it should show your marker that you have developed some good knowledge about it.

If you need to use more than one paragraph to give an overview of the subject, that’s fine.

Similarly, if your essay word length needs to be quite long, feel free to spend several paragraphs exploring the subject’s background and objective details to show off your depth of knowledge for the marker.

4.5 First Body Paragraph Example

Sticking with the essay question: Write an Evaluation Essay on Facebook’s Impact on Society , this might be your paragraph:

“Facebook has been one of the most successful websites of all time. It is the website that dominated the ‘Web 2.0’ revolution, which was characterized by user two-way interaction with the web. Facebook allowed users to create their own personal profiles and invite their friends to follow along. Since 2004, Facebook has attracted more than one billion people to create profiles in order to share their opinions and keep in touch with their friends.”

Notice here that I haven’t yet made any evaluations of Facebook’s merits?

This first paragraph (or, if need be, several of them) should be all about showing the reader exactly what your subject is – no more, no less.

4.6 Evaluation Paragraphs: Second, Third, Forth and Fifth Body Paragraphs

Once you’re confident your reader will know what the subject that you’re evaluating is, you’ll need to move on to the actual evaluation.

For this step, you’ll need to dig up that evaluation criteria we talked about in Point 2.

For example, let’s say you’re evaluating a President of the United States.

Your evaluation criteria might be:

• Impact on world history
• Ability to pass legislation
• Popularity with voters
• Morals and ethics
• Ability to change lives for the better

Really, you could make up any evaluation criteria you want!

Once you’ve made up the evaluation criteria, you’ve got your evaluation paragraph ideas!

Simply turn each point in your evaluation criteria into a full paragraph.

How do you do this?

Well, start with a topic sentence.

For the criteria point ‘Impact on world history’ you can say something like: “Barack Obama’s impact on world history is mixed.”

This topic sentence will show that you’ll evaluate both pros and cons of Obama’s impact on world history in the paragraph.

Then, follow it up with explanations.

“While Obama campaigned to withdraw troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, he was unable to completely achieve this objective. This is an obvious negative for his impact on the world. However, as the first black man to lead the most powerful nation on earth, he will forever be remembered as a living milestone for civil rights and progress.”

Keep going, turning each evaluation criteria into a full paragraph.

4.7 Evaluation Paragraph Example

Let’s go back to our essay question: Write an Evaluation Essay on Facebook’s Impact on Society .

I’ve decided to use the evaluation criteria below:

• impact on social interactions;
• impact on the media landscape;
• impact on politics

Naturally, I’m going to write one paragraph for each point.

If you’re expected to write a longer piece, you could write two paragraphs on each point (one for pros and one for cons).

Here’s what my first evaluation paragraph might look like:

“Facebook has had a profound impact on social interactions. It has helped people to stay in touch with one another from long distances and after they have left school and college. This is obviously a great positive. However, it can also be seen as having a negative impact. For example, people may be less likely to interact face-to-face because they are ‘hanging out’ online instead. This can have negative impact on genuine one-to-one relationships.”

You might notice that this paragraph has a topic sentence, explanations and examples. It follows my perfect paragraph formula which you’re more than welcome to check out!

4.8 How to write your Conclusion

To conclude, you’ll need to come up with one final evaluative argument.

This evaluation argument provides an overall assessment. You can start with “Overall, Facebook has been…” and continue by saying that (all things considered) he was a good or bad president!

Remember, you can only come up with an overall evaluation after you’ve looked at the subject’s pros and cons based upon your evaluation criteria.

In the example below, I’m going to use my 5 C’s conclusion paragraph method . This will make sure my conclusion covers all the things a good conclusion should cover!

Like the INTRO method, the 5 C’s conclusion method should have one sentence for each point to create a 5 sentence conclusion paragraph.

The 5 C’s conclusion method is:

• Close the loop: Return to a statement you made in the introduction.
• Conclude: Show what your final position is.
• Clarify: Clarify how your final position is relevant to the Essay Question.
• Concern: Explain who should be concerned by your findings.
• Consequences: End by noting in one final, engaging sentence why this topic is of such importance. The ‘concern’ and ‘consequences’ sentences can be combined

4.9 Concluding Argument Example Paragraph

Here’s a possible concluding argument for our essay question: Write an Evaluation Essay on Facebook’s Impact on Society .

