Evaluation by objectives: A systematic approach to the evaluation of educational programs and activities in dental education

In response to the need for more effective utilization of resources, many institutions of higher learning are beginning to use corporate management methods. These methods, MBO being the most familiar example, center on the common comprehension at all levels of the goals of the corporation. However, institutions of higher learning uniformly lack a cohesiveness of purpose that extends from the level of president to that of teaching faculty. It is a mistake to assume that institutional educational goals are understood and supported by appropriate educational objectives at the department and program level. The evaluation‐by‐objective format is a concise graphical way to identify areas of support and confusion. It can be applied at each level of the institution and transmitted upward so that personnel at each administrative level can see the way in which its goals and objectives are perceived at lower levels. The proposed format facilitates grouping of educational objectives into programs, providing a framework for the estimation of effort and of needed resources. Since perceptions of effort and required resources will differ depending upon perspective, important issues will be identified, a most significant benefit of the system. The format leads to the formulation of an action plan, which should be reviewed periodically. The first step toward scientific management in institutions of higher learning must be a clear understanding of institutional and subunit goals, along with a set of education objectives that will accomplish these goals. The evaluation‐by‐objective format directs itself to exactly that concern.