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Session Title: Enhancing Evaluation and Evaluation Practice Using Web 2.0
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Panel Session 453 to be held in Panzacola Section F2 on Friday, Nov 13, 9:15 AM to 10:45 AM
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Sponsored by the Independent Consulting TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| Amy Germuth, EvalWorks LLC, agermuth@mindspring.com
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| Abstract:
As technology advances, more tools are becoming available that have the potential to positively change the way evaluators work In this panel evaluators will share their professional insights on using Web 2.0 tools to enhance the evaluations they conduct and their own evaluation practices and skills. Panelists will describe ways in which they are using Web 2.0 tools to conduct virtual world evaluations and improve data collection, evaluation management, and client communication. Lessons learned will be shared and discussions will focus on the pros and cons of these various methods and tools in the context of evaluation. The impact of Web 2.0 tools and resources on evaluation as a discipline and practice will be explored with the intent of identifying further ways that technology can advance evaluation.
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Adobe Connect Professional: Maximizing Use of the Web in Evaluation Practice
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| Bianca Montrosse, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, bmontros@serve.org
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As technology advances, more tools are becoming available that have the potential to positively change the way evaluators work. Adobe Connect Professional is one such tool. This web-based communication software has been used for several years in the business and education sectors for training, marketing and sales, and collaboration. This presentation will provide an overview of Adobe Connect Professional, with special attention paid to how it can be used to enhance evaluation practice and the potential benefits of that use. Specific examples of Adobe Connect Professional use, grounded in real evaluations that have been or are currently being conducted, will be provided.
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Exploring the Utility of Virtual World Evaluations: Opportunities for Teaching, Training, and Collaboration
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| Anne Hewitt, Seton Hall University, hewittan@shu.edu
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Interactive digital learning environments, known as virtual worlds, are quickly being integrated into contemporary society's educational, professional and social networking options. Virtual worlds have been tailored to meet the needs of individual populations and are being used as platforms for teaching, training, collaboration and evaluation. Evaluations conducted using these virtual platforms can be very economical and often provide real-time feedback. Requirements for "in-world" assessments are being encouraged by technology stakeholders as well as virtual designers, educators and learners. The primary purpose of this session is to explore the various opportunities for evaluation within a virtual world environment. Suggestions for appropriate design and methodologies will be presented along with specific examples from direct applications of virtual world assessments. Lessons learned and best practices for planning and integrating virtual world evaluation will be shared.
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It's the Little Things...Making Web 2.0 Work for You: From Desktop to Pocket
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| Geri Lynn Peak, Two Gems Consulting Services, geri@twogemsconsulting.com
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There's a lot of cool stuff on the World Wide Web, more for entertainment than productivity, sure. But that's changing as people dream up new ways to harness the power of interconnectivity. Web technology has taken an evolutionary leap and is now a place to create, innovate, store, manage, interact with and reflect on every aspect of life. More than that, the web has come off the desk and out of the laptop to kick-start our mobile devices. "What's out there and how can it help a humble evaluator get the most out of their day," you ask? There's a ton of useful applications and services, but for me it's the little things, tools that help handle important, mundane tasks are changing everything from how I communicate with clients to collecting data. And many are free. Want to know more? I'll show some of the best and tell where to find the rest!
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The Wiki Way: Engaging Stakeholders in Meaningful Discussions and Collaborations
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| Amy Germuth, EvalWorks LLC, agermuth@mindspring.com
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A wiki is a webpage or collection of webpages that users may access to contribute to or modify content. Described by the developer of the first wiki software as "the simplest online database that could possibly work", wikis are regularly being used to promote knowledge and information exchange, as in the case of Wikipedia, probably currently the best known wiki. The presenter will describe her use of wikis within the context of evaluation to better engage multiple and diverse stakeholders in the exploration of their program and evaluation findings, and to build their evaluation capacity. The author will identify further uses of wikis in evaluation and discuss reasons why collaborative tools are so underused and ways to increase their use and value in evaluation.
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