“The introduction of this essay highlighted that Facebook has had a profound impact on society. This evaluation essay has shown that this impact has been both positive and negative. Thus, it is too soon to say whether Facebook has been an overall positive or negative for society. However, people should pay close attention to this issue because it is possible that Facebook is contributing to the undermining of truth in media and positive interpersonal relationships.”

Note here that I’ve followed the 5 C’s conclusion method for my concluding evaluative argument paragraph.

5. Evaluation Essay Example Template

Below is a template you can use for your evaluation essay , based upon the advice I gave in Section 4:

6. 23+ Good Evaluation Essay Topics

Okay now that you know how to write an evaluation essay, let’s look at a few examples.

For each example I’m going to give you an evaluation essay title idea, plus a list of criteria you might want to use in your evaluation essay.

6.1 Evaluation of Impact

• Evaluate the impact of global warming on the great barrier reef. Recommended evaluation criteria: Level of bleaching; Impact on tourism; Economic impact; Impact on lifestyles; Impact on sealife
• Evaluate the impact of the Global Financial Crisis on poverty. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on jobs; Impact on childhood poverty; Impact on mental health rates; Impact on economic growth; Impact on the wealthy; Global impact
• Evaluate the impact of having children on your lifestyle. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on spare time; Impact on finances; Impact on happiness; Impact on sense of wellbeing
• Evaluate the impact of the internet on the world. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on connectedness; Impact on dating; Impact on business integration; Impact on globalization; Impact on media
• Evaluate the impact of public transportation on cities. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on cost of living; Impact on congestion; Impact on quality of life; Impact on health; Impact on economy
• Evaluate the impact of universal healthcare on quality of life. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on reducing disease rates; Impact on the poorest in society; Impact on life expectancy; Impact on happiness
• Evaluate the impact of getting a college degree on a person’s life. Recommended evaluation criteria: Impact on debt levels; Impact on career prospects; Impact on life perspectives; Impact on relationships

6.2 Evaluation of a Scholarly Text or Theory

• Evaluate a Textbook. Recommended evaluation criteria: clarity of explanations; relevance to a course; value for money; practical advice; depth and detail; breadth of information
• Evaluate a Lecture Series, Podcast or Guest Lecture. Recommended evaluation criteria: clarity of speaker; engagement of attendees; appropriateness of content; value for monet
• Evaluate a journal article. Recommended evaluation criteria: length; clarity; quality of methodology; quality of literature review ; relevance of findings for real life
• Evaluate a Famous Scientists. Recommended evaluation criteria: contribution to scientific knowledge; impact on health and prosperity of humankind; controversies and disagreements with other scientists.
• Evaluate a Theory. Recommended evaluation criteria: contribution to knowledge; reliability or accuracy; impact on the lives of ordinary people; controversies and contradictions with other theories.

6.3 Evaluation of Art and Literature

• Evaluate a Novel. Recommended evaluation criteria: plot complexity; moral or social value of the message; character development; relevance to modern life
• Evaluate a Play. Recommended evaluation criteria: plot complexity; quality of acting; moral or social value of the message; character development; relevance to modern life
• Evaluate a Film. Recommended evaluation criteria: plot complexity; quality of acting; moral or social value of the message; character development; relevance to modern life
• Evaluate an Artwork. Recommended evaluation criteria: impact on art theory; moral or social message; complexity or quality of composition

6.4 Evaluation of a Product or Service

• Evaluate a Hotel or Bed and Breakfast. Recommended evaluation criteria: quality of service; flexibility of check-in and check-out times; cleanliness; location; value for money; wi-fi strength; noise levels at night; quality of meals; value for money
• Evaluate a Restaurant. Recommended evaluation criteria: quality of service; menu choices; cleanliness; atmosphere; taste; value for money.
• Evaluate a Car. Recommended evaluation criteria: fuel efficiency; value for money; build quality; likelihood to break down; comfort.
• Evaluate a House. Recommended evaluation criteria: value for money; build quality; roominess; location; access to public transport; quality of neighbourhood
• Evaluate a Doctor. Recommended evaluation criteria: Quality of service; knowledge; quality of equipment; reputation; value for money.
• Evaluate a Course. Recommended evaluation criteria: value for money; practical advice; quality of teaching; quality of resources provided.

