In this paper, we describe the Mobile-IT Education (MIT.EDU) system, which demonstrates the potential of using a distributed mobile device architecture for rapid prototyping of wireless mobile multi-user applications for use in classroom settings. MIT.EDU is a stable, accessible system that combines inexpensive, commodity hardware, a flexible…

Customer service and quality are driving forces in the business community. As higher educational institutions tussle for competitive advantage and high service quality, the evaluation of educational service quality is essential to provide motivation for and to give feedback on the effectiveness of educational plans and implementation. This…

How paradoxical that evaluation, the main purpose of which is to establish value, often seems to return to the lowest value of anything that people do! Too commonly, in the authors' experience, evaluation is avoided or paid as little attention as possible. Due to its typically unloved nature, evaluation can be trapped in a low-level, minimalist…

The laudatory goal of evaluation capacity building is quite timely, given the spotlight on the potential use of program evaluation in the current environment which emphasizes performance reporting and evidence-based policy. A question that quickly comes to mind is: Where do you start? A seemingly reasonable starting point is to assess…

In early 2002, Jean King, Mel Mark, Robin Miller, and Stacey Stockdill began a project to conduct oral history interviews with individuals who have made signal contributions to the program evaluation field and those well-placed observers who were present at and played a role in pivotal moments in the field. In developing this project, it is our…

Bullying is a serious problem in schools, and school authorities need effective solutions to resolve this problem. There is a growing interest in the whole-school approach to bullying. Whole-school programs have multiple components that operate simultaneously at different levels in the school community. This article synthesizes the existing…

Provides a set of seven practical guidelines for determining whether a new educational program will work in a particular school or school district. For example, the program has been carefully investigated to make certain it fits the needs and culture of the school. (PKP)

Describes the development of the International Development Evaluation Association (IDEAS) and the context in which it will operate. This new wing of the international evaluation architecture has been designed to support development evaluators in tackling professional changes of the new century. (SLD)

Recounts the author's experiences as a graduate student in social psychology at Northwestern University at the time the training program for program evaluation was being established. Explains the importance of the early training for the evaluator's career. (SLD)

Research has provided important lessons about developing and delivering high quality professional development to educators. Features identified as indicative of high quality professional learning experiences are the organization of the activity and its duration, the extent to which there is collective participation of teachers within an education…

While intense discussions are raging over the definition and status of public theology, within graduate theological education relatively little attention is being paid to the teaching of the practices of public theology. This article explores one venue in graduate theological education that attempts to equip seminary and divinity school students…

This paper considers the meaning of social justice as reflected by New Communities Schools (NCS). It reviews the role of NCS in the modernisation of welfare, considers the criteria used to judge their effectiveness and assesses the outcomes of the NCS programme. Problems in assessing social justice outcomes are explored in terms of pilot or…

Certain challenges are inherent in collecting data to evaluate nonformal education programs and settings. One challenge relates to the complexity of the educational system in which nonformal learning takes place. Separating the learning effects of a nonformal education program on participants from the effects of other essential elements of their…

The opportunity that evaluators have to be educators is well known. Patton emphatically states, "Every interaction with an evaluation client, participant, stakeholder, and user is a teaching opportunity." This article discusses two ways in which evaluators can help educate the staff of nonformal programs: helping them articulate the theory that…

The development of clinical skills and judgment is a key area of learning for undergraduate paramedic students but they typically find translating theory to practice a daunting prospect not least because they practice their developing clinical skills in front of others. This paper documents the rationale and outcomes of a peer mentoring program in…