Educational Program Assessment

Ever since ChatGPT arrived, there has been a wave of excitement, skepticism, and curiosity about whether - and how - it actually helps students. Now, a systematic review and meta-analysis by Deng et al. in Computers & Education has pulled together findings from 69 experimental studies, shedding new light on what ChatGPT means for teaching and learning. What Did the Research Reveal? 1️⃣ Stronger Academic Performance Studies show that ChatGPT-assisted interventions often lead to higher grades and better written work - especially in language-rich subjects. One caveat? Many experiments did not make it clear whether students were allowed to use ChatGPT during exams, raising questions about genuine mastery versus AI-assisted output. 2️⃣ Positive Motivation - But Mostly for College Learners University students typically felt more engaged and motivated. In K-12 settings, however, the motivational boost was not as pronounced - suggesting a need for age-appropriate strategies and scaffolds. 3️⃣ Perceived Gains in Higher-Order Thinking Learners reported enhanced creativity and critical thinking. The big “but”: most studies relied on self-reports, so future work needs objective assessments (e.g., problem-solving tasks or performance-based measures) to confirm actual skill growth. 4️⃣ Reduced Mental Effort, Uncertain Self-Efficacy ChatGPT may lighten cognitive load - learners felt tasks were less “taxing.” At the same time, studies showed a mixed or non-significant effect on self-efficacy, implying we need a deeper look at whether students gain real confidence or just convenience. What This Means for Educators & Academics? 1️⃣ Design Rich Assessments: To spot genuine skill gains, use project-based tasks that demand application and originality. 2️⃣ Spell Out Tech Policies: Clearly specify whether and how learners can use ChatGPT - especially for graded work. 3️⃣ Look for Long-Haul Impact: Do not just check excitement levels right after introducing ChatGPT; measure whether those positive vibes (and scores) persist weeks or months down the road. 4️⃣ Mind the Methods: If you are studying ChatGPT’s educational impact, conduct power analyses (to ensure you have enough participants) and randomize group assignments to get the most reliable data. This meta-analysis provides early - but promising - evidence that ChatGPT can enrich students’ learning experiences. The next step? Refining the methods, tracking long-term outcomes, and ensuring actual learning gains are assessed - not just AI’s ability to produce polished outputs. Reference: Deng, R., Jiang, M., Yu, X., Lu, Y., & Liu, S. (2024). Does ChatGPT enhance student learning? A systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies. Computers & Education, 105224. https://lnkd.in/eXe8agAT

Evaluations —or “Evals”— are the backbone for creating production-ready GenAI applications. Over the past year, we’ve built LLM-powered solutions for our customers and connected with AI leaders, uncovering a common struggle: the lack of clear, pluggable evaluation frameworks. If you’ve ever been stuck wondering how to evaluate your LLM effectively, today's post is for you. Here’s what I’ve learned about creating impactful Evals: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹? - Clarity and Focus: Prioritize a few interpretable metrics that align closely with your application’s most important outcomes. - Efficiency: Opt for automated, fast-to-compute metrics to streamline iterative testing. - Representation Matters: Use datasets that reflect real-world diversity to ensure reliability and scalability. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗨 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗟𝗠-𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘀 Traditional metrics like BLEU and ROUGE paved the way but often miss nuances like tone or semantics. LLM-assisted Evals (e.g., GPTScore, LLM-Eval) now leverage AI to evaluate itself, achieving up to 80% agreement with human judgments. Combining machine feedback with human evaluators provides a balanced and effective assessment framework. 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 - Create a Golden Test Set: Use tools like Langchain or RAGAS to simulate real-world conditions. - Grade Effectively: Leverage libraries like TruLens or Llama-Index for hybrid LLM+human feedback. - Iterate and Optimize: Continuously refine metrics and evaluation flows to align with customer needs. If you’re working on LLM-powered applications, building high-quality Evals is one of the most impactful investments you can make. It’s not just about metrics — it’s about ensuring your app resonates with real-world users and delivers measurable value.

Feedback can turn an average organization into a powerhouse. 📈  As a Chief Executive, harnessing effective feedback loops is key to driving continual improvement and alignment.  Here’s how to do it: 1. Set Clear Objectives: What are you aiming for? Whether it’s boosting team performance or uplifting product quality, clarity is essential. 2. Cultivate Open Communication: Foster an environment where all voices are heard. Regular meetings or digital platforms can bridge communication gaps. 3. Schedule Regular Check-Ins: One-on-ones and team meetings keep the pulse on progress and challenges, enabling timely realignments. 4. Leverage Surveys: Use surveys or questionnaires to extract valuable insights from employees and stakeholders. This data can highlight areas needing attention. 5. Act on Feedback: Analyzing feedback is just the start; implementing change communicates that feedback is respected and valued. 6. Build a Feedback Culture: Acknowledge and reward constructive feedback. When leaders exemplify its importance, it becomes a norm. 7. Use Technology Wisely: Feedback tools streamline processes, ensuring efficiency and impact. 8. Invest in Training: Equip your team with skills to deliver feedback that’s constructive, not discouraging. Master these steps and watch your organization's culture and performance soar. Ready to dive deeper into any particular step? Let’s discuss! For more posts like this, follow me @ https://lnkd.in/gnrwyZtR

