Courses
Research and Evaluation-2025/2026
| Level 1 | ||||
| Take all of the following Mandatory Courses: | ||||
| RSCH-6030 | Tools for Program Evaluation | 3 | ||
| In this course students will learn about various research tools for outcome-oriented program evaluation, including (but not necessarily limited to): psychographics, customer segmentation models, needs-analysis, stakeholder analysis, cost-analysis, environmental scans, and SWOT analysis. Students will also learn how to write an executive summary and conduct a literature review. | ||||
| RSCH-6005 | Program Evaluation & Performance | 4 | ||
| This course defines and surveys the nature, goals, methods and potential scope of program evaluation. It also defines and explores the nature, methods and goals of performance measurement and management, and the processes that provide the data used in program evaluation. Principles and specific approaches to program evaluation and performance measurement are explored and differentiated in terms of goals, outcomes (versus outputs) and conclusions. Students will learn how to address common issues in the design and implementation of program-related performance measurement systems. | ||||
| SOSC-6001 | Program Eval Policy & Ethics Contexts | 3 | ||
| In this course, students will recognize and respond appropriately to the role of program and organizational policy in program evaluation, and will learn to assess policy adherence and fulfilment in an evaluation. Students will also learn about professional ethics in evaluation practice, including the Evaluations Ethics Guidelines of the Canadian Evaluation Society, and they will use these guidelines in the analysis of ethical dilemmas in evaluation. Finally, this course will explore the importance of competence and the use of current best practices in the execution of a professional evaluation, and the benefits of well-designed and executed program evaluation in informing organizational / public sector policy and improving accountability. | ||||
| RSCH-6002 | Qualitative Research Methods | 4 | ||
| In this course, students will examine qualitative research purposes, design, planning, data collection, evaluation and reporting. Qualitative research methods are explored, which may include interview, panel / focus group, observational, description, social network analysis, and other sociometric methods. Students will apply analytical methods and software tools to qualitative research data. | ||||
| RSCH-6004 | Survey Methods | 3 | ||
| In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of survey design, including analysis and evaluation to answer research and evaluation questions, selection of participants and sampling method, deployment, informed consent and other ethical considerations, and data collection approaches. Students will design appropriate survey questions for various modes of administration, conduct computer-based survey analysis, and examine the issues in reliability and internal / external validity in survey design and sampling. | ||||
| RSCH-6003 | Quantitative Research Methods | 4 | ||
| In this course, students will review basic principles of quantitative research design and statistical analysis methods, including concepts and methods to assess probability, dispersion, central tendency and simple correlation, inferential statistics and nonparametric statistics. Students will learn to apply multivariate methods using real-world evaluation and policy contents. Multivariate methods will focus on multiple regression techniques and basic analysis of variance. Topics include measurement reliability and validity of inferences, and use of software for statistical analysis. | ||||
| RSCH-6006 | Evaluation Design & Project Management | 4 | ||
| In this course, students will learn about the appropriate design of a program evaluation, including research methodology; evaluation scope, timelines and processes; performance assessment measures and tools; and gathering reliable and valid data on program outcomes, including Key Performance Indicators. This will be applied to the design of evaluations for several purposes and stakeholder groups. Finally, common issues that arise in the course of the implementation and project management of evaluations will be identified and addressed. | ||||
| SOSC-6002 | Knowledge Translation & Management | 3 | ||
| In this course, students will learn to communicate research and evaluation findings for audiences of varying levels of sophistication and quantitative/qualitative expertise, in accurate yet accessible language and graphics. In addition, students will explore the knowledge management continuum (data-information-knowledge-wisdom), and methods of managing the creation, documentation, access to and mobilization / use of knowledge in organizations. The influence of organizational cultures on knowledge mobilization will be addressed, as well as methods to increase the ongoing mobilization and utilization of organizational knowledge. | ||||
| RSCH-6007 | Evaluation Implementation & Outcomes | 4 | ||
| Once designed and approved, evaluation projects need to be implemented and managed in a way that ensures that reliable, valid data are gathered and appropriately analysed in a timely fashion. Through the use of case studies, students will explore methods of data gathering and analysis, as well as communication of results and issues that arise in the course of the evaluation project. | ||||
| COMM-6032 | Professional Presentations | 4 | ||
| This course will develop advanced presentation skills (including cultivating influence, personal impact, authority and natural presence), and will improve students' verbal and non-verbal presentation skills in a variety of contexts. Students will structure and deliver professional presentations, both formal and informal, and will prepare appropriate accompanying visual aids; furthermore, strategies for handling questions, generating buy-in, and scripting effective narrative arcs will be covered. The course will also examine the ethical use of copyrighted materials in presentations within both corporate and not-for-profit contexts. | ||||
| COMM-6033 | Reports-Adv | 4 | ||
| This course fosters students' skills in developing in-depth, persuasive reports. In groups, students choose a detailed professional communication case study to solve. They work through it for the duration of the course, focusing on strategies for organizing, synthesizing, and presenting information, for collaborative writing, and for implementing clear, concise prose. Additionally, this course will cover the principles for attractively presenting visual data and incorporating this data within written documents. The reports that the student groups produce will adhere to principles that ensure real-world success. | ||||
| SOSC-6003 | Capstone | 3 | ||
| Students will complete an individual capstone evaluation project for a government agency or for a community, educational, health, human services or other organization. This will be done under the supervision of a faculty advisor / course leader. | ||||
| Program Residency | ||||
| Students Must Complete a Minimum of 11 credits in this Program at Fanshawe College to meet the Program Residency requirement and graduate from this program | ||||