How to write a L3 EVALUATION

What is an evaluation? In the evaluation you are required to take an objective overview of the completed investigation. The two-fold aim of an evaluation is: to look critically at the methods used and to suggest improvements to the investigation. A good evaluation will reflect the tentative nature of some of your findings which may in turn influence your conclusions. It will also recognise possible flaws in the work. You may comment on possible shortcomings, limitations (for example, in sites chosen), sampling techniques and limitations of equipment. Suggest manageable improvements which would benefit future studies.

How this interacts with the mark scheme Methods (Level 1): Review the methods in your project and identify any problems you experienced. Did the method work? How could it be improved (e.g. sample size, time/date of collection, weather, scoring method, etc)? Results (Level 2): Include a comment on good/useful and poor/unhelpful parts of the study including the maps and graphs used. Say how the problems with your methods may have affected your results. How accurate and reliable are your findings? Can your results be trusted? Are some results more useful than others? Are any results simply wrong – why? Conclusions (Level 3): Give details of how good the explanations you gave are, and why your final conclusion might not be very accurate. How confident are you that your conclusion is valid? Would other people interpret your results in the same way? LINK your ideas together – remember your methods influenced your results which is the evidence used for your conclusion!

For L3 Your evaluation needs to be three parts: Limitation of the method What impact this has on results and conclusions How to improve this method to arrive at more convincing results and conclusions next time You do not need to evaluate every methodology

A worked example Questionnaires in Brecon Limitation: Impact on results: How to improve:

A worked example Questionnaires in Brecon Limitation: only a small sample answered this questionnaire; no sampling methodology applied Impact on results: because no sampling methodology applied, possibly no breadth of answers achieved, hence only a partial view of Brecon achieved. This means that conclusions are limited as the questionnaire cannot be said to be representative of all visitors, inhabitants. How to improve: apply stratified or systematic sampling – every 3rd person, a questionnee every 5 minutes etc to increase the chance of achieving impartial answers

Your evaluation aims Aim to evaluate at least three different methods You can identify more than one problem in a methodology (the application of questionnaires is very problematic!) Remember the three parts: Problem > impact on conclusions > how to improve