| Session Title: Thinking Again About Evaluation Capacity-Building |
| Think Tank Session 262 to be held in Conference Room 13 on Thursday, Nov 3, 10:45 AM to 11:30 AM |
| Sponsored by the Extension Education Evaluation TIG |
| Presenter(s): |
| Autumn Guin, North Carolina State University, autumn_guin@ncsu.edu |
| Discussant(s): |
| Benjamin Silliman, North Carolina State University, ben_silliman@ncsu.edu |
| Abstract: This Think Tank will orient participants to the content and use of the 4-H National Evaluation for Impact Self-Assessment (SA) (Arnold, et al., 2008) used in capacity-building with community-based Extension professionals. Respondents tend to over-estimate skills at pre-test, then report lower skill levels at post-test following training and hands-on experience. Retrospective self-assessments generally result in lower estimates of initial skills and similar estimates (as pre/post assessment) of current skill. Qualitative comments from novice learners indicate unfamiliar with SA concepts, tendencies to rate on knowledge rather than skills, and to quickly lose skill competence without continued practice. Think Tank participants will explore 1) content validity of the SA; 2) potential refinements of the SA survey/resurvey procedure; 3) corroborative or alternative measures for evaluation capacity; 4) documentation for sustained vs. temporary skill mastery; and 5) links between individual and organizational capacity-building. |