The Evaluation Therapy Newsletter
Our monthly Evaluation Therapy Newsletter shares strategies, ideas, and lessons learned from our decades of evaluating learning in non-school spaces - museums, zoos, gardens, and after-school programs. Jessica is a learning researcher who is an educator at heart. She loves helping education teams really understand and build insights from data that they can use immediately – even those who are a bit wary of evaluation.
Let's get curious about curiosity.
Hi Reader, At the ASTC Annual Meeting this year, I was the lone evaluator among a panel of exhibition experts, where we playfully debated Hot Topics in Exhibit Design. (I was roundly trounced in said debate. To the eternal shame of my former speech and debate coach.) A word I heard often in those debates was "curiosity," along with the contention that it couldn't really be measured, so just create amazing experiences and don't worry about evaluating it. While the debate was full of us taking...
The Play vs. Content Tug of War
Hi Reader, Kids have been back at school for a couple of weeks around these parts. I have to imagine they are hearing that ol' standby question from random adults: What's your favorite subject at school? I secretly love when kids answer with a snarky: "Recess." Maybe that is where this idea of a Play versus Content Tug of War became engrained in us. Recess versus Science. Recess versus English. Recess versus Everybody. And maybe that's why I've heard so many educators and designers in...
Lies, Damn Lies, & Statistics
Hi Reader, I’m not sure how, but it's Back-to-School season once again. All of this school talk got me thinking about student refrains: “But when will I ever use this in the real world??” Which makes me think of statistics. See, I took those stats classes in college. I took various stats workshops as a professional. I’ve got a shelf of stats books behind me right now. I unambiguously do use statistics. But I’d also say that little of what those courses taught prepared me for that. How I need...
Don't let evaluators tell you what to do.
Hi Reader, If you met me years ago, you probably know me as a runner. But the past six months have had me completely sidelined due to an injury that, to everyone's surprise, was 0% caused by running. One of my rehab companions has been the Peloton App. If you’ve been exposed to Peloton – even via those silly commercials – you may know that each instructor has their catchphrases. Something they say to start or sustain motivation. Angie and I occasionally compare notes on favorite instructors....
How many points do you put on the damn scale?
Hi Reader, This month's newsletter might be the wonkiest newsletter I've ever sent you. It's tackling one of those nitty-gritty questions that comes up all the time, but can never seem to get a straight answer. When writing survey questions, how many points do you put on the scale? Lest you think we don't practice what we preach around here, writing this issue caused conversations about questions for multiple studies going into the field this summer. Everything I suggest below? Exactly what...
It's Gonna Take Time: Evaluating Community Engagement
Hi Reader, I spent the last week and a half on travel, combining a couple of project trips into one marathon journey on the East Coast. 10 days. 2 cities. 4 Ripple Effects Mapping sessions. 1 Data Party. And a very, very full brain. I'm not going to lie, I'm still tired! Some of the most exciting moments were during those Ripple Effects Mapping sessions. We were collecting stories about the big, messy, impossible-to-predict outcomes that arise when passionate professionals engage their...
Step by Step: How to Make Evaluation Worthwhile in Exhibit Development
Hi Reader, About 7 or 8 years ago, PittMER (Pittsburgh's Museum Educators Roundtable) did a Story Slam event. A bunch of us told 5-minute stories about our adventures in museum education – and what taught us. My story was about an early moment in my career, when I learned how powerful it could be to have exhibit designers and evaluators working side-by-side in a length development process, centered on co-learning. It sparked my love for doing this work! Even though I work in all types of...
Getting beyond the Glitter and Glue
Hi Reader, Early in my career, I was visiting my parents, when I took a work call from their office. My dad overheard my side of the conversation. When I hung up, he asked, "What do you do again? Did you move to a house-painting business?" See, I'd been talking with a client about their "scaffolding strategies." My dad worked in manufacturing, and this jargon absolutely baffled him. When I tried to explain what scaffolding was in my world, I watched his eyes glaze over. I gave up and said,...
Evaluating Short-Duration Experiences
Hi Reader, February is the shortest month, which feels fitting for this month's topic: What do you do when you don't have much time? A reader wrote in December with a question that sounded so familiar. In informal education, we do a lot of programs that are short in duration -- field trips, outreach sessions, floor programs. Everything goes by in a flash. If you also want to squeeze some evaluation into the mix (and why wouldn't you?), there's a special mix of challenges that you will face....
What's a Professional Development Personality?
Hi Reader, It’s the start of a New Year, which means the Personal & Professional Development Industrial Complex is in full swing. Everywhere you turn, companies and organizations want to help you meet your development goals. (I see you, Peloton App. I’ll get there when I get there.) We work with a lot of organizations and programs that aim to be a professional learning hub for their members -- whether those are informal educators or classroom teachers. We all love learning. So, PD is a great...
Our monthly Evaluation Therapy Newsletter shares strategies, ideas, and lessons learned from our decades of evaluating learning in non-school spaces - museums, zoos, gardens, and after-school programs. Jessica is a learning researcher who is an educator at heart. She loves helping education teams really understand and build insights from data that they can use immediately – even those who are a bit wary of evaluation.