What are the differences between formative evaluations and summative evaluations? At which stage in product development do you believe that evaluations should use controlled settings instead of natural settings? Why?
Sample Solution
Formative evaluations are used to assess the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of a product or service during its development process. This type of evaluation enables feedback from users and stakeholders to be gathered in order to make any necessary improvements or changes before the final version is launched. Summative evaluations are used at or near the end of a product’s lifecycle, usually after it has been released into the market. These types of evaluations focus on assessing overall performance as well as how successful it was in achieving its intended goals.
I believe that controlled settings should be used for formative evaluations instead of natural settings. This is because controlled environments enable researchers to simulate real-world scenarios without having to rely on actual user opinions or behaviors which may vary greatly depending on individual preferences, lifestyle choices etc. Controlled settings also allow researchers to accurately measure results by providing more control over variables such as distractions and environmental factors, thus ensuring valid results can be obtained with greater ease .
Sample Solution
Formative evaluations are used to assess the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of a product or service during its development process. This type of evaluation enables feedback from users and stakeholders to be gathered in order to make any necessary improvements or changes before the final version is launched. Summative evaluations are used at or near the end of a product’s lifecycle, usually after it has been released into the market. These types of evaluations focus on assessing overall performance as well as how successful it was in achieving its intended goals.
I believe that controlled settings should be used for formative evaluations instead of natural settings. This is because controlled environments enable researchers to simulate real-world scenarios without having to rely on actual user opinions or behaviors which may vary greatly depending on individual preferences, lifestyle choices etc. Controlled settings also allow researchers to accurately measure results by providing more control over variables such as distractions and environmental factors, thus ensuring valid results can be obtained with greater ease .