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In researching open access journals in the field of program evaluation, I came across two: Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation (PARE) and Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation (JMDE). Since the PARE website appears more developed than the JMDE one (there is a Mission tab, but no statement), I chose to explore PARE further. This open access journal is edited and reviewed by volunteers from various universities and evaluation organizations and is completely electronic. According to the PARE website, "its purpose is to provide access to refereed articles that can have a positive impact on assessment, research, evaluation, and teaching practice. Manuscripts published in Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation are scholarly syntheses of research and ideas about methodological issues and practices. They are designed to help members of the community keep up-to-date with effective methods, trends, and research developments from a variety of settings."
Although the site does not explicitly express the rhetoric of the open access movement, I think it does refer to it in its aforementioned description (i.e., "to provide access..."). PARE publishes overviews, methods how-to's, fact sheets, issue papers, practice applications, research findings, and summaries of synthesis papers. Interestingly, the site states that there are "two key questions in the review will be whether the results generalize and whether the results are likely to alter someone's practice. Thus, PARE does not accept evaluations of local programs. We also do not accept validity studies of test instruments. We are not interested in derivations, but rather practical applications." I am impressed by the diversity of publication types, from theoretical to practical. I think this is a major strength of the PARE journal and speaks to its position as an open access journal. Although I was initially disappointed that they did not publish evaluations of local programs, I could see how that could be overwhelming for an open access journal, with limited impact for the field's knowledge about evaluation at large. It also aligns with the journal's mission to collect knowledge that will impact evaluators' practice. Considering the practical, applied nature of evaluation, I think open access journals are important to the field. I will definitely consider submitting to PARE or another evaluation open access journal in the near future. As someone who engaged in wet bench research in middle school, biomedical research in high school, and undergraduate research since my second semester in college, I know firsthand the benefits of experiential learning. For each of my first 2-3 years of college, I participated in a new lab. As I was involved in different projects, led by different professors, I learned about different types of research questions, methodologies, lab arrangements, researcher styles, team dynamics, and countless other valuable lessons. I also learned about what type of work I felt was "right" for me. Had I only had one experience, I may have thought that all research was [blank]. However, having diverse research experiences allowed me to realize that there is not just one approach to research and, importantly, that's the point. The point is to use creativity and critical thinking to come up with innovative ways to tackle issues or answer research questions.
Although I believe undergraduate research for everyone would enhance higher education, I err on the side of advocating for experiential learning (rather than research) as an improvement to higher education. I do believe that students in all majors could benefit from various types of research, from experimental research in a lab to applied research in the community. However, I am also an advocate of student agency in learning. Thus, although I think students in all disciplines could benefit from undergraduate research, I think they should have the right to choose an experiential learning project to work on other than a research project, particularly since research projects may be limited in some institutions and/ or departments. I think that experiential learning projects for all students, including undergraduate research projects, would enhance the higher education experience and value. Not only will students have the opportunity to practice the skills they have learned about in class, but they will also have the benefit of working with a professor or professional outside of the classroom, perhaps learn to work as part of a team, practice time management and task prioritization, learn from mistakes, and so on. I also think that experiential learning can help foster critical thinking in unique ways that would benefit students once they have graduated. Also related to professional development, experiential learning could benefit students applying for jobs, who otherwise may not have any practical experience to demonstrate their potential as a professional. I am very grateful to have had many experiential learning opportunities throughout my academic career, and I believe that this should become part of the core elements of higher education, beyond the lab component of an introductory science course. I think these learning opportunities will help students develop as thinkers, professionals, and individuals. I aspire to be a professor with a joint appointment in Cooperative Extension or some similar community engagement unit. I believe that as a professor, my major responsibilities will be teaching, learning, and mentoring. Although these three are not all I will have to do as a professor, I think these three duties are at the essence of the role of a faculty member.
