ABSTRACT
There are two major kinds of evaluation: formative and summative. Formative evaluation has two purposes: one that evaluates and improves the products that result from the instructional design (ID) process (called product evaluation, which can be either developmental or operational), and one that evaluates and improves the ID process itself (called process evaluation, which is always developmental). This chapter offers guidance for all three kinds of formative evaluation. Formative process evaluation ensures quality in all phases of the ID process, to ensure process quality, while continually seeking improvements within each activity. Several methods are used for conducting a formative product evaluation: expert reviews, individual tryouts, alpha and beta tests, small-group tryouts, and operational tryouts. Small-group tryouts are focused on the full range of target learners under conditions approximating the actual teaching-learning situation.
