Perhaps it is time for a generic guide based on types of impact rather than research discipline? Decker et al. 0000346296 00000 n What emerged on testing the MICE taxonomy (Cooke and Nadim 2011), by mapping impacts from case studies, was that detailed categorization of impact was found to be too prescriptive. Impact assessments raise concerns over the steer of research towards disciplines and topics in which impact is more easily evidenced and that provide economic impacts that could subsequently lead to a devaluation of blue skies research. Definition of Assessment & Evaluation in Education by Different Authors with Its Characteristics, Evaluation is the collection, analysis and interpretation of information about any aspect of a programme of education, as part of a recognised process of judging its effectiveness, its efficiency and any other outcomes it may have., 2. Case studies are ideal for showcasing impact, but should they be used to critically evaluate impact? Teresa Penfield, Matthew J. Baker, Rosa Scoble, Michael C. Wykes, Assessment, evaluations, and definitions of research impact: A review, Research Evaluation, Volume 23, Issue 1, January 2014, Pages 2132, https://doi.org/10.1093/reseval/rvt021. Replicated from (Hughes and Martin 2012). 0000007967 00000 n While looking forward, we will be able to reduce this problem in the future, identifying, capturing, and storing the evidence in such a way that it can be used in the decades to come is a difficulty that we will need to tackle. Metrics in themselves cannot convey the full impact; however, they are often viewed as powerful and unequivocal forms of evidence. Here we outline a few of the most notable models that demonstrate the contrast in approaches available. Other approaches to impact evaluation such as contribution analysis, process tracing, qualitative comparative analysis, and theory-based evaluation designs (e.g., Stern, Stame, Mayne, Forss, & Befani, 2012) do not necessarily employ explicit counterfactual logic for causal inference and do not introduce observation-based definitions. In the educational context, the . 0000008675 00000 n Despite many attempts to replace it, no alternative definition has . Capturing knowledge exchange events would greatly assist the linking of research with impact. Evaluation of impact in terms of reach and significance allows all disciplines of research and types of impact to be assessed side-by-side (Scoble et al. If knowledge exchange events could be captured, for example, electronically as they occur or automatically if flagged from an electronic calendar or a diary, then far more of these events could be recorded with relative ease. Frameworks for assessing impact have been designed and are employed at an organizational level addressing the specific requirements of the organization and stakeholders. Without measuring and evaluating their performance, teachers will not be able to determine how much the students have learned. The REF will therefore assess three aspects of research: Research impact is assessed in two formats, first, through an impact template that describes the approach to enabling impact within a unit of assessment, and second, using impact case studies that describe the impact taking place following excellent research within a unit of assessment (REF2014 2011a). n.d.). More details on SROI can be found in A guide to Social Return on Investment produced by The SROI Network (2012). Accountability. A Review of International Practice, HM Treasury, Department for Education and Skills, Department of Trade and Industry, Yes, Research can Inform Health Policy; But can we Bridge the Do-Knowing its been Done Gap?, Council for Industry and Higher Education, UK Innovation Research Centre. If metrics are available as impact evidence, they should, where possible, also capture any baseline or control data. It is very important to make sure people who have contributed to a paper, are given credit as authors. Such a framework should be not linear but recursive, including elements from contextual environments that influence and/or interact with various aspects of the system. Also called evaluative writing, evaluative essay or report, and critical evaluation essay . Researchers were asked to evidence the economic, societal, environmental, and cultural impact of their research within broad categories, which were then verified by an expert panel (Duryea et al. The term comes from the French word 'valuer', meaning "to find the value of". 2009), and differentiating between the various major and minor contributions that lead to impact is a significant challenge. (2005), Wooding et al. The risk of relying on narratives to assess impact is that they often lack the evidence required to judge whether the research and impact are linked appropriately. 