Political Evaluation
- Social Sciences
- 300 level
- 3 credit units
- 118 pages
- 20 units
This course examines the concept and method of Political Evaluation. It considers measurement and measurement procedures as key processes of evaluating the validity of political programmes and public policies. The course looks at a range of evaluation methods and illustrates their usefulness in different situations. It exposes students to the rudiments of descriptive and inferential statistics. The course accentuates the centrality of referencing to evaluation process and political evaluation report writing.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 60 hours
- Maths
- Intermediate
- Content
- Theoretical, case study, problem solving
- Practical work
- No
- Assignments
- Tutor Marked Assessments
- Final Examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of POL316, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
POL316 · UNIT 1 POLITICAL EVALUATION AND ITS USES
30 per cent of your total coursework. At the end of the course, you will need to sit for a final examination. This examination will account for the other 70 per cent of your total course mark.
What you should be able to do
- Understand the concept of political evaluation and its various processes.
- Conduct independent evaluation of political actors, programs, institutions, and regimes.
- Communicate research reports and recommendations effectively.
- Apply basic statistical methods to evaluate policies, programs, and actors.
- Understand and apply survey research methods in political evaluation.
- Critically analyze and interpret political evaluation research findings.
What it prepares you for
- Policy Analyst
- Political Consultant
- Research Analyst
- Government Advisor
- Public Opinion Researcher
- Government
- Political Campaigns
- Public Policy Organizations
- Research Institutions
- International Organizations
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 4: Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
Unit 5: Inferential Statistics: Estimation and Hypothesis Testing
Requires understanding of statistical concepts and formulas, and their application in hypothesis testing.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 26 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: Introduction to Political Evaluation
Unit 1: Political Evaluation and its Uses · 2 hours
Define political evaluation and its uses.. Discuss the importance of evaluating human behavior in relation to government.. Explain political evaluation as a decision-making tool..
- Week 2Module 1: Introduction to Political Evaluation
Unit 2: Political Evaluation Research · 2 hours
Discuss political evaluation as a scientific activity.. Understand research as a central element of political evaluation.. Explain the nature of political evaluation research..
- Week 3Module 1: Introduction to Political Evaluation
Unit 3: Political Evaluation Research Strategies · 2 hours
Explain the two main strategies of social research used in political evaluation.. Identify the meaning and uses of qualitative and quantitative research strategies.. Describe the characteristics of qualitative and quantitative research strategies..
- Week 4Module 1: Introduction to Political Evaluation
Unit 4: Types of Evaluation Research · 2 hours
Identify two broad types of political evaluation research.. Explain formative evaluation and summative evaluation.. State the various uses of the two broad types of evaluation research..
- Week 5Module 1: Introduction to Political Evaluation
Unit 5: Statistics and Political Evaluation · 2 hours
State the meaning and uses of statistics in political evaluation.. Identify different types of statistics and appreciate their application in political evaluation research.. Discuss the use of statistics for generalization, estimation, conclusion drawing, and prediction..
- Week 6Module 2: Measurement
Unit 1: The Concept of Measurement · 2 hours
Explain the concept of measurement and its importance in political evaluation research.. State the idea of operational definition and indicators.. Explain why it is necessary to measure in political evaluation..
- Week 7Module 2: Measurement
Unit 2: Levels of Measurement · 2 hours
Explore and grasp key concepts that describe the basics of measurement.. Discuss the various levels of measurement: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio levels of measurement..
- Week 8Module 2: Measurement
Unit 3: Scales of Measurement · 2 hours
Explain the idea of scaling.. Discuss measurement scales, especially the Likert Scale..
- Week 9Module 2: Measurement
Unit 4: Reliability and Validity in Quantitative Research · 2 hours
Evaluate the reliability of measurement instruments and techniques in quantitative research.. Examine the validity of measurement instruments and techniques.. Acquire the ability to select measurement strategies that maximize validity and reliability in quantitative research..
- Week 10Module 2: Measurement
Unit 5: Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research · 2 hours
Discuss how the concepts of reliability and validity are applied to qualitative research.. Evaluate the relevance of these concepts to qualitative research.. Acquire the ability to maximize validity and reliability in qualitative research..
- Week 11Module 3: The Survey Process
Unit 1: The Survey · 2 hours
Discuss the survey as an important research method.. Discuss reasons for conducting survey research, the survey process, and the limits of survey research.. Explain the advantages and limits of the application of survey research..
- Week 12Module 3: The Survey Process
Unit 2: The Survey Instrument: Questionnaire · 2 hours
Explain the questionnaire as a major instrument used in survey research.. List the various elements of the question, construct a survey questionnaire.. Master the techniques of asking and organizing the questions in your questionnaire.. Discuss issues associated with the administration of the questionnaire..
- Week 13Module 3: The Survey Process
Unit 3: Data and Data Gathering Techniques · 2 hours
Explain the concept of data in political evaluation research.. List and discuss various techniques of data collection, document analysis, and the field method of gathering data..
Preparing for the exam
- Review all Self-Assessment Exercises (SAEs) at the end of each unit to reinforce understanding.
- Focus on understanding the different types of evaluation research (formative, summative) and their applications.
- Practice applying statistical formulas for measures of central tendency and dispersion.
- Create concept maps linking research strategies (qualitative, quantitative) to appropriate data collection techniques.
- Study examples of political evaluation research reports to understand report writing and recommendation formulation.
Questions students ask about this course
What is POL316 about?
This course examines the concept and method of Political Evaluation. It considers measurement and measurement procedures as key processes of evaluating the validity of political programmes and public policies. The course looks at a range of evaluation methods and illustrates their usefulness in different situations. It exposes students to the rudiments of descriptive and inferential statistics. The course accentuates the centrality of referencing to evaluation process and political evaluation report writing.
How many units does POL316 have?
POL316, Political Evaluation, has 20 units across 4 modules, over 118 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is POL316?
POL316 carries 3 credit units, at 300 level in Social Sciences.
Is POL316 hard?
POL316 is rated intermediate level, with intermediate mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical, case study and problem solving work.
How long does POL316 take to study?
About 60 hours of study, spread across its 20 units.
How is POL316 assessed?
POL316 is assessed by Assignments, Tutor Marked Assessments and Final Examination.
What can I do with POL316?
Policy Analyst, Political Consultant, Research Analyst, Government Advisor and Public Opinion Researcher.