Program evaluation of the Diploma in Adult Education at the University of Prince Edward Island

The purpose of this research was to perform a qualitative program evaluation of the Diploma in Adult Education at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI). This was achieved by gathering past and present students' perceptions of how the diploma has met their needs as adult educators. Participants were selected because they shared certain characteristics relevant to this study. In total, 32 students or graduates of the diploma program were invited to participate in this research. They are primarily adult educators working in a variety of adult education situations. The rationale for this evaluation is program improvement. The program evaluation of the Diploma in Adult Education is summative in nature. Multimethod strategies were used in this evaluation. These methods included in-depth interviews, questionnaires, and document review. Through this research, I have determined the extent to which the Diploma in Adult Education Program is meeting the perceived needs of the students. In the process more questions have come forward. I found about 70% of the participants had very similar needs such as the need to: be respected, gain knowledge, understand holistic learning, and upgrade their skills. Many of these needs were met by the program. This leads me to recommend changes in the program to make it more fully meet all students' needs. From my perspective, a comprehensive needs assessment of adult educators in Prince Edward Island would be necessary for this program to meet the needs of a more varied base of adult educators. A needs assessment would also be useful to determine how prospective students would like to see this program delivered, as well as identifying personal barriers to the current program.