0000003495 00000 n For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription. In terms of research impact, organizations and stakeholders may be interested in specific aspects of impact, dependent on their focus. It is acknowledged that one of the outcomes of developing new knowledge through research can be knowledge creep where new data or information becomes accepted and gets absorbed over time. 2009). 3. The book also explores how different aspects of citizenship, such as attitudes towards diverse population groups and concerns for social issues, relate to classical definitions of norm-based citizenship from the political sciences. This database of evidence needs to establish both where impact can be directly attributed to a piece of research as well as various contributions to impact made during the pathway. 0000342980 00000 n What is the Concept and Importance of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation. While assessments are often equated with traditional testsespecially the standardized tests developed by testing companies and administered to large populations . Indicators, evidence, and impact within systems, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 2012, http://www.arc.gov.au/pdf/ERA_Indicator_Principles.pdf, http://www.charitystar.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Return_on_donations_a_white_paper_on_charity_impact_measurement.pdf, http://www.oecd.org/science/innovationinsciencetechnologyandindustry/37450246.pdf, http://www.cahs-acss.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/ROI_FullReport.pdf, http://mice.cerch.kcl.ac.uk/wp-uploads/2011/07/MICE_report_Goldsmiths_final.pdf, http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=409614§ioncode=26, http://www.odi.org.uk/rapid/Events/ESRC/docs/background_paper.pdf, http://www.iscintelligence.com/archivos_subidos/usfacultyburden_5.pdf, http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/tag/claire-donovan/, http://www.atn.edu.au/docs/Research%20Global%20-%20Measuring%20the%20impact%20of%20research.pdf, http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/10-099.pdf, http://www.esf.org/index.php?eID=tx_ccdamdl_file&p[file]=25668&p[dl]=1&p[pid]=6767&p[site]=European%20Science%20Foundation&p[t]=1351858982&hash=93e987c5832f10aeee3911bac23b4e0f&l=en, http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/2007/RAND_RB9202.pdf, http://www.rand.org/pubs/documented_briefings/2010/RAND_DB578.pdf, http://ukirc.ac.uk/object/report/8025/doc/CIHE_0612ImpactReport_summary.pdf, http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=415340§ioncode=26, http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/sites/default/files/80096%20NCCPE%20Social%20Value%20Report.pdf, http://www2.lse.ac.uk/government/research/resgroups/LSEPublicPolicy/Docs/LSE_Impact_Handbook_April_2011.pdf, http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/media/uploads/documents/publications/340.pdf, http://www.ref.ac.uk/media/ref/content/pub/researchexcellenceframeworkimpactpilotexercisefindingsoftheexpertpanels/re01_10.pdf, http://www.ref.ac.uk/media/ref/content/pub/assessmentframeworkandguidanceonsubmissions/02_11.pdf, http://www.ref.ac.uk/media/ref/content/pub/assessmentframeworkandguidanceonsubmissions/GOS%20including%20addendum.pdf, http://www.ref.ac.uk/media/ref/content/pub/panelcriteriaandworkingmethods/01_12.pdf, http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/uploads/REF-consultation-response-FINAL-Dec09.pdf, http://www.siampi.eu/Pages/SIA/12/625.bGFuZz1FTkc.html, http://www.siampi.eu/Content/SIAMPI/SIAMPI_Final%20report.pdf, http://www.thesroinetwork.org/publications/doc_details/241-a-guide-to-social-return-on-investment-2012, http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/n/q/ucu_REFstatement_finalsignatures.pdf, http://www.esrc.ac.uk/_images/Case_Study_of_the_Future_of_Work_Programme_Volume_2_tcm8-4563.pdf, Receive exclusive offers and updates from Oxford Academic, Automated collation of evidence is difficult, Allows evidence to be contextualized and a story told, Incorporating perspective can make it difficult to assess critically, Enables assessment in the absence of quantitative data, Preserves distinctive account or disciplinary perspective, Rewards those who can write well, and/or afford to pay for external input. One of these, the RQF, they identified as providing a promising basis for developing an impact approach for the REF using the case study approach. Muffat says - "Evaluation is a continuous process and is concerned with than the formal academic achievement of pupils. Teacher Education: Pre-Service and In-Service, Introduction to Educational Research Methodology, Teacher Education: Pre-Service & In-Service, Difference and Relationship Between Measurement, Assessment and Evaluation in Education, Concept and Importance of Measurement Assessment and Evaluation in Education, Purpose, Aims and Objective of Assessment and Evaluation in Education, Main Types of Assessment in Education and their Purposes, Main Types of Evaluation in Education with Examples, Critical Review of Current Evaluation Practices B.Ed Notes, Compare and Contrast Formative and Summative