Monitoring and evaluation are key elements in the development, implementation and ultimate success of a learning intervention. Developers analyze data collected during monitoring and evaluation activities and use it to make decisions about how to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the learning intervention.
Monitoring is an ongoing process of collecting information about how a learning intervention is being implemented. Monitoring can determine whether:
Evaluation takes into account learner satisfaction and achievement at the end of a learning intervention and measures the overall effects of the learning intervention after implementation. Evaluations can determine whether:
If an intervention is complex, developers frequently conduct a pilot-test. A pilot-test is an experiment performed on a small scale that allows instructional developers to observe how various components of a learning intervention, such as the learner support system, function before going to full scale. If the scale of the intervention is small (e.g., adding a new module to an existing curriculum in a well-functioning structure) a pilot-test may not be necessary; regular monitoring and evaluation during the actual implementation may be sufficient.
Use Tool #14 Monitoring and Evaluation Plan to plan how the learning intervention will be monitored and evaluated, identify indicators and develop instruments and a schedule for the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan.