With the vast array of contextual factors, pedagogical approaches, models of implementation, and purposes of education and training related to online learning, educators, learners, and the general public alike are seeking answers regarding utility and effectiveness of online learning. This article identifies and responds to many of the challenges…

Experience and reflection on experience are the best teachers, yet rich cases that capture experience for reflection have largely eluded professional training in evaluation. The absence of high-quality, readily available teaching cases has been an important gap in the field. This article reviews the benefits of case teaching, examines evaluation…

As the field of program evaluation has evolved, there has been a proliferation of approaches to the craft, each with a different conceptualization of the role the evaluator plays in relation to the program, organization, and practitioners with whom he or she works. A few recent conceptualizations of evaluator role include that of a "critical…

Addresses issues pertaining to the transmittal of common ethical values related to the practice of evaluation. The issues include the need for development and adoption of a common core of knowledge of ethics in evaluation, the need to provide this knowledge to all evaluation participants, and the need for multiple methods of instruction and…

This article presents a brief history of the National Science Foundation's involvement in education evaluation, reviews the program evaluations that NSF's Division of Research, Evaluation, and Communication (REC) has conducted in recent years, and describes future directions. The evaluations have reflected the field-driven nature of NSF's…

Professional development has moved from the periphery of teachers' professional lives to center stage, clearly recognized today as one of the key factors that shape teachers' ability to reach and teach all students successfully. To be effective, any professional development program must pay close attention to changes in teacher classroom…

The purpose of this concluding chapter has been to stimulate creative thinking about how to use cases for evaluation teaching and training. The preparation of professional evaluators presents special challenges. Imaginative new teaching and training resources are appearing, as evidenced by the special sections on evaluation teaching that now…

There is concern that the nation's schools are not preparing students to excel in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. At both precollege and postsecondary levels, much effort is needed to create and implement powerful STEM curricula, prepare and support highly qualified teachers, deliver effective instruction, and give…