Program and Practice Evaluation

May 24, 2013

I am excited to be teaching a new course this spring semester. It’s a research course for the Master’s of Education program at the University of Calgary.

Course description

The purpose of this course is to provide an understanding of evaluation – as a discipline, as a profession, as a process and a product in a wide range of educational and social contexts. The primary focus of the course is holistic, large-scale program evaluation rather than the assessment of individuals (for example, the measurement of student achievement or personnel review).

This course focuses on developing an understanding of the logic of evaluative thinking, the nature of evaluation as a profession and discipline, the knowledge and skills needed to be expert consumers of program evaluation and novice evaluators in contexts relevant to individual career contexts.

Topics include:

  • the logic of evaluation
  • central concepts in evaluation
  • approaches to evaluation
  • standards in evaluation
  • the social and political nature of evaluation.

Learner outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Describe the logic of evaluation and explain its role in improving practice in teaching and learning
  • Understand, analyze, synthesize and apply the central concepts in evaluation
  • Be aware of and apply appropriate standards in evaluation, including ethical practices for evaluators
  • Understand, discuss, and critique the social and political nature of evaluation
  • Be familiar be with and critically analyze major approaches to evaluation and their designs, then synthesize into an appropriate evaluation plan that fits the needs of the particular evaluation task.

Here’s a copy of the course outline:

View this document on Scribd

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

3 Key Elements of Self-Directed Learning

May 23, 2013

Last week I had the privilege of attending the Collaborating for Learning Conference (May 15 & 16, 2013) at the University of Calgary.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Gary Poole, from the University of British Columbia, gave a talk on a self-directed learning program at UBC.

Dr. Poole highlighted three key elements of self-directed learning that differentiate it from traditional learning:

  1. The learner identifies the goals of their project and their learning process.
  2. The learner designs the means for attaining those goals.
  3. The learner defines the criteria to determine if the goals were met.

In order for learning to be truly self-directed, teachers and advisors must surrender the need to control the learning process, program design and even the assessment. Faculty and program coordinators become guides, helping students find their way if they get lost, helping them to cultivate self-managment and self-monitoring skills and — at all costs — resisting the urge to prescribe how learning should happen.

Self-directed learning teaches students to take control of their own path and then take full responsiblity for their own success or failure, being reflective and aware every step of the way.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

Why “as cited in” should be avoided in academic writing

May 21, 2013

For my graduate students… and other readers:

When you are referencing others’ work in our course, whether it is on the discussion board, in your presentation or in your final paper, I urge you to find the primary sources for your citations.

I will be upfront about this and say that I am not at all a fan of citing a work that someone else has cited. Please find the original reference yourself and cite that instead.

The reason for this is three-fold:

  1. You want to be sure that the “original” author actually exists. As heinous as it may seem, people have been known to fabricate references.
  2. More common is that a researcher will mis-quote an author or take someone’s work out of context. By going back to the original source, you have the opportunity to verify for yourself what the original author was trying to say.
  3. “As cited in…” can be an indicator of either a lazy or disinterested scholar who does not care enough to find and cite original authors. I do not think this is the case with anyone in our course, but it is not uncommon for other scholars to dismiss the credibility of a researcher who does not take the time to find primary sources.

Earlier this year, I conducted an informal in-class experiment with a Master’s level class at the U of C. I challenged them to find the original version of Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs”. To their surprise, they found that the pyramid that has become an iconic representation of Maslow’s hierarchy is nowhere to be found in his original work. (You can read about it here: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: Is the pyramid a hoax?  http://wp.me/pNAh3-1rU)

I tell my students, “My point to you is this: Please cite only primary sources in our course. Avoid using ‘as cited in…’ or similar strategies. If you can’t find an original source, don’t cite it.”

The only exception to this would be original works of extreme rarity which are almost impossible to source without physically visiting historical archives.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

A Phoenix rises as a new school opens

May 6, 2013

Last week I was honoured to be invited to the official opening of the Captain Nichola Goddard School in Calgary. Located in the North Central community of Panorama Hills, the school is currently home to 560 students, with the capacity for up to 1000.

The children of the school voted on the phoenix as the animal to represent their school. The school opening event began with a student performance about the symbol of the phoenix: a proud, honest animal who rises from the ashes. The ashes represent the school’s namesake, Captain Nichola Goddard, the first female Canadian soldier who was killed in combat. She was killed in Afghanistan on May 17, 2006.

