Participatory Evaluation: An Alternative Strategy for Assessing the Process of Curricular Reform

Abstract

This paper focuses on the use of participatory evaluation, a relatively new, flexible, interactive approach to assessment, and describes its implementation at two very different postsecondary sites. In particular, the paper addresses the importance of an institution's context in any assessment of curricular reform. Whether diversity was dominant or more marginal in the institution, participatory evaluation allowed it to become an integral part of the process. On both campuses, the voices of students and faculty, from diverse backgrounds, were heard and their suggestions were used. The implementation of participatory evaluation on an urban and a suburban site indicated the approach to be flexible and capable of evolving over time as the project required.