Evaluation in Curriculum Development B.ED Notes, Difference Between Prognostic and Diagnostic Evaluation in Education with Examples, Similarities and Difference Between Norm-Referenced Test and Criterion-Referenced Test with Examples, Difference Between Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation in Education, Difference between Blooms Taxonomy and Revised Blooms Taxonomy by Anderson 2001, Cognitive Affective and Psychomotor Domains of Learning Revised Blooms Taxonomy 2001, Revised Blooms Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, 7 Types and Forms of Questions with its Advantages, VSA, SA, ET, Objective Type and Situation Based Questions, Definition and Characteristics of Achievement Test B.Ed Notes, Steps, Procedure and Uses of Achievement Test B.Ed Notes, Meaning, Types and Characteristics of diagnostic test in Education B.ED Notes, Advantages and Disadvantages of Diagnostic Test in Education B.ED Notes, Types of Tasks: Projects, Assignments, Performances B.ED Notes, Need and Importance of CCE: Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation B.Ed Notes, Characteristics & Problems Faced by Teachers in Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation, Meaning and Construction of Process Oriented Tools B.ED Notes, Components, Advantages and Disadvantages of Observation Schedule, Observation Techniques of Checklist and Rating Scale, Advantages and Disadvantages of Checklist and Rating Scale, Anecdotal Records Advantages and Disadvantages B.ED Notes, Types and Importance of Group Processes and Group Dynamics, Types, Uses, Advantages & Disadvantages of Sociometric Techniques, Stages of Group Processes & Development: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning, Assessment Criteria of Social Skills in Collaborative or Cooperative Learning Situations, Portfolio Assessment: Meaning, Scope and Uses for Students Performance, Different Methods and Steps Involved in Developing Assessment Portfolio, Characteristics & Development of Rubrics as Tools of Assessment, Types of Rubrics as an Assessment Tool B.ED Notes, Advantages and Disadvantages of Rubrics in Assessment, Types & Importance of Descriptive Statistics B.ED Notes, What is the Difference Between Descriptive and Inferential Statistics with Examples, Central Tendency and Variability Measures & Difference, What are the Different Types of Graphical Representation & its importance for Performance Assessment, Properties and Uses of Normal Probability Curve (NPC) in Interpretation of Test Scores, Meaning & Types of Grading System in Education, Grading System in Education Advantages and Disadvantages B.ED Notes, 7 Types of Feedback in Education & Advantages and Disadvantages, Role of Feedback in Teaching Learning Process, How to Identify Learners Strengths and Weaknesses, Difference between Assessment of Learning and Assessment for Learning in Tabular Form, Critical Review of Current Evaluation Practices and their Assumptions about Learning and Development, The Concept of Test, Measurement, Assessment and Evaluation in Education. It has been suggested that a major problem in arriving at a definition of evaluation is confusion with related terms such as measurement, Merit refers to the intrinsic value of a program, for example, how effective it is in meeting the needs those it is intended help. There are standardized tests involved in the process of measurement assessment and evaluation to enable the students to make better use of the data available in the daily classroom. The definition problem in evaluation has been around for decades (as early as Carter, 1971), and multiple definitions of evaluation have been offered throughout the years (see Table 1 for some examples). The . The Payback Framework systematically links research with the associated benefits (Scoble et al. The advantages and disadvantages of the case study approach. 1.3. The Goldsmith report (Cooke and Nadim 2011) recommended making indicators value free, enabling the value or quality to be established in an impact descriptor that could be assessed by expert panels. In developing the UK REF, HEFCE commissioned a report, in 2009, from RAND to review international practice for assessing research impact and provide recommendations to inform the development of the REF. This article aims to explore what is understood by the term research impact and to provide a comprehensive assimilation of available literature and information, drawing on global experiences to understand the potential for methods and frameworks of impact assessment being implemented for UK impact assessment. From an international perspective, this represents a step change in the comprehensive nature to which impact will be assessed within universities and research institutes, incorporating impact from across all research disciplines. The definition of health is not just a theoretical issue, because it has many implications for practice, policy, and health services. 