7. Concluding Advice

Evaluation essays are common in high school, college and university.

The trick for getting good marks in an evaluation essay is to show you have looked at both the pros and cons before making a final evaluation analysis statement.

You don’t want to look biased.

That’s why it’s a good idea to use an objective evaluation criteria, and to be generous in looking at both positives and negatives of your subject.

Read Also: 39 Better Ways to Write ‘In Conclusion’ in an Essay

I recommend you use the evaluation template provided in this post to write your evaluation essay. However, if your teacher has given you a template, of course use theirs instead! You always want to follow your teacher’s advice because they’re the person who will be marking your work.

Good luck with your evaluation essay!

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ Social-Emotional Learning (Definition, Examples, Pros & Cons)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is Educational Psychology?
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ What is IQ? (Intelligence Quotient)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University

2 thoughts on “7 Steps for How to Write an Evaluation Essay (Example & Template)”

What an amazing article. I am returning to studying after several years and was struggling with how to present an evaluative essay. This article has simplified the process and provided me with the confidence to tackle my subject (theoretical approaches to development and management of teams).

I just wanted to ask whether the evaluation criteria has to be supported by evidence or can it just be a list of criteria that you think of yourself to objectively measure?

Many many thanks for writing this!

Usually we would want to see evidence, but ask your teacher for what they’re looking for as they may allow you, depending on the situation.

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Models of Curriculum Evaluation

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Department of Educational Foundation, FUDMA, Katsina State

Obinna J Okparaugo

'The concept of Curriculum Evaluation' Journal of Curriculum Studies Vol. 3, No. 2. Reprinted in: i) Golby M et al (eds) Curriculum Design (Croom Helm 1975). ii) Taylor P H and Tye K A (eds) Curriculum, School and Society (NFER 1975). iii) Deakin University, Australia: 'Curriculum Design and Development I'.

prince okyere

Curriculum Model Review, Educational Foundation, FUDMA, Katsina

With the dynamic nature of the global sphere and the place of education as the yardstick adopted to achieving global and national goals and objectives, it is a good time for evaluators to critically appraise their program evaluation approaches and decide which ones are worthiest of continued application and further development. It is equally important to decide which approaches are best abandoned. In this spirit, this essay document identifies and reviews twenty models often employed to evaluate educational programs. These models, in varying degrees, are unique and cover most educational program evaluation efforts. These models of evaluation are efforts to have education placed on the right path for global uniformity.

Khalid S A L I M S A I F Al-Jardani

This article will highlight the importance of developing a framework for curriculum evaluation. This framework should be based on quality standards, made public and be able to be used to help different practitioners and people involved in any institution to know what their role is and the best way to evaluate the curriculum. The article will start by presenting the main theoretical issues about curriculum evaluation, the different purposes of curriculum evaluation, who should be involved in the evaluating process, the various types of evaluation, methods of gathering evaluation data, ways to show results and the keeping of records. The paper will end by presenting what a curriculum framework should include, the idea of quality standards, and suggested research towards developing a framework for curriculum evaluation.

