Curriculum Goals

Focus on evaluation fundamentals

• Evaluation standards
• Evaluation models and approaches to evaluation design
• Designing, budgeting, managing, and reporting a sound evaluation
• Practical tools for designing and conducting evaluations

Broadening evaluation perspectives

• Interact with key theorists and practitioners
• Review alternative approaches to evaluation
• Consider evaluation as a transdiscipline
• Develop new evaluation avenues (options and opportunities) in theory and practice
• Integrate theory with evaluation fundamentals to build stronger, more efficient evaluation designs, techniques and tools.

Partial List of Expected Participant Outcomes

• Understand and be able to apply the program evaluation standards in designing, conducting, and/or metaevaluating an evaluation
• Understand and be able to apply the student evaluation standards in designing, conducting, and/or metaevaluating student evaluations
• Have a general understanding of the 22 most prominent models of evaluation and more in-depth understanding of several (4-5) selected models
• Understand and be able to apply practical tools for evaluation (NSF User Friendly Handbooks, checklists, portfolios, etc.)
• Be able to prepare a basic evaluation design, management plan, and budget for conducting an evaluation
• Be able to design an evaluation and apply one or more general approaches to evaluation (CIPP, Stake's model, etc.)
• Have prepared at least one briefing paper on a key evaluation topic

Instructional Framework

This summer institute is part of a project conducted by The Evaluation Center and supported by a grant to Western Michigan University from the National Science Foundation. This project and the institute are intended to enhance educators' evaluation capacity in mathematics, science, engineering, and technology education. The focus of the institute is The Practical Development and Application of Evaluation Design, Instruments, Models, and Processes. The institute is intended to provide the appropriate background to enable participants to design and develop evaluation plans, instruments, procedures, and reports. Participants will gain knowledge and skills essential for effective evaluations of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education programs.

The Institute is a 3-week summer residency program. Participants reside in University residence halls, take breakfast and lunch together, and meet daily for didactic sessions during the morning. The morning sessions will be led by the visiting scholars and The Center staff (see the Institute staff page for more information). These sessions will draw upon provided readings and presentations by the staff, followed by discussion.

Less formal, practical work sessions and discussions are scheduled for the afternoon. These sessions will also be directed by visiting evaluation scholars and by the professional staff of The Evaluation Center. Participants will work together in teams and individually on simulations, evaluation problems, and topics for brief presentations and discussions.

It is expected that an ongoing professional relationship will be developed among participants and with other evaluators.