Date: Sunday, May 11, 2025
Hello, AEA365 community! Liz DiLuzio here, Lead Curator of the blog. This week is Individuals Week, which means we take a break from our themed weeks and spotlight the Hot Tips, Cool Tricks, Rad Resources and Lessons Learned from any evaluator interested in sharing. Would you like to contribute to future individuals weeks? Email me at AEA365@eval.org with an idea or a draft and we will make it happen.
Hello! We are David Fetterman, Paul St. Roseman, and David Fetterman II. David Fetterman is a past president of the American Evaluation Association and the president of Fetterman & Associates, an international evaluation consulting firm. He is also on the faculty of Claremont Graduate University and the Pacifica Graduate Institute.
Paul is a former student of David Fetterman at Stanford University. He is the founder and owner of Data Use Consulting Group, an independent evaluation agency, and the Chief Information and Technology Officer at Reach University. David and Paul are currently collaborating on the evaluation of The Just Trust, a $350 million initiative funded by Chan Zuckerberg to reform the criminal justice system.
David Fetterman II is a sophomore at Northwestern University, majoring in engineering. He also uses Ray Ban Meta glasses.
Ray-Ban Meta Glasses are revolutionizing the way we collect and interact with visual data. With just a click on the frame, the glasses capture photos and videos, facilitate communication through voice commands (sending pictures, videos, and text messages), and even translate text and live conversations. By simply looking at a menu or sign, you can ask the glasses to translate it, or you can listen to a speaker and request live translation.
These glasses are non-intrusive—unlike their more powerful predecessor, Google Glass—and they look stylish, which is crucial for adoption. People are more likely to use technology that looks good and fits seamlessly into their daily lives.
Ray-Ban Meta Glasses are incredibly useful for sharing images and videos with team members while working on multisite evaluations. For example, if you are unable to accompany a team member on site, you can ask them to show you what they’re seeing in real time, providing immediate insights. For details about how Ray-Ban Meta Glasses can be used in your evaluation work, to follow are some ways that David has recently used his.
Just last week, I [David] was driving when I had an idea for a survey to gather The Just Trust evaluation team’s feedback on their progress. Given the time-sensitive nature of this task, I used the glasses to send a remote, hands-free alternative to a traditional (and logistically complicated) live empowerment evaluation exercise. I was able to send Paul a short video showing that I was in transit and unavailable for a longer conversation. This allowed me to share my idea quickly and hands-free, and Paul responded in real time.
Ray-Ban Meta Glasses also serve as a hands-free thought partner when I’m on the move—whether walking downtown, driving, or sitting in a coffee shop. They are far less obtrusive than a person on speakerphone in public, yet I can ask it to search the web on topics such as “what is empowerment evaluation?” and explore its application in various settings, like hospitals. The glasses offer real-time feedback with minimal sound bleed into the public environment.
Additionally, the glasses are invaluable for translation. They can translate French, Spanish, and Italian into English, which is especially useful in my international work. They also allow me to read and translate text in other languages in real time.
These glasses also make great conversation starters in focus groups or during facilitation sessions. When taking pictures with program or community members (with permission), they help capture natural shots, unlike traditional cameras or phones, which often result in posed images.
While the cost is slightly higher than regular designer sunglasses, the functionality—including a camera, microphone, speakers, and internet access—makes it a powerful tool for evaluation. You can even enjoy high-quality music while waiting for the next interview.
Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org . aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators. The views and opinions expressed on the AEA365 blog are solely those of the original authors and other contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of the American Evaluation Association, and/or any/all contributors to this site.