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Evaluation Reports

Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences Summative Report

May 27, 2010 | Public Programs, Professional Development, Conferences, and Networks, Informal/Formal Connections
True to the design we formulated in our proposal, the Inverness Research evaluation studied the COSIA project on two levels: Partnerships and Contributions. The logic underlying these two layers of study is as follows: COSIA creates working and complex partnerships that serve as the engine for the development of new resources and programs. These resources and programs in turn make multiple contributions, ranging from increased institutional capacity, to more skilled delivery of programs by college students and ISEI staff, to benefits for research scientists, to an increased public understanding of ocean science and research. Therefore, the evaluation focused on the ways in which the partnerships functioned, developed new or improved programs and resources, and ultimately added value to the partner institutions. Moving Forward Our evaluation supports the proposition that participation in COSIA has contributed to the creation of strong partnerships with the potential to leverage their work for additional funding and project activity. We have evidence that this project was successful and that the specific local sites involved have generated valuable knowledge about the key components of strong partnerships. Importantly, there is a core group at LHS that knows how to provide centralized support and has experience as the center of a network. COSIA developed an infrastructure to facilitate communication and collaboration among local sites. Finally, the work has resulted in concrete resources - tools, guides, and courses - that provide a foundation for and bolster this partnership work.

TEAM MEMBERS

  • Michelle Phillips
    Evaluator
    Inverness Research
  • REVISE logo
    Evaluator
    Inverness Research
  • University of California, Berkeley
    Contributor
  • Citation

    Funders

    NSF
    Funding Program: AISL
    Award Number: 0540417
    Funding Amount: 1836576
    Resource Type: Summative
    Discipline: Ecology, forestry, and agriculture | Education and learning science | Geoscience and geography
    Audience: Adults | Educators/Teachers | Museum/ISE Professionals | Scientists | Evaluators
    Environment Type: Public Programs | Museum and Science Center Programs | Professional Development, Conferences, and Networks | Professional Development and Workshops | Informal/Formal Connections | Higher Education Programs

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