DMAIC–KEY TOOLS AND FORMATS: 1. DEFINE Goal: Define the problem, project goals, and scope. Key Activities: Create a Project Charter Identify Voice of Customer (VOC) Define CTQs (Critical to Quality elements) Create SIPOC Diagram (Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, Customers) Tools & Formats: SIPOC diagram Project Charter Problem Statement Goal Statement VOC Analysis Stakeholder Analysis Example: Problem: Customers unhappy with 5-day delivery time Goal: Reduce delivery time to 3 days Scope: Only domestic shipping, not international 2. MEASURE Goal: Understand the current performance and gather baseline data. Key Activities: Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) Collect data on process performance Validate measurement system (MSA) Develop data collection plan Tools & Formats: Data Collection Plan Control Charts Process Flow Diagrams Measurement System Analysis (MSA) Histogram, Run Charts Example: Measured average delivery time = 5 days 20% orders delayed beyond promised date 3. ANALYZE Goal: Identify root causes of the problem using data analysis. Key Activities: Analyze collected data Identify patterns, variations, and causes Validate root causes Tools & Formats: Root Cause Analysis (5 Whys) Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa) Pareto Chart (80/20 rule) Regression Analysis Cause and Effect Matrix Scatter Plot Example: Found issues: Poor inventory control Manual order entry Departmental miscommunication 4. IMPROVE Goal: Implement and test solutions to eliminate root causes. Key Activities: Brainstorm improvement ideas Conduct pilot tests Implement best solutions Assess risk (FMEA) Tools & Formats: Brainstorming Sessions FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) Poka-Yoke (Error Proofing) DOE (Design of Experiments) Process Simulation Before & After Comparisons Example: Actions taken: Automated inventory system Integrated order tracking Real-time communication tools Result: Delivery time reduced to 3.5 days 5. CONTROL Goal: Sustain improvements and monitor long-term performance. Key Activities: Develop control plans Standardize improved processes Monitor KPIs Provide training and documentation Tools & Formats: Control Charts Control Plan Document Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Process Audit Checklists Visual Management Tools (dashboards) Example: Monthly delivery performance review Dashboard showing real-time shipment status Staff trained on new SOPs

Lack of learning within an organization can stem from a misunderstanding or underestimation of how people learn effectively. Understanding when learning occurs and when it doesn't helps to improve training and development plans, and prevent wasted training efforts. It helps us to see that every day can be a learning day if we put the right support systems in place. 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬: 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: Learning tends to happen when the material or skill is relevant to the individual's interests, needs, or goals. If people see a direct connection between what they're learning and their personal or professional lives, they're more likely to engage with the content and retain it. 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:  Active participation and engagement in the learning process can greatly enhance learning. This can include discussions, hands-on activities, and practical applications of knowledge. 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭:  Learning is effective when it challenges the learner just enough to be stimulating but not so much that it becomes frustrating. Adequate support and resources need to be available to help learners overcome obstacles. 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Timely and constructive feedback helps learners understand what they're doing well and where they need improvement. Create a culture that values feedback and teaches people to ask for it rather than fear it. Reflecting on what has been learned and how it was learned also reinforces learning. 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭: Learning often happens in social settings where ideas can be shared, and knowledge can be constructed collaboratively. Interaction with peers and mentors can enhance understanding and retention. 💭 How are you setting people up to learn? 👉 Are learning opportunities personalized or are they generic? 👉 Are people practically involved in their learning or are they just watching someone else talk? 👉 Are people coached to learn over time, or shown something once and expected to know it? 👉 Are there regular opportunities for reflection or is it straight back to work after training and nothing changes? 👉 Are there collaborative problem-solving spaces or do people have to figure things out alone? #learninganddevelopment #employeedevelopment #learning #learningexperiencedesign #training #organizationaldevelopment Image Credit: Tanmay Vora and QAspire.com

