Which step is performed first in an effective program evaluation for new academic offerings?

Which step is performed first in an effective program evaluation for new academic offerings?

• A. Gather baseline and post-implementation data
• B. Define objectives and metrics
• C. Involve instructors and students
• D. Compare against benchmarks

Answer: (B)

Setting clear objectives and metrics is the first move in an effective program evaluation. It gives you a concrete definition of what success looks like for the new academic offering and specifies how you’ll measure it, which guides what data to collect, how to interpret results, and how to compare against standards later on. Without this foundation, subsequent steps like gathering baseline and post-implementation data or involving instructors and students can drift toward collecting irrelevant information or missing the real questions, and benchmarking depends on having defined targets to compare against.

Setting clear objectives and metrics is the first move in an effective program evaluation. It gives you a concrete definition of what success looks like for the new academic offering and specifies how you’ll measure it, which guides what data to collect, how to interpret results, and how to compare against standards later on. Without this foundation, subsequent steps like gathering baseline and post-implementation data or involving instructors and students can drift toward collecting irrelevant information or missing the real questions, and benchmarking depends on having defined targets to compare against.