Sandra Mathison

Dr. Earl F Cater

Universal Journal of Educational Research

Horizon Research Publishing(HRPUB) Kevin Nelson

The present study aimed at reviewing some of the most reputable models of curriculum and program evaluation. In so doing, 63 related research papers were selected based on the pre-defined criteria. These included systematic reviews, meta-analyses, case studies, book reviews, and experiments. A curriculum is an important element which can affect the effectiveness of an educational or a pedagogical program. The main merit of a curriculum is providing the stakeholders with a transparent idea as to what must be achieved during the program conduction and whether the objectives of the program have been met. The term program evaluation was first used in the United States during the 1960s. Since then, various program and curriculum evaluation models and frameworks have been conceptualized around the world. Nearly all these models eventually have the same focus, i.e., to see whether a program meets its defined objectives or not. Some of these models have already been subject to evaluation within various educational contexts, while some have been less investigated. In the present systematic review, some reputable models of program and curriculum evaluation were discussed, while some other models were touched upon. The review was mainly divided into theoretical considerations and empirical background. The pros and cons of each model were briefly discussed. In addition, it was shown how some models have evolved or been challenged by others. It was concluded that choosing an appropriate model of evaluation would depend on several criteria such as the context, the purpose, and the expected outcome of the evaluation.

Evaluating the Plan and Lived Experience of the Curriculum: Completing the Circle

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Evaluating the Plan and Lived Experience of the Curriculum considers the final stage in the curriculum development process, evaluation. In fact, this chapter describes the ongoing cyclical nature of curriculum evaluation, rather than viewing it as one, final stage in a linear process. The authors consider the practical aspects of curriculum evaluation, the why, when, how, and who of the process. Practical tools for the process are included, in particular, potential goals for the evaluation and questions to ask, and what data to gather to achieve these goals are discussed. As in every chapter, Guardado and Light provide a candid summary of how they engaged with this evaluation process in their EAP context. Finally, some resources to support curriculum planning are included.

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Aoki, T. T. (1993). Legitimating lived curriculum: Towards a curricular landscape of multiplicity. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 8 (3), 255–268.

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Guardado, M., & Light, J. (2018). Innovation in EAP programmes: Shifting from teaching to learning in curriculum design. In L. T. Wong & W. L. Wong (Eds.), Teaching and learning English for academic purposes: Current research and practices (pp. 143–160). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.

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Guardado, M., Light, J. (2020). Evaluating the Plan and Lived Experience of the Curriculum: Completing the Circle. In: Curriculum Development in English for Academic Purposes. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47468-3_6

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Curriculum Evaluation Essays

Enhancing mathematics education through next-generation learning standards, curriculum evaluation in nursing, popular essay topics.

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Curriculum Evaluation - Essay Example

• Subject: Other
• Type: Essay
• Level: College
• Pages: 2 (500 words)
• Downloads: 11
• Author: ccorkery

Extract of sample "Curriculum Evaluation"

Curriculum Evaluation Synopsis The educational s in the present context need distinctive evaluation to provide information to the guardians to show the achievement as well as to reveal efficiency of a student through test scores. Curriculum evaluation is a difficult procedure and it is state’s responsibility which is required by the ‘No Child Left Behind’ educational policy. ‘Curriculum’ is the set of elements intended for achieving a particular stated or implied objective and ‘Evaluation’ is collecting data to reach any decision.

There are several programs for ‘Curriculum Evaluation’, out of which one is the CIPP model, portrayed by Daniel L Stufflebeam. It is a sound research method which can be used in educational institutions for evaluating merit of students (Sowell, E. J., “Curriculum: An Integrative Introduction”). CIPP stands for ‘Context, Input, Process and Products’. Context implies evaluating the requirements and problems; Input relates to evaluating of the plan to address the requirement, Process is the evaluation of implementation of plan, and ultimately Product stands for the evaluation of anticipated and unexpected results (Sowell, E. J., “Curriculum: An Integrative Introduction”).

There are different sights of Curriculum Evaluation standards which are to be given priority in the evolution. According to JCSEE (Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation), there are four kinds of standards for Curriculum Evaluation which are ‘Utility Criteria’, ‘Feasibility Criteria’, ‘Propriety Criteria’, and ‘Accuracy Criteria’ (Sowell, E. J., “Curriculum: An Integrative Introduction”). CIPP evaluation technique goes through certain stages. In the year 2003, Sander and Davidson had projected 11 stages for applying CIPP model.

The first stage consists of assessment of school elements which are finance, human resource, competency and other resources. In the second stage, the person who will involve in the assessment will be defined. This stage concentrates on the Utility Criteria of JCSEE standards. The third stage deals with establishment of joint association between every person who are concerned with the CIPP process. In the fourth stage, the standard for evolution from the view point of every person involved in assessment will be explained.

