Objectives-Based Evaluation

Objectives-based evaluation refers to a class of evaluation approaches that centers on the specification of objectives and the measurement of outcomes. Specifically, objectives-based evaluation (sometimes referred to as objectives-oriented or objectives-referenced evaluation) focuses on generating information for accountability and decision making by developing and measuring the appropriate objectives for these purposes.

Ralph Tyler, often noted as the father of educational evaluation, has been credited with being a principal proponent of objectives-based evaluation approaches. Tyler, in his seminal 1942 manuscript General Statement on Evaluation, states that objectives-based evaluation entails (a) formulating a statement of educational objectives, (b) classifying these objectives into major types, (c) defining and refining each of these types of objectives in terms of behavior, (d) identifying situations in which students can be expected to ...