Evaluation Proposal

Dental Hygiene Program

Canadore College
PME 828 Module 5
Proposed by: Terra Bourre
Program Context
The Canadore College Dental Hygiene program is a three year advanced diploma
program. The program prepares students to develop the knowledge, skills and
judgement to become self-regulated health professionals. Students work with
clients from the community on-site in Canadores Dental Hygiene Clinic, where
they offer dental hygiene services as they put their clinical theory into practice.

Internal program and curriculum review and renewal is completed by program

faculty and staff on an annual basis. The program is accredited by the
Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada.
Need for Evaluation
Accreditation Requirement: The program must evaluate the currency and
comprehensiveness of the program curriculum and use evidence-based practice as
the basis for curriculum decisions. Students must have the opportunity to evaluate
the program curriculum, teaching effectiveness and their preparation for entry to
practice (CDAC, 2015, p.12)

Curriculum and program renewal along with new opportunities within the School
of Health, Human Care and Wellness: We will soon be embarking on an adventure
as we transition to our Interprofessional Village (slated to open fall 2018) where
students will work collaboratively and interprofessionally, learning and providing
care for our community.
Purpose of Evaluation
The purpose of evaluation will be two-fold:

First, from an accountability perspective it will fulfill the accreditation requirement

for a systematic evidence-based evaluation of the program curriculum.

Secondly, and even more importantly, it will facilitate curriculum and program
improvement by building evaluation capacity and creating new learning
opportunities.

The purpose of evaluation is to improve, not prove (D.L Stufflebeam)

Proposed
Evaluation
Approach:
Organizational
Learning (OL)
Rationale for Approach
The organizational learning (OL) approach supports a balance between the roles of accountability
and learning in evaluation (Preskill & Torres, 2001)

Curriculum and program evaluation should ultimately contribute to improving learning and teaching
(Stufflebeam & Madaus, 2000)

OL is an internal, formative evaluation conducted by primary stakeholders (program faculty and

staff) that facilitates the development of internal evaluation capacity in a practical and
economically feasible manner

OL supports moving beyond approaching evaluation as a compliance activity to one that promotes
learning through evaluative inquiry (Patton, 2014).

As organizations adapt to new economic and societal requirements, we believe that evaluative
inquiry can be a guiding force for individual, team and organizational growth and success (Preskill &
Torres, 1999, p.43)
Rationale for Approach cont...
An OL approach to curriculum and program renewal will engage key
stakeholders (faculty, staff, students, and administration) in a continuous
process of evaluative thinking.

Evaluative thinking is critical thinking applied in the context of evaluation,

motivated by an attitude of inquisitiveness and a belief in the value of evidence,
that involves identifying assumptions, posing thoughtful questions, pursuing
deeper understanding through reflection and perspective taking, and informing
decisions in preparation for action(Buckley, J., Archibald,T., Hargraves, M. &
Trochim, W. 2015, p.378)
Methodology and Approach
Preskill and Torres (1999) suggest
a continuous circular inquiry
process with 3 phases: Focusing
the inquiry, carrying out the
inquiry, and applying learning
(Preskill & Torres, 1999, p.45).

Evaluative thinking is nurtured as

teams work collaboratively
through the evaluation process.
The organizational culture,
leadership, systems & structures,
and communication support
individual and organizational
learning.
Methodology and Approach cont...
Phase 1 Focusing the Inquiry: the team determines (a) issues or concerns needing
to be addressed (b) which stakeholders will be engaged in the inquiry, and (c)
questions that will guide the evaluative inquiry. A logic model might also be
developed by the team during this phase.

Phase 2 Carrying out the Inquiry: the team determines the inquiry design, methods
of data collection, analysis, interpretation, communication and reporting
mechanisms.

