Collaborative Evaluation Designs as an Authentic Course Assessment

Strategies for optimizing evaluator education is an ongoing discussion in the field of evaluation. While several options exist, formal post-secondary courses are limited in Canada. Graduate courses offered at post-secondary institutions must navigate institutional structures while creating learning opportunities that bring together the theoretical and practical competencies required for evaluators. In this practice note, we advance evaluation designs as a useful authentic assessment. First, we provide a brief look at the literature related to authentic assessments, followed by a description of the contexts where we apply the evaluation design. Next, we offer details of four processes spanning planning and implementation through to final evaluation. Finally, we conclude with insights from our experiences of utilizing the evaluation design as an authentic assessment.