Hi, my name is Ellen Taylor-Powell; I am an evaluation specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Extension. Evaluation capacity building is my passion. Over my career, I’ve had the pleasure to partner with extension educators who excel in making learning relevant, practical and fun! I’d like to let you know about two resources that bring together some of the teaching/learning materials we’ve developed and use in our own community capacity building work here in Wisconsin.
HOT TIP: When working with community-based organizations and practitioners, making evaluation practical and engaging is the name of the game! One way to do this is to use the principles of adult learning that start with where people are, respect and build on existing knowledge and experience, ensure relevance, and use a mix of interactive methods and facilitation techniques with opportunity for hands-on learning and lots of practice. We’ve incorporated these principles in developing activities for helping people engage in evaluation.
RAD RESOURCE: Building capacity in evaluating outcomes: A teaching and facilitating resource for community-based programs and organizations provides 93 activities and materials (handouts and powerpoints) in eight units that cover the core topics of evaluation: getting ready; planning; engaging stakeholders; focusing the evaluation; collecting data; analyzing data; using data; and managing an evaluation. There is content guide and a facilitator’s guide with ideas of different educational methods to use from affinity diagramming to carousel brainstorming to buzz sessions; how to use energizers and learning peripherals to enhance learning and lots of ice breakers and other facilitation tips. You can download the pdf file and powerpoint files or order the full binder.
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/evaluation/bceo/index.html
RAD RESOURCE 2: Developing a logic model: Teaching and Training Guide. This resource includes 17 activities with handouts and powerpoint slides to help community groups and program staff learn about and develop basic logic models. There are sample workshop agendas, text for learning peripherals, ice breakers and for each activity, you will find its purpose, materials needed and process for conducting the activity.
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/evaluation/pdf/lmguidecomplete.pdf
This week’s posts are sponsored by AEA’s Extension Education Evaluation Topical Interest Group (http://comm.eval.org/EVAL/Extension_Education_Evaluation/Home/Default.aspx) as part of the EEE TIG Focus Week. Check out AEA’s Headlines and Resources entries (http://eval.org/aeaweb.asp) this week for other highlights from and for those conducting evaluations in an Extension Education context.
Dear Ms. Taylor-Powell, Having read a small piece of yours, “Wording for rating scales” I am wondering if you would be willing to comment on the following scales and if they comport with your suggestions?
For importance the scale would be:
1. Not at all important
2. Not very important
3. Neither important nor unimportant
4. Fairly important
5. Very important
For performance the scale would be:
1. We do it poorly or not at all
2. We do it but not very well
3. We are OK at it but need to be better
4. We do it fairly well but could use tweaking
5. We do it very well
Thank you in advance for your consideration and help. David
For members only, the screencast and recording of the Coffee Break Webinar Ellen Taylor-Powell offered on Tools and Tips for Teaching Evaluation Concepts to Non-evaluators may be accessed here http://bit.ly/ConceptsPowellWeb.
Not a member? I encourage you to consider joining and thus gaining access to AEA’s webinars archive library (as well as journals, professional development, thought leaders discussions, newsletters…). Join now online at http://www.eval.org/membership.asp.