Universities are increasingly investing in work-integrated learning (WIL) as a mechanism by which to enhance graduate employability. However, with such investment comes more pressure to demonstrate impact. Program evaluation can be undertaken for a diverse range of purposes including quality assurance, program improvement and accountability. Many…

The brief explains how exposing young children to early math concepts supports their development of reasoning and problem solving skills and later success in and out of school. It describes the unique ways each of five family engagement programs funded by the Heising-Simons Foundation developed, tested, and integrated early math learning into…

This paper presents results from using an asynchronous Web-based discussion forum coupled with an integrated student peer rating system as one component of an introductory Information Systems (IS) course with high enrollment (e.g. a class with over 100 students). There are two major issues with the typical introductory IS course: it covers too…

This paper reports on a pilot interdisciplinary graduate Summer School in Theory and Philosophy for the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, which aimed to combine research with graduate teaching and learning. The paper will develop reflections on the ways in which interdisciplinary residential learning spaces can promote successful skills…

In an increasingly competitive economy, the capacity for self-motivation, problem-solving skills and an ability to think critically are core graduate attributes. However, the capacity to create an educational environment that develops and harnesses such skills is a distinct challenge as resources become increasingly restricted. Geographical Skills…

Presents an approach to the evaluation of family support programs that does not violate the principles of family support. Tailoring the evaluation to the program service philosophy ensures that the evaluation process is integrated with the program to provide a more accurate picture of the program. (SLD)

Case examples in the articles in this volume are analyzed in the mixed-method conceptual frameworks presented in the early chapters. The richer understanding derived from these approaches support the call to advance mixed-method inquiry beyond models and toward inquiry attributes that can be combined. (Author/SLD)

Described the integration of a service-learning elective into a preexisting course at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, in which there was little room to maneuver in an already crowded curriculum, and presented some preliminary evaluation findings based on reports on 206 participating students and 254 who did not participate in the…

A review of qualitative methods used in a predominantly quantitative evaluation indicates a variety of roles for such a mixing of methods, including framing and revising research questions, assessing the validity of measures and adaptations to program implementation, and gauging the degree of uncertainty and generalizability of conclusions.…

The need for and applicability of general systems theory in human services evaluation is discussed. The role of evaluation in human services agencies is described and the necessity of combining the programs to be evaluated and the evaluation process itself in a single unifying conceptual model is demonstrated. (Author/AL)

Modified evaluation planning tools, such as document models, logic models, and program theory models in planning for the evaluation of the coordination of domestic violence services in metropolitan Baltimore, Maryland. Data from a variety of sources (targeted agencies) show that activities of agencies in the coordinated community response are…

Identifies the demand for distributional impact assessment related to forest policies and projects and the linkages between distributional impacts and sustainable development. An integrated model is developed to assess the distributional impact of forest policies and projects. Studying the impact of the introduction of structural particleboard…

This article presents an overview of living/learning centers (academic programs based in residence halls) at large universities and presents a case study evaluating a living/learning center academic program at the University of Illinois. Program evaluation confirmed the academic credibility of the program and student satisfaction, in that 94…

The experiences of a group of evaluators evaluating a multisite integrated human service delivery system illustrate many design and measurement considerations in the preimplementation and implementation phases of evaluation. The reemergence of human service integration approaches will make such evaluation issues increasingly common. (SLD)

In 1994-95, the Wake County Public School System received a grant from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to implement the Intervention/Prevention Program to provide better support to at-risk students by collaborating with many human service agencies that work with children and families. The vehicle for change was the development…