This Handbook is geared to the experienced researcher who is a novice evaluator. It orients the researcher to evaluation practice, with an emphasis on the use of qualitative techniques to augment quantitative measures.
The March 12-13, 2007 workshop at NSF on informal science education evaluation brought together a distinguished group of experts to discuss how impact categories might be best applied to various types of informal learning projects. This publication is an outcome of that meeting. The authors have strived to make the sections as helpful as possible given the primary focus of this workshop on project impacts. It should be viewed as part of an ongoing process to improve the ways in which evaluation can most benefit ISE projects, NSF, and the field. The publication is intended to help those
Presentation slides on submitting competitive Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) proposals, originally presented at the 2012 Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) Annual Conference
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TEAM MEMBERS:
National Science Foundation
resourceevaluationProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
In August 2009, The Ohio State University at Lima (OSU) received a three-year award from the NSF Division of Research on Learning Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) Program for It's About Discovery (IAD). IAD was a partnership between OSU Lima, the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and regional rural schools in Northwest Ohio and North Carolina that equipped teachers to teach new Ford Partnership for Advanced Study (PAS) science curriculum, focused on the theme of Working Towards Sustainability. Ford PAS is focused on transforming teaching and learning
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Rucha LondheOhio State UniversityUniversity of North Carolina GreensboroMarkeisha GrantColleen ManningIrene F Goodman
The overall goal of the project was to convene a large-scale, open conference on public participation in scientific research, bringing together science researchers, project leaders, educators, technology specialists, evaluators, and others from across many disciplines to discuss advancing the field of PPSR. The conference included three sessions for posters and conversations, and five plenary sessions of presentations. The meeting culminated in an open meeting to explore strategies for large-scale collaborations to support and advance work across this field of practice, through the development
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Joe E HeimlichPublic Participation in Scientific Research
resourceevaluationProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
Dimensions of Public Engagement with Science is a project funded through the National Science Foundation's pathways grant. It was designed to explore the relationship between Public Engagement with Science (PES), which involves mutual learning between experts and publics, and Public Understanding of Science (PUS), where information is transferred one-way from experts to publics, within Informal Science Education (ISE). To look at how PES and PUS were being incorporated into current and recent activities, the project team compiled a catalog of case summaries from institutions around the world
Leaders of the only two large-scale assessments of environmental literacy used in the U.S. to date (Programme for International Student Assessment [PISA] and the National Environmental Literacy Assessment [NELA]), led by an experienced PI representing the North American Association for Environmental Education, to develop a new, comprehensive, research-based framework for assessing environmental literacy. By bringing together, for the first time, experts in research, assessment, and evaluation from the fields of science education, environmental education, and related social science fields -
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Joe E HeimlichNorth American Association for Environmental Education
Portal to the Public (PoP) is a proven, scalable guiding framework for Informal Science Educators (ISE) to engage scientists and public audiences in face-to-face interactions that promote appreciation and understanding of current scientific research and its application. The PoP approach has two important characteristics that set it apart for other efforts: PoP (1) focused exclusively on interactions between scientists and general public visitors; and (2) included professional development for the scientists interacting with the public. The three collaborating museums (Pacific Science Center
The Workshop to Explore Engaging Broader Publics in Conversations about Assessment of the Societal Implications of New and Emerging Directions in Science and Technology (ECAST Workshop) was created to explore network-building activities to more broadly involve the public in deliberations about the assessment of technology. The workshop aimed to develop models for leveraging the work done by ECAST (Expert & Citizen Assessment of Science and Technology), and specifically expand the reach of the World Wide Views (WWViews) on Biodiversity deliberations. The project team wanted to brainstorm ways
In spring 2009, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (Museum) contracted with JVA Consulting, LLC (JVA) to conduct a comprehensive process and outcome evaluation of the Passport to Health (P2H) program. The Museum designed P2H, originally a three-year program funded by the Colorado Health Foundation (the Foundation), to improve health outcomes for fifth-grade students as well as their families and teachers throughout the Denver metro area. Passport to Health has seven components, designed to complement each other and help the Museum achieve its stated program goals. The seven components
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JVA Consulting, LLCDenver Museum of Nature & Science
In an effort to prepare female high school students for a college curriculum and achieve gender parity in the engineering industry, WGBH has developed an initiative entitled, Engineer Your Life (EYL). The initiative is targeted toward female high school students, career counselors/educators, and professional engineers. It is designed to: 1) increase these target audiences' understanding of engineering, 2) inspire young women to explore engineering as a career option and 3) help adults encourage young women to investigate engineering opportunities. One component of this initiative involves
The Sam Noble Museum contracted Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A) to evaluate their Whitten-Newman ExplorOlogy Program. The program offers hands-on, immersive experiences in scientific field research to classroom teachers and middle and high school students. The evaluation study explored how participants experienced the program and how their sense of self and identity was affected during the year following the program's completion. How did we approach this study? The Whitten-Newman ExplorOlogy Program offers an in-depth program experience to a select number of teachers and students. We
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Randi Korn & Associates, Inc.Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History