2007). It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide, This PDF is available to Subscribers Only. CERIF (Common European Research Information Format) was developed for this purpose, first released in 1991; a number of projects and systems across Europe such as the ERC Research Information System (Mugabushaka and Papazoglou 2012) are being developed as CERIF-compatible. This is being done for collation of academic impact and outputs, for example, Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools, which uses PubMed and text mining to cluster research projects, and STAR Metrics in the US, which uses administrative records and research outputs and is also being implemented by the ERC using data in the public domain (Mugabushaka and Papazoglou 2012). An evaluation essay is a composition that offers value judgments about a particular subject according to a set of criteria. Enhancing Impact. This is a metric that has been used within the charitable sector (Berg and Mnsson 2011) and also features as evidence in the REF guidance for panel D (REF2014 2012). Wigley (1988, p 21) defines it as "a data reduction process that involves the . The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of 3D rendering of the mandibular condylar region obtained from different semi-automatic segmentation methodology. It is important to emphasize that Not everyone within the higher education sector itself is convinced that evaluation of higher education activity is a worthwhile task (Kelly and McNicoll 2011). The most appropriate type of evaluation will vary according to the stakeholder whom we are wishing to inform. SIAMPI is based on the widely held assumption that interactions between researchers and stakeholder are an important pre-requisite to achieving impact (Donovan 2011; Hughes and Martin 2012; Spaapen et al. The traditional form of evaluation of university research in the UK was based on measuring academic impact and quality through a process of peer review (Grant 2006). Impact is derived not only from targeted research but from serendipitous findings, good fortune, and complex networks interacting and translating knowledge and research. A very different approach known as Social Impact Assessment Methods for research and funding instruments through the study of Productive Interactions (SIAMPI) was developed from the Dutch project Evaluating Research in Context and has a central theme of capturing productive interactions between researchers and stakeholders by analysing the networks that evolve during research programmes (Spaapen and Drooge, 2011; Spaapen et al. Donovan (2011) asserts that there should be no disincentive for conducting basic research. These case studies were reviewed by expert panels and, as with the RQF, they found that it was possible to assess impact and develop impact profiles using the case study approach (REF2014 2010). Assessment for learning is ongoing, and requires deep involvement on the part of the learner in clarifying outcomes, monitoring on-going learning, collecting evidence and presenting evidence of learning to others.. Developing systems and taxonomies for capturing impact, 7. The first attempt globally to comprehensively capture the socio-economic impact of research across all disciplines was undertaken for the Australian Research Quality Framework (RQF), using a case study approach. Here is a sampling of the definitions you will see: Mirriam-Webster Dictionary Definition of Assessment: The action or an instance of assessing, appraisal . (2008), and Hanney and Gonzlez-Block (2011). However, it must be remembered that in the case of the UK REF, impact is only considered that is based on research that has taken place within the institution submitting the case study. Impact can be temporary or long-lasting. The quality and reliability of impact indicators will vary according to the impact we are trying to describe and link to research. Husbands-Fealing suggests that to assist identification of causality for impact assessment, it is useful to develop a theoretical framework to map the actors, activities, linkages, outputs, and impacts within the system under evaluation, which shows how later phases result from earlier ones. 0000008241 00000 n Baselines and controls need to be captured alongside change to demonstrate the degree of impact. An evaluation essay or report is a type of argument that provides evidence to justify a writer's opinions about a subject. Systems need to be able to capture links between and evidence of the full pathway from research to impact, including knowledge exchange, outputs, outcomes, and interim impacts, to allow the route to impact to be traced. Although some might find the distinction somewhat marginal or even confusing, this differentiation between outputs, outcomes, and impacts is important, and has been highlighted, not only for the impacts derived from university research (Kelly and McNicol 2011) but also for work done in the charitable sector (Ebrahim and Rangan, 2010; Berg and Mnsson 2011; Kelly and McNicoll 2011). stream The origin is from the Latin term 'valere' meaning "be strong, be well; be of value, or be worth". 