This page is your gateway to a wide range of resources to support you in developing an evaluative mindset.  The resources in each of these sections will help you design and deliver effective evaluations. Use the dropdown menus in each theme to explore the content that you are interested in. 

Please note that there is information and resources about methods, ethics, evaluating student experience learning and teaching and the importance of research on separate pages.

Content

Evaluation in Higher Education
Theory of Change
Using Evidence for Impact
Making a Difference with your Data
Programme Level Evaluations

 

Evaluation in Higher Education

This video on Evaluation in Higher Education will introduce you to the theoretical underpinnings of evaluation as a social practice and STEER’s approach to developing an evaluative mindset at Sheffield Hallam University.

  • Key outcomes: An understanding of what evaluation is in a higher education context and how you might begin to frame your own evaluations.
  • Who should watch: Anyone interested in evaluation within the context of higher education.
  • Engagement with the video: This video and accompanying worksheet and can engage with individually or as a team.  It can be used in team development sessions to introduce different topics for discussion.

This video can be watched as a whole or in three sections:

  1. Theoretical underpinnings of evaluation (00:00:00)
  2. Office for Students objectives for ensuring every student has a fulling experience of higher education (00:05:21)
  3. STEER’s approach for developing an evaluative mindset at Sheffield Hallam University (00:09:00).

 

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Theory of Change

This video provides a brief overview of what a theory of change and what you should include when creating one.

  • Key outcomes: An understanding of what a theory of change is and how it can support your programme or initiative to be more successful.
  • Who should watch: This video will be useful to anyone who is new to evaluation or for people with some experience who would like to have a recap of the principles in relation to theory of change.
  • Engagement with the video: This video is the first of three, please watch the other videos and complete the activities.
  • Accompanying resources: This Theory of Change activity sheet will help you work through the various stages of creating a theory of change.

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Using Evidence for Impact

Following Theory of Change, this two-part video series introduces the use of evidence for impact in designing your evaluation.

  • Who should watch: This video is relevant to all staff at Hallam who are designing individual activities and interventions (e.g. peer mentoring, summer schools, workshops and events) or programmes of change (e.g. a range of outreach activities to widen access). This also includes learning and teaching activities (e.g. audio feedback, virtual labs, portfolio assessments) and strategic initiatives (e.g. Hallam Model curriculum framework, student financial support scholarships/bursaries).
  • Engagement with the video: Viewers may find it useful to think about a recently completed evaluation or a project which is just beginning as they watch this video. The STEER Evaluation Checklist will walk you through how to embed evaluation at the outset of activity/intervention/programme design (rather than at the end).
  • Accompanying resources: STEER Evaluation Checklist

 

Part 1

The first part of the series provides an introduction to evidence and impact, specifically outlining an approach to designing evaluations at Sheffield Hallam University using an Evaluation Framework and the STEER Evaluation Checklist.

Key Outcomes: An understanding of the five stages of evaluation, from activity/intervention/programme design through to learning from the evaluation findings. An awareness of how to embed evaluation using the OFS Evaluation Framework and the STEER Evaluation Checklist. An understanding of how STEER can support evaluative activity at Sheffield Hallam.

 

Part 2

The second part of the series is about designing evaluations at Sheffield Hallam University. It covers the types of evidence which might be collected as part of your evaluation.

Key outcomes: An understanding of the three types of evidence outlined in the OFS Evaluation Framework and an awareness of some key considerations when designing your evaluation, as part of a theory of change process.

 

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Sheffield Hallam has launched an institutional Evaluation Repository to raise awareness of practices and ideas that users can apply when designing and planning their own evaluations.

Sheffield Hallam’s Evaluation Repository showcases the evaluation activities that staff members and students carry out within the University and at partnership organisations. The purpose of the repository is to communicate unpublished evaluative outputs and raise awareness of practices and ideas to inform the design and development of evaluations. Please visit the Evaluation Repository  site to learn more about its features.

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Making a Difference with your Data (Quantitative)

This video is an introduction to principles to consider when interpreting quantitative types of data that are used in Higher Education, with the aim of building viewers’ confidence, criticality and capacity for using evidence effectively. The videos and scenarios focus on survey data as a starting point of this initiative.

  • Key outcomes: This video will enable you to: describe a range of types of quantitative data used in Higher Education; demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the purposes of quantitative data; apply principles to critically evaluate and interpret quantitative data.
  • Who should watch: The video is appropriate for stakeholders responsible for the development of evidence-informed practice at a variety of levels, such as module and course leaders seeking to enhance the review process and at departmental and subject group levels to improve the content of internal quality enhancement processes.
  • Engagement with the video: The video and accompanying worksheets prompt viewers to reflect on the insight that can be gained from quantitative types of data in Higher Education, in addition to considering the strengths and limitations of using this data.  The scenarios in the video and worksheets are based on fictitious data sets from national student surveys and have been designed to address a range of issues, some of which are based on personal experiences and on case studies from the sector.
  • Accompanying resources: Scenario worksheet – Making A Difference With Your Data: The Basics of Quantitative Data in Higher Education.

Related resources

 

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Programme Level Evaluations

This video provides a step by step guide to evaluating impact in large, complex, programmes.

  • Key outcomes: This video will support you to design and plan your programme evaluation using a logic model template.
  • Who should watch: This video will benefit those involved in leading large programmes, specifically Heads of portfolios/areas/directorates/departments.
  • Engagement with the video: This video encourages the creation of an evaluation steering group for this level of evaluation. 

 

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