Using a practical program evaluation model to chart the outcomes of an educational initiative: problem-based learning

Abstract

This paper describes an approach to evaluation which provides a practical and systematic framework for assessing educational and clinical programs. It encourages medical educators and clinicians to consider academic dissemination (e.g. presentations and publications), product development (e.g. training materials, workshops and learning resource packages), and implementation (e.g. maintained at the original site, replicated or adapted elsewhere) as three primary outcomes when evaluating programs. Measurements of impact for each of these primary outcomes are identified which usually involve a number count of participants, users or sites. Finally, measurements of impact of three possible secondary outcomes that focus on education, clinical service and administration are outlined. This paper applies the outcomes of problem-based learning to the model's framework and discusses how medical educators and clinicians can use this model to conduct evaluations of their own initiatives and programs.