After establishing the standards in the fifth stage the information collection related methods are to be planned. In the sixth step, the environmental aspects which can impact the actions and results must be evaluated as Curriculum Evaluation is connected with effects within and outside of school. As the information is being collected it must be accumulated in the seventh stage for abridgment and case in a particular folder. In the eighth stage, the collected information must be shared among stakeholders for their suggestions and remarks.

In the ninth stage, the decisive information from stakeholders will be delivered to the school administrators. After reporting to the school administration, a summary of report will be made in the tenth stage and will be prepared for public reporting. Finally, the consequences of the Curriculum Evaluation will be applied for further progress and development of school students (Sowell, E. J., “Curriculum: An Integrative Introduction”). The CIPP model is beneficial for assessing several factors of education.

For successful evaluation, a foundation should be established otherwise questions cannot be measured for evaluation. In any case, the evaluation must be well planned. For making the CIPP model successful, the assessor should apply proper quantitative and qualitative strategy for evaluating the information. The CIPP model, if successfully implemented, can surely help in developing the education curriculum of school (Sowell, E. J., “Curriculum: An Integrative Introduction”). Reference Sowell, Evelyn J.

Curriculum: An Integrative Introduction Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall, 2004.

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Curriculum Evaluation, Design and Development Essay

Curriculum evaluation, curriculum design and development, the 21st century skills.

It is possible to say that two of the most important qualities of curriculum content are its meaning and value. Based on this, in order to assess curricula in terms of their social significance, I would use the model of Social Reconstructivism as the major approach to curriculum evaluation.

According to the principles included in the given framework, schools should strive to teach students in a way that will help children to develop necessary analytical and problem-solving skills. By placing instruction in broader social contexts, a school should prepare children to cope with difficulties and challenges they may face in real-life situations and critically evaluate their experiences.

The ideas of social equality and justice are core to Social Reconstructivism. Therefore, when evaluating a curriculum from the given perspective, it is important to understand whether the selected instructional practices and learning activities will contribute to dispelling existing stereotypes in student populations and will enable them to gain awareness of social injustices. To comprehend whether a curriculum is sufficiently effective, it is necessary to evaluate expected instructional outcomes with regard to students’ abilities, developmental needs, and interests; as well as the social environment in which a school is placed. Overall, the given approach allows the evaluation of a curriculum in terms of its contribution to the development of social welfare including such aspects as the promotion of positive relationships, and the improvement of the overall life quality.

I think the focus of Social Constructivism on ethical and political areas of curricula content, as well as its emancipatory and value-oriented qualities, represents this approach as a very current and appropriate evaluation tool. Society-oriented perspective is especially important today because the present-day communities become increasingly diverse, cross-cultural interactions become more frequent than before, and the pace of advancement in multiple spheres of life gains momentum. In the context of rapid development and diversification, people need to incorporate ethical and social values into everyday practices, such as interpersonal communication; academic, and professional development. We need to teach children not to accept general points of view and live up to obsolete expectations, but rather encourage them to be individuals who can bring positive changes to the society by being responsive, creative, and intelligent.

The school is an important institution that provides the knowledge needed for improvement of all life dimensions and support to sound social practices. In my opinion, the classroom itself represents a micro-social environment where children learn about different values and beliefs which consequently affect their personal identities, decisions, and actions. And I believe that the evaluation of curricula from the social perspective can help to incorporate more positive values into the education process, increase the quality of instruction, and ultimately stimulate the development of a more integrated and friendly society.

It is important to develop curricula in a way that they meet the academic and psychological needs of learners, facilitate the achievement of developmental objectives and goals, and support positive educational experiences. Therefore, my curriculum development plan would include the following stages:

• Analysis of learner needs,
• Development of curriculum structure
• Formulation of instructional aims and learning objectives,
• Identification of scope and depth,
• Alignment of goals with social and organizational requirements,
• Selection of major content topics,
• Content arrangement and sequence,
• Evaluation.

