As I reflect on class 7501 this course was very informative on giving a valid evaluation. Thinking back on module one this course explored fundamental concepts related to evaluation including the rationale for and goals of evaluations. Also, this module explored specific themes that relate to educational technology and evaluation, and I was able to choose my own program/agency to evaluate. In module two I elaborated about the evaluation targets and developed a problem statement, and also formed a description of the effects of a situation that leads to a perceived need. In module three I developed a visual representation of the theory of change for the project, program, product, practice, or policy I evaluated. In module four I learned to choose data sources that can best help me to address my evaluation questions. In module five I learned how to best analyze data to answer my evaluation questions about the evaluation proposal. In module six I finalized my evaluation proposal.
I have learned to approach challenges differently because things I may see as a problem may only be a symptom not the actual problem. I plan to use the lessons that I've learned to evaluate future programs,so the programs will remain valued. After completing class 7501 the patterns in the way I approach challenges have changed, because now I assess the whole problem and not just segments of the problem.