2007) who concluded that the researchers and case studies could provide enough qualitative and quantitative evidence for reviewers to assess the impact arising from their research (Duryea et al. Incorporating assessment of the wider socio-economic impact began using metrics-based indicators such as Intellectual Property registered and commercial income generated (Australian Research Council 2008). Assessment refers to a related series of measures used to determine a complex attribute of an individual or group of individuals. Impact is often the culmination of work within spanning research communities (Duryea et al. This distinction is not so clear in impact assessments outside of the UK, where academic outputs and socio-economic impacts are often viewed as one, to give an overall assessment of value and change created through research. A comprehensive assessment of impact itself is not undertaken with SIAMPI, which make it a less-suitable method where showcasing the benefits of research is desirable or where this justification of funding based on impact is required. Assessment is the process of gathering and discussing information from multiple and diverse sources in order to develop a deep understanding of what students know, understand, and can do with their knowledge as a result of their educational experiences; the process culminates when assessment results are used to improve subsequent learning. "Evaluation is a process of judging the value of something by certain appraisal." Characteristics of evaluation in Education Below are some of the characteristics of evaluation in education, Continuous Process Comprehensive Child-Centered Cooperative Process Common Practice Teaching Methods Multiple Aspects Continuous Process , . In undertaking excellent research, we anticipate that great things will come and as such one of the fundamental reasons for undertaking research is that we will generate and transform knowledge that will benefit society as a whole. The RQF pioneered the case study approach to assessing research impact; however, with a change in government in 2007, this framework was never implemented in Australia, although it has since been taken up and adapted for the UK REF. New Directions for Evaluation, Impact is a Strong Weapon for Making an Evidence-Based Case Study for Enhanced Research Support but a State-of-the-Art Approach to Measurement is Needed, The Limits of Nonprofit Impact: A Contingency Framework for Measuring Social Performance, Evaluation in National Research Funding Agencies: Approaches, Experiences and Case Studies, Methodologies for Assessing and Evidencing Research Impact. A collation of several indicators of impact may be enough to convince that an impact has taken place. What is The Concept of Evaluation With its Importance? Any tool for impact evaluation needs to be flexible, such that it enables access to impact data for a variety of purposes (Scoble et al. Table 1 summarizes some of the advantages and disadvantages of the case study approach. Research findings including outputs (e.g., presentations and publications), Communications and interactions with stakeholders and the wider public (emails, visits, workshops, media publicity, etc), Feedback from stakeholders and communication summaries (e.g., testimonials and altmetrics), Research developments (based on stakeholder input and discussions), Outcomes (e.g., commercial and cultural, citations), Impacts (changes, e.g., behavioural and economic). 0000334683 00000 n In the UK, more sophisticated assessments of impact incorporating wider socio-economic benefits were first investigated within the fields of Biomedical and Health Sciences (Grant 2006), an area of research that wanted to be able to justify the significant investment it received. Definition of Evaluation "Evaluation is the collection, analysis and interpretation of information about any aspect of a programme of education, as part of a recognised process of judging its effectiveness, its efficiency and any other outcomes it may have." Mary Thorpe 2. Figure 1, replicated from Hughes and Martin (2012), illustrates how the ease with which impact can be attributed decreases with time, whereas the impact, or effect of complementary assets, increases, highlighting the problem that it may take a considerable amount of time for the full impact of a piece of research to develop but because of this time and the increase in complexity of the networks involved in translating the research and interim impacts, it is more difficult to attribute and link back to a contributing piece of research. SIAMPI has been used within the Netherlands Institute for health Services Research (SIAMPI n.d.). Ideally, systems within universities internationally would be able to share data allowing direct comparisons, accurate storage of information developed in