4-EST 854-Evaluation Model and its Application to Media Selection: Michael Scriven Model

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4-EST 854-Evaluation Model and its Application to Media Selection: Michael Scriven Model

Introduction

Evaluation of educational media is a crucial process for determining their suitability, effectiveness, and instructional value. While several models exist, Michael Scriven’s model stands out for its emphasis on judgment, merit, and worth. Unlike earlier models that focused primarily on measuring learning outcomes, Scriven redefined evaluation as the process of assessing the intrinsic value (merit) and practical utility (worth) of instructional interventions, including media. His approach offers a robust framework for guiding the selection and ongoing use of educational media in instruction.

The Scriven Evaluation Model

Michael Scriven (1967, 1974, 1991) introduced an evaluation framework that highlights two core dimensions:

  1. Merit and Worth
    • Merit refers to the inherent quality of the program or medium (e.g., accuracy, clarity, technical quality).
    • Worth refers to its usefulness in a specific context (e.g., how well the medium supports a particular group of learners or subject area).
  2. Types of Evaluation
    Scriven distinguished between two major types of evaluation:
    • Formative Evaluation: Conducted during the development and early implementation of educational media. Its purpose is to provide feedback for improvement.
    • Summative Evaluation: Conducted after full implementation to judge the overall effectiveness, impact, and suitability of the medium for adoption or continuation.
  3. Goal-Free Evaluation
    • A hallmark of Scriven’s model is goal-free evaluation, where the evaluator examines the actual effects of a program or medium without being constrained by stated objectives.
    • This prevents bias and ensures that unintended but significant effects (positive or negative) are captured.
  4. Key Functions of Evaluation (Scriven’s 4 “P’s”)
    • Prove – Determining whether the media works effectively.
    • Improve – Providing feedback for modification.
    • Control/Provide Accountability – Justifying resource allocation and use.
    • Knowledge Production – Generating new insights for educators, developers, and policymakers.

Application of Scriven’s Model to Media Selection

When applied to educational media selection, Scriven’s model provides a structured approach:

1. Assess the Merit (Intrinsic Quality)

  • Evaluate the media on technical and content-related grounds:
    • Accuracy of information
    • Audio-visual clarity
    • Simplicity of presentation
    • Engagement features
  • Example: A mathematics tutorial software may have excellent graphics and correct content, which indicates strong merit.

2. Assess the Worth (Contextual Relevance)

  • Consider the medium’s applicability in the local instructional environment:
    • Does it suit learners’ age, cultural background, and language level?
    • Can it be used effectively with available facilities?
  • Example: Even if a virtual reality tool is high in merit, it may have low worth in a rural school without VR equipment.

3. Conduct Formative Evaluation

  • Test the medium during development or pilot use.
  • Gather feedback from learners, teachers, and media experts.
  • Modify the medium to improve its instructional effectiveness.
  • Example: A biology video documentary may need voice-over simplification after trial use shows that students find the language too advanced.

4. Conduct Summative Evaluation

  • After full implementation, measure the medium’s contribution to learning outcomes.
  • Compare performance of students using the medium with those taught using other methods.
  • Provide a final judgment on whether the medium should be adopted, modified, or discarded.

5. Apply Goal-Free Evaluation

  • Look beyond intended outcomes.
  • Example: An educational game designed to teach spelling may unexpectedly improve teamwork and collaboration among students—a valuable unintended effect.

6. Provide Feedback for Decision-Making

  • Report findings to decision-makers (teachers, administrators, policymakers).
  • Recommendations may include adoption, partial modification, or discontinuation.

Strengths of Scriven’s Model for Media Selection

  • Comprehensive: Considers both intrinsic quality and contextual usefulness.
  • Bias-Free: Goal-free evaluation reduces overreliance on stated objectives.
  • Practical Orientation: Balances formative (improvement) and summative (judgment) purposes.
  • Utility-Focused: Directly links evaluation to decision-making about adoption and use.

Conclusion

The Michael Scriven Evaluation Model provides a balanced, practical, and improvement-oriented framework for evaluating educational media. By assessing both merit (quality) and worth (usefulness), and by incorporating formative, summative, and goal-free evaluations, educators and decision-makers can make informed choices about selecting media that are both effective and contextually appropriate. In practice, this ensures that educational media are not only of high quality but also relevant, affordable, and impactful within the specific teaching-learning environment.

 

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