As a teacher, I believe that it is important to think creatively about how to engage students in the learning process, such that they are empowered to use their agency in their learning. What I do not aspire to do is to spend years in the classroom imparting knowledge to my students via long lectures and assessing their comprehension through multiple choice exams. Though there may be times where this style is appropriate, I do not foresee it as being the best way to engage my students in learning about social and education program development and evaluation. I do think, however, that I have knowledge to share with my students, and I will work to employ innovative pedagogical strategies to engage my students in active learning. My goal as a teacher is not only to have my students learn the material and demonstrate their learning in various ways, but also to foster in them self-efficacy as competent learners and knowers. Another element of teaching extends beyond the classroom. One way I hope to do this is by offering community-based programs, classes, and workshops, in which community members can have access to research-based information in ways that are accessible and relevant to them. So, whether the focus is parenting education, nutrition, wellness, or learning a skill like evaluation, I hope my teaching extends outside of the university to the local community, and perhaps beyond. Another way to extend my teaching is through publications and presentations of various sorts—from academic to the general public. As a faculty member, I will work to publish in academic journals to continue to contribute to academia, but I will also work to publish handbooks, guides, and worksheets for use by practitioners, paraprofessionals, and community members. Another important element of my role as a faculty member will be learning. Although I am not sure that all faculty members see learning as one of their duties, I think a sustained commitment to learning will help inspire my research. I am also invested in collaborating with the community to do research, because I think that so much community knowledge is left untapped. Further, I think regarding myself as a learner, rather than just a teacher, will help facilitate my humility and engagement in the classroom. I really do believe that there is so much to learn out in the community, as well as from students. As a professor, a lifelong love of learning will be important in my having a thriving research program and a respect for knowledge outside of academic journals. Finally, a third major duty, or rather, honor, of being a professor is mentoring. As a first generation student and student of color, mentors have played an important role in my academic journey. Whether a student needs an academic mentor, a mentor who looks like her or him, a research mentor, or some combination of those, I sincerely believe that it is important that I “give back” by offering guidance and support, as well as serving as a role model. I see mentoring as separate from advising, though I could also mentor an advisee, and while I anticipate having very much on my professional “plate,” I am committed to making time for mentorship. Together, I believe teaching, learning, and mentoring will help me to be a successful, engaged, and caring faculty member. My future research interests include applied work in program evaluation. The national professional organization for the field of evaluation is the American Evaluation Association (AEA). The AEA has published a set of Guiding Principles, which serves as a set of ethics or code of conduct for the national community of evaluators. There are five main components of AEA's Guiding Principles, including, Systematic Inquiry, Competence, Integrity/ Honesty, Respect for People, and Responsibilities for General and Public Welfare. The AEA (2004) defines these principles as follows:
A. Systematic Inquiry: Evaluators conduct systematic, data-based inquiries about whatever is being evaluated. B. Competence: Evaluators provide competent performance to stakeholders. C. Integrity/Honesty: Evaluators ensure the honesty and integrity of the entire evaluation process. D. Respect for People: Evaluators respect the security, dignity and self-worth of the respondents, program participants, clients, and other stakeholders with whom they interact. E. Responsibilities for General and Public Welfare: Evaluators articulate and take into account the diversity of interests and values that may be related to the general and public welfare. I think that like in other fields, a code of ethics is crucial in evaluation work. Perhaps, due to the diverse, interdisciplinary nature of evaluation work, having a shared understanding of what is ethical and just is particularly important. Unlike "pure" research projects, evaluation work is contextual and political. In all evaluation work, there are stakeholders (at various levels, from micro to macro), who are interested in the outcomes of the evaluation. Therefore, evaluators must work to remain true to the data as well as true to the people. Although the Office of Research Integrity does not address evaluation ethics specifically, I have come across some thought-provoking scenarios presenting potential ethical challenges in evaluation work. For example, a program may not be shown to have positive effects via the data that were collected in an evaluation (especially if measures were prescribed by some external agency, but were not appropriate). Thus, the program may be at risk of being cut, even if there is evidence (say, more anecdotal) that the program has had positive effects in the community. In a situation like this one, in alignment with an evaluator's paradigm, s/he must balance the need to respect the data, the stakeholders, those involved in the program, and the general public. The root word in evaluation is value, and with values comes the issue of ethics. The first university mission statement I decided to explore was that of my Alma Mater, Cornell University. Cornell’s mission statement reads, “Cornell is a private, Ivy League university and the land-grant university for New York State. Cornell's mission is to discover, preserve, and disseminate knowledge; produce creative work; and promote a culture of broad inquiry throughout and beyond the Cornell community. Cornell also aims, through public service, to enhance the lives and livelihoods of our students, the people of New York, and others around the world”. Cornell’s mission statement strikes me as succinct, broad, and inspirational. However, I was surprised that the terms “science,” “research,” and “inclusion” did not appear directly in the mission statement (though inclusion is discussed in the vision statement). I think the statement alludes to scientific research by referring to the discovery, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge, and so on, but as a Research 1 university, I expected it to be more explicitly stated. Perhaps it is refreshing that the mission statement was not consumed by the notion of rigorous research. I was also surprised that the mission statement did not mention cultivating future leaders or contributing to positive social change (although the final sentence alludes to this notion by mentioning “public service”). I really appreciate Cornell’s reference to public service and think that this captures its mission as a land-grant institution.
The second mission statement I explored was that of Haverford College, the school I almost attended before settling on Cornell. Haverford’s mission statement, entitled the Statement of Purpose, reads, “Haverford College is committed to providing a liberal arts education in the broadest sense. This education, based on a rich academic curriculum at its core, is distinguished by a commitment to excellence and a concern for individual growth. Haverford has chosen to remain small and to foster close student/faculty relationships to achieve these objectives”. What struck me about this mission statement was that compared to Cornell’s, which seems to be rather macro level-focused, Haverford’s seems to be much more focused on the micro level—that is, on the individual students and faculty at this intentionally small college. Unlike Cornell, Haverford does not make mention of serving the local or broader community. However, I see much value in the attention Haverford’s statement gives to the individual and the importance of relationships. This exercise reinforced for me the importance of mission statements, as they must concisely convey the institution’s spirit and core objectives. |
PFP BloGI am working on completing the Preparing Future Professoriate (PFP) certificate. In this section of my blog, I will be posting about topics related to higher education. Archives
May 2015
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