Evaluating, Implementing and Managing Instructional Programs and Projects

I believe few companies conduct evaluations of levels 3 and 4 because of time and money. It will take a lot of time to follow-up with students to determine whether or not they were able to apply the concepts they've learned to their job. However, I do think this can be done through yearly employee evaluations.

We use the Kirkpatrick Model in my current work setting. I work for an outreach program and we provide tutoring and enrichment activities for students in the 8th - 12th grades. However, we normally do not get to the level 3 and 4 evaluations because of the costs associated with this procedure.

Other Evaluation Models
1) Transdisciplinary Model
2) Logic Model - It displays the sequence of actions that describe what the program is and will do – how investments link to results.
3)

The transdisciplinary view, or model, of evaluation requires an understanding of how and why evaluation developed from a practice to a highly skilled, professional practice to a field-specific discipline, and finally to an autonomous discipline and transdiscipline, much like ethics, statistics, and measurement. The epistemological characteristic of the transdisciplinary model is one drawn from an objectivist view of evaluation. http://evaluation.wmich.edu/jmde/content/JMDE004content/10_The_Transdisciplinary_Model_of_Evaluation.htm

Logic Model
The Logic Model looks at the following:
INPUTS: resources, contributions, investments that go into the program
OUTPUTS: activities, services, events and products that reach people who participate or who are targeted
OUTCOMES: results or changes for individuals, groups, communities, organizations, communities, or systems
Assumptions: the beliefs we have about the program, the people involved, and the context and the way we think the program will work
External Factors: the environment in which the program exists includes a variety of external factors that interact with and influence the program action.

Therefore, the logic model will help you determine the return on investment of your evaluation.