| Roundtable: Evaluation and Learning: Accomplishing Both Through the Conduct of a Needs Assessment |
| Roundtable Presentation 559 to be held in Federal Hill Suite on Friday, November 9, 10:20 AM to 11:05 AM |
| Presenter(s): |
| Katye Perry, Oklahoma State University, katye.perry@okstate.edu |
| Mwarumba Mwavita, Oklahoma State University, mwavita@okstate.edu |
| Chin-Huey Lee, Oklahoma State University, chin.lee@okstate.edu |
| Tammi Mitchell, Oklahoma State University, tjenx@aol.com |
| Donell Barnett, Oklahoma State University, donell.barnett@okstate.edu |
| Abstract: A team of evaluators agreed to conduct a needs assessment for a local counseling agency. The impetus behind this agreement was twofold: foremost, to fulfill the request from the agency; and secondly to provide an opportunity for three doctoral students to participate in an actual evaluation project. What emerged was a tripartite cooperative learning experience with unexpected shifts in the roles of “teacher” and “learner.” In keeping with the conference theme, insights emerged that answered the following questions: What does it mean to learn from and about evaluation processes and outcomes?; Who else is involved in the process of learning from evaluation in different contexts and how?; and, What kinds of evaluation designs and approaches maximize which kinds of learning from and about evaluation? The answer to each question has implications for the teaching of evaluation. |