Unlocking the Next Era of RAG System Evaluation: Insights from the Latest Comprehensive Survey Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) has become a cornerstone for enhancing large language models (LLMs), especially when accuracy, timeliness, and factual grounding are critical. However, as RAG systems grow in complexity-integrating dense retrieval, multi-source knowledge, and advanced reasoning-the challenge of evaluating their true effectiveness has intensified. A recent survey from leading academic and industrial research organizations delivers the most exhaustive analysis yet of RAG evaluation in the LLM era. Here are the key technical takeaways: 1. Multi-Scale Evaluation Frameworks The survey dissects RAG evaluation into internal and external dimensions. Internal evaluation targets the core components-retrieval and generation-assessing not just their standalone performance but also their interactions. External evaluation addresses system-wide factors like safety, robustness, and efficiency, which are increasingly vital as RAG systems are deployed in real-world, high-stakes environments. 2. Technical Anatomy of RAG Systems Under the hood, a typical RAG pipeline is split into two main sections: - Retrieval: Involves document chunking, embedding generation, and sophisticated retrieval strategies (sparse, dense, hybrid, or graph-based). Preprocessing such as corpus construction and intent recognition is essential for optimizing retrieval relevance and comprehensiveness. - Generation: The LLM synthesizes retrieved knowledge, leveraging advanced prompt engineering and reasoning techniques to produce contextually faithful responses. Post-processing may include entity recognition or translation, depending on the use case. 3. Diverse and Evolving Evaluation Metrics The survey catalogues a wide array of metrics: - Traditional IR Metrics: Precision@K, Recall@K, F1, MRR, NDCG, MAP for retrieval quality. - NLG Metrics: Exact Match, ROUGE, BLEU, METEOR, BertScore, and Coverage for generation accuracy and semantic fidelity. - LLM-Based Metrics: Recent trends show a rise in LLM-as-judge approaches (e.g., RAGAS, Databricks Eval), semantic perplexity, key point recall, FactScore, and representation-based methods like GPTScore and ARES. These enable nuanced, context-aware evaluation that better aligns with real-world user expectations. 4. Safety, Robustness, and Efficiency The survey highlights specialized benchmarks and metrics for: - Safety: Evaluating robustness to adversarial attacks (e.g., knowledge poisoning, retrieval hijacking), factual consistency, privacy leakage, and fairness. - Efficiency: Measuring latency (time to first token, total response time), resource utilization, and cost-effectiveness-crucial for scalable deployment.

Each of these assessment methods brings its own lens to understanding student learning, and they shine especially when used together. Here’s a breakdown that dives a bit deeper into their purpose and power: 🧠 Pre-Assessments • What it is: Tools used before instruction to gauge prior knowledge, skills, or misconceptions. • Educator insight: Helps identify starting points for differentiation and set realistic goals for growth. • Example: A quick math quiz before a new unit reveals which students need foundational skill reinforcement. 👀 Observational Assessments • What it is: Informal monitoring of student behavior, engagement, and collaboration. • Educator insight: Uncovers social-emotional strengths, learning styles, and peer dynamics. • Example: Watching how students approach a group project can highlight leadership, empathy, or avoidance patterns. 🧩 Performance Tasks • What it is: Authentic, real-world challenges that require applying skills and concepts. • Educator insight: Shows depth of understanding, creativity, and the ability to transfer knowledge. • Example: Students design a sustainable garden using math, science, and writing demonstrating interdisciplinary growth. 🌟 Student Self-Assessments • What it is: Opportunities for students to reflect on their own learning, mindset, and effort. • Educator insight: Builds metacognition, ownership, and emotional insight into learning barriers or motivators. • Example: A weekly check-in journal where students rate their effort and note areas they’d like help with. 🔄 Formative Assessments • What it is: Ongoing “check-ins” embedded in instruction to gauge progress and adjust teaching. • Educator insight: Provides real-time data to pivot strategies before misconceptions solidify. • Example: Exit tickets or digital polls that reveal comprehension right after a lesson. These aren’t just data points they’re tools for connection, curiosity, and building bridges between where a student is and where they’re capable of going. #EmpoweredLearningJourney

