This article comments upon James and Pollard's contribution in comparison with perspectives on pedagogy in Japan, where the concept has tended to be discredited by academics. TLRP's clusters of 10 principles are reviewed and found to be persuasive and meaningful, especially in relation to the following points: the emphasis on recognising…

Empowerment evaluation continues to crystallize central issues for evaluators and the field of evaluation. A highly attended American Evaluation Association conference panel, titled "Empowerment Evaluation and Traditional Evaluation: 10 Years Later," provided an opportunity to reflect on the evolution of empowerment evaluation. Several…

This article argues that whilst there have been substantial advancements in the ways in which learning is conceptualised, theoretical understandings of assessment, and practices that contribute to meaningful statements of learners' achievements, have not mirrored these changes in certain learning contexts. The authors challenge contemporary…

Evaluation of public service programs uses language and techniques inimical to community development. Key elements of a better approach are as follows: (1) community participation; (2) emphasis on qualitative measures of success that complement the quantitative; (3) strong awareness of the importance of process goals; (4) concern with sustainable…

Issues involved in empowering evaluation conducted with grass-roots organizations are discussed. One major issue centers on conflicting evaluation standards evaluators and stakeholders may have, and another is whether there is harmony between the empowerment model's goals of evaluation ownership and group advocacy. (SLD)

Developmental evaluation is proposed as a term to describe certain long-term partnering relationships with clients who are, themselves, engaged in ongoing program development. Rather than a model, developmental evaluation is a relationship founded on a shared purpose and is a way of being useful in innovative settings. (SLD)

Serious issues in empowerment evaluation are articulated to help ensure that this enthusiastically presented concept will not mislead evaluators and result in lowering the field's professional standards. Analysis and recommendations are provided for the adoption, development, and implementation of an objectivist evaluation that conforms to…

This response to a previous article (EC 625 845) on the needs and challenges related to the assessment of self-determination in the field of developmental disability, identifies issues related to the use and abuse of assessing self-determination and suggests an empowerment evaluation approach to these efforts. (Contains four references.)…

This article describes the types of preference assessment procedures that have been used with individuals with profound multiple disabilities (PMD). It provides a rationale for conducting preference assessment to assist in curriculum development and describes a process for conducting preference assessments and targeting social, affective, and…

Empowerment evaluation is the use of evaluation concepts and techniques to foster self-determination, focusing on helping people help themselves. This collaborative evaluation approach requires both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. It is a multifaceted approach that can be applied to evaluation in any area. (SLD)

The praxis orientation is proposed as an approach to school-based evaluation that enables professionals to understand power relationships and act toward empowerment of the local school community. The orientation is offered as an alternative to the positivist power-control approach, which is critiqued. (TJH)

This book examines the rhetoric surrounding the notion of informal learning in order to expand debate about the uses of informal learning in workplaces and about attempts to "recognize" it through competency-based standards. The following topics are among those discussed in the book's eight chapters: (1) the nature of informal learning…