Phase 3 Applying learning: the team develops strategies to address the outcomes
of the inquiry, create and implement action plans for these strategies, and monitor
the progress of the action plans (Preskill, 2011)
Enhancing Quality performance
Evaluator Competencies- Reflective, Situational,
Quality evaluation practice ensures that all
and Interpersonal practice competence are
guiding principles, competencies, and standards
essential to ensuring a high quality collaborative
of the profession be used to guide practice.
evaluation and learning process.
Some key considerations with relation to the
OL approach include:
Preskill & Torres (1999) define the evaluator role
in OL as ....facilitating dialogue and reflection
Guiding principle- systematic inquiry:
through question asking and identifying and
Organizational Learning is an inquiry-based
clarifying organization members values, beliefs,
approach and therefore its important that
assumptions and knowledge as they engage in
evaluators/stakeholders conduct systematic,
each phase of the inquiry (Preskill & Torres,
data-based inquiries. The technical standards
p.56) Reflective and situational competencies
that apply to inquiry evaluation develop as part
will support necessary self-awareness and
of the learning process throughout the
growth mindset required for effective evaluative
evaluation.
thinking.
Enhancing Quality Performance cont...
Interpersonal competence supports the process by promoting a respectful, communicative, and
collaborative environment.

Evaluator Standards- The Standards promote quality evaluation and all standards are important in
shaping practices. The utility standards in particular would be essential for enhancing quality to the OL
approach. The utility standards determine the extent to which program stakeholders find evaluation
processes and products valuable in meeting their needs (Yarbrough, D. B., Shulha, L. M., Hopson, R. K., &
Caruthers, F. A., 2011).

The OL approach is based on the premise that the evaluative thinking and learning that occur throughout
the evaluation is as relevant as the evaluation findings. Particular consideration to Standards U2
Attention to Stakeholders, U4 Explicit Values, U5 Relevant Information, and U6 Meaningful Process and
Products will be important to enhance quality. Stakeholders needs, values and engagement in the
process along with meaningful information generated throughout the evaluation are essential to the OL
approach .
References
American Evaluation Society (2004). Guiding Principles for Evaluators. Retrieved from http://www.eval.org/p/cm/ld/fid=51

Buckley,J., Archibald, T., Hargraves, M., & Trochim, W. (2015) Defining and Teaching Evaluative Thinking: Insights From Research on Critical
Thinking, American Journal of Evaluation. 36(3) 375-388. Retrieved from https://www.socialresearchmethods.net/research/2015/2015%20-
%20Buckley%20et%20al%20-%20Evaluative%20Thinking.pdf

Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada. (2015). Accreditation Requirements for Dental Hygiene Programs. Retrieved from https://www.cda-
adc.ca/cdacweb/en/accreditation_requirements/dental_hygiene/

Hogan, L. (2007). The Historical Development of Program Evaluation: Exploring the Past and Present. Online Journal of Workforce Education and
Development, 2(4), 1-14. Retrieved From: http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1056&context=ojwed

Patton, Michael Quinn (2014). Evaluation Flash Cards: Embedding Evaluative Thinking in Organizational Culture. St. Paul, MN: Otto Bremer
Foundation, ottobremer.org.

Preskill, H. (2011). Evaluative Inquiry. in Mathison, S. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Evaluation (pp.144-146). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers.DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412950558
References cont...
Preskill, H. & Torres, R. (1999). Building Capacity for Organizational Learning through Evaluative Inquiry. Evaluation. Vol 5(1): 4260 Doi:
10.1177/13563899922208814

Preskill, H. & Torres, R. (2001)Evaluation and Organizational Learning: Past, Present, and Future. American Journal of Evaluation, Vol. 22( 3), 387
395. Retreived from http://youthrex.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/American-Journal-of-Evaluation-2001-Torres-387-95.pdf

Stufflebeam, Daniel L.; Madaus, George F.; Kellaghan, Thomas. (2000). Evaluation Models. Viewpoints on Educational and Human Services
Evaluation. Springer. Retrieved 9 July 2017, from <http://www.myilibrary.com.proxy.queensu.ca?ID=20047

Yarbrough, D. B., Shulha, L. M., Hopson, R. K., & Caruthers, F. A. (2011). The program evaluation standards: A guide for evaluators and evaluation
users (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers.