Presenters:
John LaVelle
Assistant Professor
University of Minnesota
Stewart Donaldson
University Professor
Claremont Graduate University
Description:
This workshop is designed to provide practicing evaluators with an opportunity to improve their understanding of how to use theory to improve evaluation practice. Lecture, exercises, and discussions will help participants learn how to apply evaluation theories, social science theories, and stakeholder theories of change to improve the accuracy and usefulness of their evaluations. A range of examples from evaluation practice will be provided to illustrate main points and take-home messages.
Learning Outcomes:
1) Define and describe evaluation theory, social science theory, and program theory
2) Describe how theory can be used to improve evaluation practice
3) Describe how implicit and explicit social science theories can be used to guide evaluation decisions
4) Describe the components and processes of several commonly used social science theories that have been used to develop and evaluate programs 5)Describe how developing stakeholder' theories of change can be used to improve evaluation practice
Agenda and Learning Strategies:
1) Ice-breaker activity
2) Evaluation theory exercise and discussion
3) Mini lecture on the ways theory can be used to improve evaluation practice
4) Mini lecture on how social science theory can be used to improve evaluation practice, and discussion of several distinct social science theories that can be used to frame evaluations and programs a. Theory of planned behavior (Azjen & Fishbein) b. Health belief model (Eisen) c. Stages of change (Prochaska & DiClemente)
5) Small group activity: participants use social science theories to frame evaluation scenarios drawn from the facilitators' practice
6) Mini lecture on stakeholders theories of change can be used to improve evaluation practice
7) Small group activity a. Discussion on how workshop participants have or could generate theories of change in their practice b. Small group report out c. Facilitators draw common themes for practice
This workshop is aligned to AEA’s Competencies and Guiding Principles as follows:
Professional practice, knowledge of evaluation program and social science theory, stakeholder engagement, communication, inquiry methods.
Facilitation Experience:
John M. LaVelle: Has taught this workshop numerous times at the AEA Annual Conference, will be teaching it multiple times at the 2018 AEA/CDC Summer Institute, at the Minnesota Evaluation Studies Institute, and the proposal is under review at the European Evaluation Society for the annual conference. He teaches graduate courses on Evaluation Practice, Data Collection in Organizations, undergraduate courses on Evaluation in Human Resource Development, and is preparing to teach capstone graduate courses on Qualitative & Mixed Methods, and Program Theory & Theory-Driven Evaluation. He has also provided professional development workshops on topics such as Using Theory to Improve Evaluation Practice (American Evaluation Association), Evaluation 101 (Center for Non-Profit Leadership), Evaluation in Human Resources (China's State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission), and more. Stewart I. Donaldson: Has taught this workshop numerous times at the AEA Summer Institute and AEA Annual Conference. He also teaches graduate courses on Using Theory to Improve Evaluation Practice, Evaluation Theory, Theory-Driven Evaluation Science, Evaluation Practice, and Organizational Development and Change. He provides distance evaluation courses and professional development workshops in a variety of university and professional venues on topics such as Basics of Evaluation and Applied Research, Practical Program Evaluation, What counts as Credible Evidence in Applied Research and Evaluation?, Evaluation Theory, Evaluation Practicum, and Advanced Applications of Program Theory. Professor Donaldson has given talks and workshops in over 50 cities throughout the U.S. and overseas.
Date:
August 10th, 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM Eastern Time