Preliminary analysis of learner needs is important as it helps to determine students’ qualifications, previous academic experiences, and personal characteristics including delays in cognitive development or learning disabilities. This stage of curriculum design is a perfect starting point because it helps to collect the basic information that lays the foundation for further curriculum design activities.

Then, I would identify course objectives and requirements because they prompt the selection of contents. In the second phase, I would set specific learning and instructional aims, formulate expected outcomes, and determine assessment standards. The completion of the given step largely facilitates the alignment of curriculum content with broader organizational or social requirements, principles, and values. It helps to adjust individual students’ needs identified through preliminary analysis, and class academic objectives (e.g., competency development) with school initiatives for overall performance improvement or national standards.

After this, it is possible to choose main content topics that would define the overall course orientation; the nature of knowledge, and skills. At this stage of curriculum development, it is already clear enough what types of activities and learning practices should be included in the course in order to fulfill the desired goals. When the major contents are selected, it is important to arrange them in a proper manner to ensure the knowledge would be delivered consistently and in the right sequence.

Lastly, it is important to evaluate the designed curriculum in multiple dimensions. This phase helps to verify if there are a sufficient balance and cohesion between different curriculum components, whether it is diversified enough or constructed according to all educational standards. The assessment allows finding mistakes that may impede success during curriculum implementation. Therefore, it is an essential activity in the design and development process as it makes a significant contribution to the overall effectiveness of a created curriculum.

I’ve made the plan in this way because, in my opinion, the sequence of these design steps is natural. By following the given plan, it is possible to accumulate necessary information in a gradual manner, cover multiple requirements and needs, and ensure that a developed curriculum will be efficient.

The framework for 21st Century Teaching and Learning outlines the knowledge and abilities students need to become successful members of society. The ideas described in the framework serve as the guidelines used by individual educators and schools to improve education systems and instructional practices. According to the 21st Century Learning model, students should develop skills in such areas of performance as technology, information, and media; innovation; and life and career.

Although all three of the mentioned knowledge dimensions are essential to productivity and self-efficiency in the present-day world, I think the innovation skills are the most important among all others. This category includes critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration. Since our society and markets are dynamically changing, a person needs to be flexible, responsive, and adaptive to overcome barriers and succeed in life. Innovation itself is a form of higher-order thinking which implies anticipation of demands, the advancement of current situations, and leadership. Innovation always triggers substantial positive changes in society. Therefore, the primary goal of any educator is the development of creativity, flexibility, and critical thinking in students.

In order to boost innovation and other important qualities in children, teachers need to understand how to meet the requirements imposed on individuals in the 21st century. Undoubtedly, schools should support student development through the provision of favorable environments, and support for the professional growth of teachers, as well as compliance with educational standards. However, the emphasis should be made on the manner educators arrange instruction or learning activities and communicate with students. It is important to understand that the education process does not imply a mere conveying of factual information. Nowadays, information continually changes and rapidly becomes obsolete. Moreover, students may access the necessary information sources without their teachers’ assistance at any time of the day. In this situation, the best thing a teacher can do is to raise students’ awareness of how to handle, share, and process any type of received information. In my opinion, a competent educator will always attempt to promote collaboration among classmates, stimulate self-expression, and encourage discussions on various topical issues and problems.

It is essential to give students interesting yet challenging tasks that require collaboration and critical evaluation of events and phenomena. In the digital era, it is not enough just to locate and understand the information; the ability to evaluate, discuss and present personal ideas to various audiences is of greater value because these skills are regarded as signs of intelligence. I believe it is possible to develop higher-order thinking and innovation skills in students by engaging them in meaningful in motivating learning practices. When students are motivated to learn, they show a keen interest in voluntarily searching for knowledge and accomplishments. Thus, it may be useful to increase students’ learning autonomy and create more flexible classroom environments in order to achieve 21st-century goals in education.

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IvyPanda. (2024, April 15). Curriculum Evaluation, Design and Development. https://ivypanda.com/essays/educational-leader-skills/

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IvyPanda . 2024. "Curriculum Evaluation, Design and Development." April 15, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/educational-leader-skills/.

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