Completing Your Evaluation Dissertation, Thesis, or Culminating Project

Tamara M. Walser - University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA
Michael S. Trevisan - Washington State University, USA
Completing Your Evaluation Dissertation, Thesis, or Culminating Project
August 2020 | 232 pages | Sage US
Create Flyer

If you’re in the Americas, please visit our Sage College Publishing website to purchase or sample this book:

Go to College Publishing Website

Description

This practical, user-friendly resource helps students successfully complete an evaluation capstone: a dissertation, thesis, or culminating project where a student conducts an evaluation as their capstone experience. Authors Tamara M. Walser and Michael S. Trevisan present a framework to support students and faculty in maximizing student development of evaluator competencies, addressing standards of the evaluation profession, and contributing to programs and disciplinary knowledge. Their framework, and this book, is organized by six fundamentals of evaluation practice: quality; stakeholders; understanding the program; values; approaches; and maximizing evaluation use. Throughout the book they use the metaphor of the journey to depict the processes and activities a student will experience as they navigate an evaluation capstone and the six fundamentals of evaluation practice. In pursuit of a completed capstone, students grow professionally and personally, and will be in a different place when they reach the destination and the capstone journey is complete.

Contents

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

About the Authors

PART 1: Essentials for Your Journey

  • Chapter 1 • The Evaluation Capstone
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • What Is Evaluation?
  • What Is an Evaluation Capstone?
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 2 • Working Productively With Your Committee
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • The Evaluation Capstone as a Process and a Product
  • Nontechnical Skills in Evaluation Education and Practice
  • Important Nontechnical Skills for Evaluation Capstones
  • Choosing a Capstone Chair and Committee Members
  • Communicating With Your Capstone Chair and Committee
  • Chapter Summary

PART 2: Navigating the Six Fundamentals of Evaluation Practice

  • Chapter 3 • Quality: Addressing Professional Evaluation Standards and Guidelines
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • What Are the Program Evaluation Standards?
  • Culturally Responsive Evaluation Practice
  • Evaluator Competencies
  • Other Guidance for Evaluation Practice
  • Meta-Evaluation of Your Evaluation Capstone
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 4 • Stakeholders: Working With an Evaluation Client and Other Program Stakeholders
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • Who Are Program Stakeholders?
  • Developing a Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Log
  • Elements of Effective Stakeholder Interactions
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 5 • Understanding: Developing Understanding of a Program
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • Why Does the Program Exist?
  • What Is the Program, and How Is It Intended to Work?
  • In What Context Does the Program Operate?
  • Conducting a Review of the Literature for Your Evaluation Capstone
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 6 • Values: Engaging Values Through Evaluation Purpose, Questions, and Criteria
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • Engaging Values
  • Evaluation Purpose Statement
  • Evaluation Questions
  • Evaluation Criteria
  • Remaining Flexible
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 7 • Approaches: Applying Evaluation Approaches
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • Evaluation Theories, Models, and Approaches
  • Taxonomies of Evaluation Approaches
  • Choosing an Evaluation Approach
  • The Relationship Between Evaluation Approach and Design
  • Developing the Evaluation Design
  • A Note About Validity and Trustworthiness for Evaluation
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 8 • Use: Maximizing Evaluation Use
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • Laying the Groundwork for Evaluation Use
  • Additional Ideas About Increasing Evaluation Use
  • Types of Evaluation Use
  • Developing Evaluation Findings and Recommendations
  • Developing an Evaluation Communication Plan
  • Evaluation Capstone Reporting Formats
  • Chapter Summary

References

References

Index

Index

Description

This practical, user-friendly resource helps students successfully complete an evaluation capstone: a dissertation, thesis, or culminating project where a student conducts an evaluation as their capstone experience. Authors Tamara M. Walser and Michael S. Trevisan present a framework to support students and faculty in maximizing student development of evaluator competencies, addressing standards of the evaluation profession, and contributing to programs and disciplinary knowledge. Their framework, and this book, is organized by six fundamentals of evaluation practice: quality; stakeholders; understanding the program; values; approaches; and maximizing evaluation use. Throughout the book they use the metaphor of the journey to depict the processes and activities a student will experience as they navigate an evaluation capstone and the six fundamentals of evaluation practice. In pursuit of a completed capstone, students grow professionally and personally, and will be in a different place when they reach the destination and the capstone journey is complete.

Contents

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

About the Authors

PART 1: Essentials for Your Journey

  • Chapter 1 • The Evaluation Capstone
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • What Is Evaluation?
  • What Is an Evaluation Capstone?
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 2 • Working Productively With Your Committee
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • The Evaluation Capstone as a Process and a Product
  • Nontechnical Skills in Evaluation Education and Practice
  • Important Nontechnical Skills for Evaluation Capstones
  • Choosing a Capstone Chair and Committee Members
  • Communicating With Your Capstone Chair and Committee
  • Chapter Summary

