This article presents a method for using mind mapping to assess social learning outcomes in collaborative environmental restoration and participatory natural resource management initiatives. Using mind mapping for preassessment and postassessment can reveal changes in individual and collective thinking about critical social and ecological issues.…

In December 2014, then Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan announced that $226 million had been awarded to 18 states under the Preschool Development Grants (PDG) program. Duncan said that expanding access to high quality preschool programs was critically important, and that the states receiving funding would serve as a model for others. The goal…

This report summarizes the two-year findings of a rigorous random assignment evaluation of the WorkAdvance model, a sectoral training and advancement initiative. Launched in 2011, WorkAdvance goes beyond the previous generation of employment programs by introducing demand-driven skills training and a focus on jobs that have career pathways. The…

In May 2014 Michael Gove Secretary of State for Education announced that there would be a review into Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in the UK. The report was led by Andrew Carter OBE, the Headteacher of a school-centred ITT provider and ITT lead on the Teaching Schools Council. The report was published in January 2015 and one of the principle…

This research method case describes the use of bibliometric analysis for the purpose of evaluating a large, federal research program that supported basic research in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education. Program evaluation is critical for providing rigorous evidence about program effectiveness and demonstrating that public…

The focus of this paper is to share thinking about meta-level evaluation of action research (AR), and to introduce indicator domains for assessing and measuring inputs, outputs and outcomes. Meta-level and multi-site evaluation has been rare in AR beyond project implementation and participant satisfaction. The paper is the first of several…

The proliferation of mobile technologies and apps raises questions for researchers in the field of educational technology. Many apps are marketed as having impact on learning or therapeutic outcome in populations with additional support needs. This paper briefly outlines three possible academic responses to the rise of therapeutic technologies for…

On average, people spend between 45% and 70% of their day listening to others (Johnson, 1996). Despite the frequency with which people engage in this activity, its importance in interpersonal interactions may go overlooked. Individuals can typically identify that listening is a valued communication skill (Bambacas & Patrickson, 2008; Papa,…

There continues to be lack of public awareness about elder abuse. To help address this issue, we developed and piloted an elder abuse peer educator training program from an educational gerontology and health empowerment perspective. We describe the process employed to train older adults as peer educators. We present evaluation results from data…

The educational reforms that began in the 1990s have changed Brazilian universities' direction from welfare state institutions to market organisations. In postgraduate education, strategic alliances with international agencies, governments and corporations have become closer. At the same time, there has been a push for internationalisation of…

This article evaluates the effectiveness of Promep, a faculty improvement program implemented by Mexico's Federal Department of Public Education (SEP) since 1996 to improve the academic qualifications, performance, and organization of faculty at the public higher education institutions. This evaluation examines the degree to which Promep has…

Integrating evaluation into an Extension program offers multiple opportunities to understand program success through achieving program goals and objectives, delivering programming using the most effective techniques, and refining program audiences. It is less common that evaluation is used to guide and validate the effectiveness of program…

This report presents a summary of the findings of fiscal year (FY) 2015 monitoring reviews, fulfilling the reporting requirements found in Sections 641A(f) and 650(c)(2) of the Head Start Act. It highlights the enhancements made to the FY 2015 monitoring review system, summarizes grantee review outcomes, and describes the types of findings most…

In 2015 WakeEd Partnership and Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), North Carolina's largest school system, designed an engaging, results-oriented professional development opportunity for elementary and secondary educators -- SummerSTEM. SummerSTEM is a hands-on professional development experience that addresses the needs of educators --…

To explore the potential for building multicultural awareness in university students using synchronous technology, faculty members from an American regional state university and a Chinese regional university collaborated to find appropriate ways to integrate synchronous technology (e.g., Adobe Connect) into a teacher education program in the…