Stakeholder Satisfaction: If You’re Not Measuring It, You’re Guessing __________________________________________________________________________________ Are you 100% confident that your stakeholders are happy? If you're not keeping a constant eye on their satisfaction levels, you are shooting in the dark. And let's be honest, that's not gonna end well, is it? Managing stakeholders isn't just a numbers game. It's about making sure every person at the table feels seen, heard, and in sync. If they don’t align, you can go all out and still find yourself with a disappointing outcome. The Big Misstep Most Managers Make 👉 They Focus on Outputs, Not Outcomes: Completing tasks is enough. Think again, is it ? If stakeholders aren’t satisfied with how you deliver, you’re losing their trust. 👉 They Don’t Ask the Hard Questions: Managers often dread feedback as it may uncover uncomfortable realities. However, the truth doesn’t disappear by ignoring it. 👉 They Measure Satisfaction by Silence: No complaints? You should worry. Silence often signals disengagement—not approval. Simple Methods to Measure Stakeholder Satisfaction ✅ Pulse Surveys: Use concise, focused surveys to collect valuable insights. Ask questions like: “How satisfied are you with the clarity of my communication?” “Am I meeting your expectations on deliverables?” ✅ One-on-One Check-Ins: Don't shy away from those heart-to-hearts with your main stakeholders. Just throwing out a, "Hey, where can I step up my game?" is a sure shot step to some good strategic conversation. ✅ Stakeholder Scorecards: Have a scoring system to evaluate the quality of relationships using criteria such as trust, responsiveness, and alignment with objectives. ✅ Analyze Behaviors, Not Just Words: Read the room. Are stakeholders proactively engaging with you, or do they seem distant and unresponsive? ✅ Feedback Loops: Clearly demonstrate that feedback results in change. When stakeholders notice that you are implementing changes basis their feedback, they are more engaged. As an executive coach, I coach managers that stakeholder satisfaction isn’t a one-time achievement—it’s a dynamic process. Measuring it consistently allows you to adapt, align, and lead with impact. Stakeholders play a huge part in your corporate success. The Bottom Line If you're not assessing stakeholder satisfaction, you're risking important relationships. Take charge, gather the necessary data, and ensure that every interaction is meaningful.

As a teacher it’s hard to know if you’re truly hitting the educational sweet spot so that everyone benefits from your teaching and the way the classroom culture is designed? Ultimately, our aim is to prepare children to thrive in tomorrow’s world whilst providing a great learning experience for your students. It can be challenging to know what to look for, but there are some signs of a good classroom that can help you assess your teaching effectiveness. Here’s 7: Voice – A good classroom should be alive with noise, but not just any noise. The sound of children engaged in discussion, debate, collaboration, and problem-solving are signs of a healthy learning environment. Choice – In a good classroom, children should have the freedom to make choices, such as where to sit, who to work with, and what to learn. This encourages independence and fosters a sense of responsibility. Reflection – Regular opportunities for self-reflection are essential for students to understand their own learning processes. A good classroom should have dedicated time for reflection, allowing students to assess their strengths and weaknesses and plan for improvement. Critical Thinking – A good classroom should encourage critical thinking by providing opportunities for children to solve real-life problems. Teachers can bring real-world issues into the classroom to create an authentic learning experience. Innovation – Children should be allowed to use their own ideas in the classroom. Encouraging creativity and originality helps children develop a sense of ownership over their learning, leading to more engaged and motivated students. Self-Assessment – Students should have the opportunity to regulate their own learning journey. Teachers can foster this by allowing students to set goals and assess their progress. This helps students take ownership of their learning and develop a growth mindset. Connected Learning – A good classroom should connect learning across subject areas, allowing students to see the connections between different topics. For example, when learning about polygons, students could explore how the ancient Romans used them in their architecture. Fun – Finally, a good classroom should be fun! Creating an enjoyable learning experience for students helps them stay engaged and motivated. By keeping these seven signs of a good classroom in mind, you can assess your own teaching effectiveness or evaluate your child’s classroom. With a focus on creating a collaborative, engaged, and fun learning environment, you can ensure that you are providing a quality education for your students. #education #school #teacher #montessori #children

Are your programs making the impact you envision or are they costing more than they give back? A few years ago, I worked with an organization grappling with a tough question: Which programs should we keep, grow, or let go? They felt stretched thin, with some initiatives thriving and others barely holding on. It was clear they needed a clearer strategy to align their programs with their long-term goals. We introduced a tool that breaks programs into four categories: Heart, Star, Stop Sign, and Money Tree each with its strategic path. -Heart: These programs deliver immense value but come with high costs. The team asked, Can we achieve the same impact with a leaner approach? They restructured staffing and reduced overhead, preserving the program's impact while cutting costs by 15%. -Star: High impact and high revenue programs that beg for investment. The team explored expanding partnerships for a standout program and saw a 30% increase in revenue within two years. -Stop Sign: Programs that drain resources without delivering results. One initiative had consistently low engagement. They gave it a six-month review period but ultimately decided to phase it out, freeing resources for more promising efforts. -Money Tree: The revenue generating champions. Here, the focus was on growth investing in marketing and improving operations to double their margin within a year. This structured approach led to more confident decision-making and, most importantly, brought them closer to their goal of sustainable success. According to a report by Bain & Company, organizations that regularly assess program performance against strategic priorities see a 40% increase in efficiency and long-term viability. Yet, many teams shy away from the hard conversations this requires. The lesson? Every program doesn’t need to stay. Evaluating them through a thoughtful lens of impact and profitability ensures you’re investing where it matters most. What’s a program in your organization that could benefit from this kind of review?