Course code:

ED5018

Level:

A - Advanced

Class size limit:

5

Lab fee:

30

Typically offered:

Upon occasion

Educational programs strive to improve access, conditions, and quality of education for a variety of individuals, groups, and communities. Not-for-profit organizations and educational institutions target a variety of objectives, not limited to the following: broaden access to early childhood education; strengthen health and nutrition education; prevent school violence; foster youth empowerment and resilience; support and advocate for LGBTQI students; promote adult literacy; raise awareness of domestic violence; facilitate integration of immigrants and language minorities; provide resources and assistance for migrant workers and their families; innovate museum-based art education; integrate garden- or farm-based education; individualize teacher education; collaborate with schools for leadership development. This course pivots around the central questions: How do we know that a program is achieving its intended outcomes? What processes facilitate or impede the program’s objectives? Students will learn the principles and practices of qualitative research methods to determine whether and how well an educational program accomplishes its mission through collaborating on the evaluation of a regional rural education project. The major objective of the course is to develop skills in document analysis, participant-observation, questionnaire design, and interviewing. Students will work closely and extensively (over the course of two months) with an existing program and undertake all phases of a program evaluation: planning, data collection, data analysis, and reporting. Evaluation will be based on class participation, four analytic memos, an oral presentation on a program evaluation design for an individual project, and a co-authored draft report of a program evaluation. 

Prerequisites:

Prior coursework in education, ethnography, or statistics recommended; permission of instructor.

Always visit the Registrar's Office for the official course catalog and schedules.