Nichola’s father, Dr. J. Tim Goddard,was my Ph.D. supervisor. Like his daughter, and the rest of the family, Tim is an inspirational leader. With both feet firmly grounded in reality, Tim’s jovial personality is complemented with wit, hope and a no-nonsense approach to life. Even though he has worked in various high-level administrative positions at different universities, such as Dean and Vice-Provost International, Tim is just as comfortable kicking back and watching a game of rugby. He wears his suits with ease, but whenever he sits down, you can see his trademark quirk  — brightly colored socks with a pattern. (On the day of the school opening he was wearing yellow polka dot socks.) Tim’s socks serve a reminder not to take life (or ourselves) too seriously.

After Nichola was killed, her parents and sisters set out to do what they do best… use the resources they have to make the world a better place. They began the Nichola Goddard Foundation, from which they do international work, as well as support scholarships for university students. One of the elements of Tim’s leadership that I have always admired is his ability to leverage resources that he can’t control. Through the foundation, he partners with the Light Up the World foundation on the collaborative Light Up Papua New Guinea project. The project aims to bring solar-powered LED lights to medical aid stations throughout Papua New Guinea. The project makes medical treatment possible during the hours of darkness in regions where there is no electricity. This has a particularly powerful impact on women giving birth during the night hours, as it means that the medical workers can ensure the safety of both mother and baby during the birthing process. The location of the project is significant. It is where Tim and his wife Sally met and where Nichola was born.

During Tim’s speech at the school opening, he shared that the Light Up Papua New Guinea project has now helped two million people in that country.

The students of the Captain Nichola Goddard school are highly aware of their school’s namesake. Her photo is posted in the school and the students know her story. They also know about the good work being done by the foundation that the family has set up. One of the most touching moments of the school opening was the presentation of the cheque from the school to the foundation for over $4000. The students raised the funds themselves through the sale of baked and hand-made goods, as well as a donation campaign they called “nickels for Nichola”.

Logo Captain Nichola Goddard SchoolThe school has been open since last August and its inaugural students are about to finish up their first year of studies at the school. The official school opening date was symbolic. The school had its official opening ceremonies on the Nichola would have celebrated her 33rd birthday. A Phoenix rises.

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Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

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Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

10 Great writing resources for grad students

April 23, 2013

Sarah Eaton blog technology researchAfter teaching “Writing Educational Research” for Master’s of Education students at the University of Calgary a number of times now, I’ve come up with a list of my top 10 favorite, free online resources for grad students, emerging scholars and educational professionals:

Basics of APA Style (Tutorial) – The tutorial is “chunked out” into 23 sections, each less than 1 minute long. In total, the tutorial is about 21 minutes long. It is highly practical and full of “how to” information.

Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) – One of the best online resources for APA style for students and faculty. The APA Formatting and Style Guide is particularly helpful.

APA Quick Reference Guide – Produced by the University of North Carolina School of Social Work, this quick reference guide highlights the most important points of the APA manual for students.

Academic Writing and Publishing by James Hartley – This comprehensive 209-page resource book is available free of charge to students in .pdf format. It is a must-have for grad students.

Worksheets for academic writers by Wendy Belcher – Designed to accompany Belcher’s text, Writing Your Journal Article in 12-weeks, these worksheets help writers plan and organize their writing projects.

Advice on Academic Writing from the University of Toronto -This site offers academic writers advice on topics such as planning, organizing, using sources, style, editing and more.

Outlining and Organizing Your Writing from the University of Maryland – This site has links to a number of different resources designed to help students learn how to outline and organize their writing projects.

English Grammar Handbook from the University of Athabasca – This free online e-book addresses many grammar concepts that academic writers need to know such as sentence and paragraph structure and how to avoid misusing common words in academic writing.

Graduate Writing Checklist from John Hopkins University – This handy checklist is designed specifically for graduate students to review before they hand in their papers.

Academic Writing Checklist from the University of Warwick – This checklist is more reflective in nature, challenging emerging scholars to engage in a metacognitive process about their own writing.

Academic writing takes practice and time to learn and with these free online resources to help you, it will be even easier.

Related posts:

12 Phrases to Avoid in Your Academic Research Papers http://wp.me/pNAh3-1JX

Active vs. passive voice — How to tell the difference http://wp.me/pNAh3-1HX

Why APA formatting matters http://wp.me/pNAh3-1Hc

How many sources do you need in a literature review?  http://wp.me/pNAh3-1Hu

What’s the difference between a citation and a reference? http://wp.me/pNAh3-1F9

Why “as cited in” should be avoided in academic writing  http://wp.me/pNAh3-1BH

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If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Share or Tweet this: 10 Great writing resources for grad students – http://wp.me/pNAh3-1Bc

Update – January 2018 – This blog has had over 1.8 million views thanks to readers like you. If you enjoyed this post, please “like” it or share it on social media. Thanks!

Sarah Elaine Eaton is a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada.

Comments Off on 10 Great writing resources for grad students | education, research | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Elaine Eaton, Ph.D.

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