collaborations, and transfer of comparable data as researchers move between institutions. This might include the citation of a piece of research in policy documents or reference to a piece of research being cited within the media. The transition to routine capture of impact data not only requires the development of tools and systems to help with implementation but also a cultural change to develop practices, currently undertaken by a few to be incorporated as standard behaviour among researchers and universities. Johnston (Johnston 1995) notes that by developing relationships between researchers and industry, new research strategies can be developed. There has been a drive from the UK government through Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Research Councils (HM Treasury 2004) to account for the spending of public money by demonstrating the value of research to tax payers, voters, and the public in terms of socio-economic benefits (European Science Foundation 2009), in effect, justifying this expenditure (Davies Nutley, and Walter 2005; Hanney and Gonzlez-Block 2011). Definition of Evaluation by Different Authors Tuckman: Evaluation is a process wherein the parts, processes, or outcomes of a programme are examined to see whether they are satisfactory, particularly with reference to the stated objectives of the programme our own expectations, or our own standards of excellence. Different authors have different notions of educational evaluation. It is possible to incorporate both metrics and narratives within systems, for example, within the Research Outcomes System and Researchfish, currently used by several of the UK research councils to allow impacts to be recorded; although recording narratives has the advantage of allowing some context to be documented, it may make the evidence less flexible for use by different stakeholder groups (which include government, funding bodies, research assessment agencies, research providers, and user communities) for whom the purpose of analysis may vary (Davies et al. 2010). For more extensive reviews of the Payback Framework, see Davies et al. Many times . Published by Oxford University Press. In the UK, the Russell Group Universities responded to the REF consultation by recommending that no time lag be put on the delivery of impact from a piece of research citing examples such as the development of cardiovascular disease treatments, which take between 10 and 25 years from research to impact (Russell Group 2009). To allow comparisons between institutions, identifying a comprehensive taxonomy of impact, and the evidence for it, that can be used universally is seen to be very valuable. 0000342937 00000 n It is perhaps assumed here that a positive or beneficial effect will be considered as an impact but what about changes that are perceived to be negative? Explain. Clearly the impact of thalidomide would have been viewed very differently in the 1950s compared with the 1960s or today. Collating the evidence and indicators of impact is a significant task that is being undertaken within universities and institutions globally. Indicators were identified from documents produced for the REF, by Research Councils UK, in unpublished draft case studies undertaken at Kings College London or outlined in relevant publications (MICE Project n.d.). The authors propose a new definition for measurement process based on the identification of the type of measurand and other metrological elements at each measurement process identified. One of the advantages of this method is that less input is required compared with capturing the full route from research to impact. It is concerned with both the evaluation of achievement and its enhancement. Cooke and Nadim (2011) also noted that using a linear-style taxonomy did not reflect the complex networks of impacts that are generally found. Evaluative research is a type of research used to evaluate a product or concept, and collect data to help improve your solution. 0000001883 00000 n 0000002109 00000 n In 200910, the REF team conducted a pilot study for the REF involving 29 institutions, submitting case studies to one of five units of assessment (in clinical medicine, physics, earth systems and environmental sciences, social work and social policy, and English language and literature) (REF2014 2010). Attempting to evaluate impact to justify expenditure, showcase our work, and inform future funding decisions will only prove to be a valuable use of time and resources if we can take measures to ensure that assessment attempts will not ultimately have a negative influence on the impact of our research. Research findings will be taken up in other branches of research and developed further before socio-economic impact occurs, by which point, attribution becomes a huge challenge. There is a great deal of interest in collating terms for impact and indicators of impact. In the UK, evidence and research impacts will be assessed for the REF within research disciplines.