In an earlier post, I wrote about analytical skills, and the process of analyzing something. Throughout one’s academic career, as well as through life, we are faced with situations where we need to analyze.
Analytical skills are important but are not the only skills we should be ready to deploy in complex situations. We should also be able to evaluate.
This blog post is about the skill of evaluating.
Firstly, let’s start with the basics. What exactly does it mean to ‘evaluate?
There are various definitions of the word ‘evaluate’, and here are a few:
"To assess the implications and limitations." (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2021)
"To make judgments about the ideas, works, solutions or methods in relation to selected criteria." (International Baccalaureate Organization, 2021)
"To judge the value or condition of (someone or something) in a careful and thoughtful way." (Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary, 2021)
The word evaluate has in it the word ‘value’, which is a giveaway for the meaning of the word. To evaluate is to give value to something after carefully examining and analyzing it.
Here are some situations where we need to evaluate:
COVID-19 cases are rising. The government must evaluate all the options it has a response, starting from a full-on lockdown all the way to waiting it out.
A company is looking to hire for a new post and has received many applications. The company will now evaluate all candidates to close in on one.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the long-term effects of a screen time on adolescents’ mental well-being.
How can we evaluate something? Here is a very simple step-by-step guide.
State the good (positives/values/strengths/etc)
State the bad (negatives/limitations/weaknesses/etc)
Give your opinion based on the good and bad