Pretesting is formative evaluation
Before printing 500 copies of the leaflet, the nurse asks six women from the target group to read a draft and point out unclear parts. The purpose is to revise the draft while changes can still be made. This is formative evaluation: evaluation carried out during the planning and implementation of a program to improve it. Pretesting educational materials with a few members of the intended audience is a classic example, because it shows whether the language, layout, pictures, and messages are understood before money is spent on printing.
The three main types of program evaluation
Program evaluation is often divided by timing and purpose. Knowing which question each type answers makes these items straightforward.
| Type | When | Question it answers |
|---|
| Formative | During planning and implementation | How can we improve it now? |
| Process | During implementation | Is it being delivered as planned? |
| Summative | At the end | Did it achieve its goals? |
| Baseline measurement | Before the program | What is the starting point? |
Why the other purposes are wrong
Judging at the end whether the leaflet improved knowledge is summative evaluation, done after the program has run. Obtaining baseline data describes the women's starting knowledge or behavior, which is needed to measure impact later, but asking which parts of a draft are unclear does not measure their knowledge. Checking whether sessions are delivered as planned is process evaluation, which monitors fidelity to the plan, such as attendance and completion of sessions. None of these describes reviewing a draft before it is printed.
Why it matters for these learners
The women are mostly older adults with low bone mass. Older readers may need larger print, plain words, clear pictures of exercises, and fewer ideas per page. Pretesting with a small sample of the same audience catches problems the writer cannot see, such as medical terms the readers do not know. The draft is then revised, and sometimes pretested again, before final printing.
Exam takeaway
Key point Pretesting a draft with a few learners = formative evaluation (improve while it can still change). End-of-program judgment = summative; delivery as planned = process.