The Evaluation Center announces launch of innovative e-learning courses on program evaluation

Contact: Lori A. Wingate
April 29, 2024
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Drs. Kelly Robertson and Lori Wingate are excited to launch Valeo, a new e-learning series about program evaluation.

KALAMAZOO, Mich.鈥The Evaluation Center at 色色啦 Michigan University has created a new way for professionals to learn about program evaluation. Drs. Lori Wingate and Kelly Roberston created the program to fill a gap in online learning about evaluation. In collaboration with experts in evaluation and instructional design at 色色啦 and beyond, they created, bringing their vision for engaging and practical e-learning about program evaluation to life.

鈥淲e鈥檝e heard so many stories about people who were tasked with evaluation responsibilities in their jobs, with little to no preparation,鈥 says Wingate. 鈥淲e wanted to create a way for people to develop the evaluation know-how they need, when they need it.鈥

Valeo (pronounced vuh-LAY-oh) recently launched with three courses, with plans to eventually offer a comprehensive menu of courses on program evaluation. Courses available now include , and .

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control played a pivotal role in Valeo's inception, collaborating in course development and providing vital funding. Wingate explains, "Our CDC colleagues were specifically interested in a course on theoretical approaches to program evaluation. They have staff with strong analytical skills, but saw a need for public health program evaluators to have deeper knowledge of evaluation theory." 

Following a successful pilot facilitated by their CDC colleagues, the Valeo team used the insights to enhance the course鈥檚 content and delivery. The resulting Introduction to Theoretical Approaches to Evaluation course offers an opportunity to earn continuing education units (CEUs).

The courses are non-academic, which means they don鈥檛 issue 色色啦 credits or require enrollment in the University. The Valeo team prioritized making the courses affordable and fully accessible to all learners. The courses range from $25 to $335 depending on course length, which ranges from about 45 minutes to 3 hours. 

鈥淲e focus on what people really need to know, without the fluff or academic language that can sometimes get in the way of learning,鈥 explains Robertson. 鈥淢y personal goal was to make sure it wasn鈥檛 boring. Too often we see information about program evaluation conveyed in a way that isn鈥檛 accessible and focuses more on the expert than the learner.鈥

The courses feature interactive lessons, practice exercises and feedback. Jill Eck, an undergraduate evaluation assistant at 色色啦鈥檚 Evaluation Lab, completed the Introduction to Evaluation course as part of her orientation at the lab. 鈥淚t wasn't like any other training platform I had used in the past, which made the experience so much better! The training didn't feel like 鈥榳ork鈥 due to the activities throughout the course that kept me engaged.鈥

Valeo is the latest development in The Evaluation Center鈥檚 rich history of providing free and low-cost opportunities to learn about evaluation. Shining examples include the center鈥檚 Evaluation Checklists collection, Evaluation Caf茅 speaker series and Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation鈥攁ll open-access. The Evaluation Center is one of the oldest organizations dedicated to evaluation in the United States and is among the top producers of external funding at 色色啦.

As a thank you to the 色色啦 community for their support in creating and launching Valeo, the team is offering discounted pricing for anyone with a 色色啦 email account. Contact Kelly Robertson for a discount code.

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