Framework for Evaluating Impacts of Informal Science Education Projects

March 12th, 2008 | RESEARCH

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 developing projects to think about and better articulate the intended public or professional audience impacts. Since the design of deliverables and strategies should be based on achieving these desired outcomes, this publication should also encourage project leaders to work more closely with evaluators at very early stages in the conceptual development of their projects. More broadly, this effort should advance understanding of summative evaluation by the field.

Document

Eval_Framework.pdf

Team Members

Alan Friedman, Editor, National Science Foundation
Sue Allen, Author, National Science Foundation
Patricia Campbell, Author, National Science Foundation
Lynn Dierking, Author, National Science Foundation
Barbara Flagg, Contributor, Multimedia Research
Cecilia Garibay, Author, National Science Foundation
Randi Korn, Author, National Science Foundation
Gary Silverstein, Author, National Science Foundation
David Ucko, Author, National Science Foundation

Funders

Funding Source: NSF
Funding Program: EHR

Tags

Audience: Educators | Teachers | Evaluators | Museum | ISE Professionals | Scientists
Discipline: Education and learning science | General STEM
Resource Type: Reference Materials | Report
Environment Type: Exhibitions | Informal | Formal Connections | Media and Technology | Professional Development | Conferences | Networks | Public Programs