Technology Plan Evaluation
Appendix 5
Courtesy of NCRTEC
Technology implementation is a continuous process that adapts to the organization's changing circumstances and includes ongoing evaluation. Effective evaluation will force planners to rethink and adapt objectives, priorities, and strategies as implementation proceeds. Continuous evaluation also facilitates making changes if aspects of the plan are not working.
Evaluating the implementation of a technology plan can be conducted by various means. Simple observations, both negative and positive, that have been made by students and teachers using the technology are the most helpful. Interviews and informal meetings with both instructors and students can draw out the lessons that both groups have learned from using the technology. A simple written survey can assist in measuring the extent to which the plan has met its original objectives and expected outcomes. The following questions should be addressed when planning the evaluation of the implementation of your technology plan:
- How and when will you evaluate the impact your technology plan implementation has on student performance?
- Who will be responsible for collecting ongoing data to assess the effectiveness of the plan and its implementation?
- What windows of opportunity exist for reviewing the technology plan? (For example, the plan might be reviewed during curriculum review cycles.)
- How will accountability for implementation be assessed?
- How will you assess the level of technological proficiency gained by students, teachers, and staff?
- How will you use technology to evaluate teaching and learning?
- What is the key indicator of success for each component of the plan?
- How will you analyze the effectiveness of disbursement decisions in light of implementation priorities?
- How will you analyze implementation decisions to accommodate for changes as a result of new information and technologies?
- What organizational mechanism will you create that allows changes in the implementation of the technology plan and in the plan itself?
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