PART 2: Navigating the Six Fundamentals of Evaluation Practice

  • Chapter 3 • Quality: Addressing Professional Evaluation Standards and Guidelines
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • What Are the Program Evaluation Standards?
  • Culturally Responsive Evaluation Practice
  • Evaluator Competencies
  • Other Guidance for Evaluation Practice
  • Meta-Evaluation of Your Evaluation Capstone
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 4 • Stakeholders: Working With an Evaluation Client and Other Program Stakeholders
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • Who Are Program Stakeholders?
  • Developing a Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Log
  • Elements of Effective Stakeholder Interactions
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 5 • Understanding: Developing Understanding of a Program
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • Why Does the Program Exist?
  • What Is the Program, and How Is It Intended to Work?
  • In What Context Does the Program Operate?
  • Conducting a Review of the Literature for Your Evaluation Capstone
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 6 • Values: Engaging Values Through Evaluation Purpose, Questions, and Criteria
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • Engaging Values
  • Evaluation Purpose Statement
  • Evaluation Questions
  • Evaluation Criteria
  • Remaining Flexible
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 7 • Approaches: Applying Evaluation Approaches
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • Evaluation Theories, Models, and Approaches
  • Taxonomies of Evaluation Approaches
  • Choosing an Evaluation Approach
  • The Relationship Between Evaluation Approach and Design
  • Developing the Evaluation Design
  • A Note About Validity and Trustworthiness for Evaluation
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 8 • Use: Maximizing Evaluation Use
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • Laying the Groundwork for Evaluation Use
  • Additional Ideas About Increasing Evaluation Use
  • Types of Evaluation Use
  • Developing Evaluation Findings and Recommendations
  • Developing an Evaluation Communication Plan
  • Evaluation Capstone Reporting Formats
  • Chapter Summary

References

References

Index

Index

SAGE Publishing Logo

Completing Your Evaluation Dissertation, Thesis, or Culminating Project

Tamara M. Walser , Michael S. Trevisan
Cancel Print

August 2020 | 232 pages | Sage US

Format Published Date ISBN Price

This practical, user-friendly resource helps students successfully complete an evaluation capstone: a dissertation, thesis, or culminating project where a student conducts an evaluation as their capstone experience. Authors Tamara M. Walser and Michael S. Trevisan present a framework to support students and faculty in maximizing student development of evaluator competencies, addressing standards of the evaluation profession, and contributing to programs and disciplinary knowledge. Their framework, and this book, is organized by six fundamentals of evaluation practice: quality; stakeholders; understanding the program; values; approaches; and maximizing evaluation use. Throughout the book they use the metaphor of the journey to depict the processes and activities a student will experience as they navigate an evaluation capstone and the six fundamentals of evaluation practice. In pursuit of a completed capstone, students grow professionally and personally, and will be in a different place when they reach the destination and the capstone journey is complete.


Table Of Contents:

  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Authors
  • PART 1: Essentials for Your Journey
  • Chapter 1 • The Evaluation Capstone
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • What Is Evaluation?
  • What Is an Evaluation Capstone?
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 2 • Working Productively With Your Committee
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • The Evaluation Capstone as a Process and a Product
  • Nontechnical Skills in Evaluation Education and Practice
  • Important Nontechnical Skills for Evaluation Capstones
  • Choosing a Capstone Chair and Committee Members
  • Communicating With Your Capstone Chair and Committee
  • Chapter Summary
  • PART 2: Navigating the Six Fundamentals of Evaluation Practice
  • Chapter 3 • Quality: Addressing Professional Evaluation Standards and Guidelines
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • What Are the Program Evaluation Standards?
  • Culturally Responsive Evaluation Practice
  • Evaluator Competencies
  • Other Guidance for Evaluation Practice
  • Meta-Evaluation of Your Evaluation Capstone
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 4 • Stakeholders: Working With an Evaluation Client and Other Program Stakeholders
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • Who Are Program Stakeholders?
  • Developing a Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Log
  • Elements of Effective Stakeholder Interactions
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 5 • Understanding: Developing Understanding of a Program
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • Why Does the Program Exist?
  • What Is the Program, and How Is It Intended to Work?
  • In What Context Does the Program Operate?
  • Conducting a Review of the Literature for Your Evaluation Capstone
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 6 • Values: Engaging Values Through Evaluation Purpose, Questions, and Criteria
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • Engaging Values
  • Evaluation Purpose Statement
  • Evaluation Questions
  • Evaluation Criteria
  • Remaining Flexible
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 7 • Approaches: Applying Evaluation Approaches
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • Evaluation Theories, Models, and Approaches
  • Taxonomies of Evaluation Approaches
  • Choosing an Evaluation Approach
  • The Relationship Between Evaluation Approach and Design
  • Developing the Evaluation Design
  • A Note About Validity and Trustworthiness for Evaluation
  • Chapter Summary
  • Chapter 8 • Use: Maximizing Evaluation Use
  • Guiding Questions
  • Chapter Overview
  • Laying the Groundwork for Evaluation Use
  • Additional Ideas About Increasing Evaluation Use
  • Types of Evaluation Use
  • Developing Evaluation Findings and Recommendations
  • Developing an Evaluation Communication Plan
  • Evaluation Capstone Reporting Formats
  • Chapter Summary
  • References
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

"The book provides a more practical approach/guide for conducting program evaluation."
Augustine Hammond, Augusta University
"A superbly written and important treatise that fills a wide gap."
Katrin Anacker, George Mason University
“This is an excellent guide for students undertaking an evaluation capstone project.”
Amy Donley, University of Central Florida
I feel like I have co-teaching partners in the classroom using this text. This is a diverse resource to be used in a classroom setting or for individualized academic research advising for culminating projects.”
Frances Kayona, St. Cloud State University
“This text is a ‘must-have’ for the student who is conducting an evaluation dissertation study. It contains the essentials for developing a research rationale using the Program Evaluation Standards. It also combines the practical points of conducting a study with the academic requirements of completing a dissertation.”
John D. Tiller, Tennessee State University

Recommendations