Practice Makes Progress
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The document discusses reflective practice in evaluation training, emphasizing its significance for evaluators' personal growth, accountability, and professional development. It presents insights from students on their collaborative experiences during the training, highlighting the importance of teamwork, critical reflection, and continuous learning. The findings indicate a positive impact on communication and engagement, with quantitative data showing increased activity in online discussions.
![REFLECTIVE PRACTICEREFLECTIVE PRACTICE
• One of six essential competenciesOne of six essential competencies
• Relates to an evaluator’s awareness of personal expertise,Relates to an evaluator’s awareness of personal expertise,
need for growth, and engagement in professional developmentneed for growth, and engagement in professional development
““We learn more about ourselvesWe learn more about ourselves
throughout the process [ofthroughout the process [of
reflective practice] about ourreflective practice] about our
strengths, weaknesses, biases,strengths, weaknesses, biases,
etc.”etc.”
——StudentStudent](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/practicemakesprogressfinal-151029192949-lva1-app6892/85/Practice-Makes-Progress-2-320.jpg)
![OUR PROJECTOUR PROJECT
• Two classes over the course of one yearTwo classes over the course of one year
• Online discussion forumsOnline discussion forums
• Themed responses for reflective practice behaviorsThemed responses for reflective practice behaviors
““Patton is saying [that] we need to preventPatton is saying [that] we need to prevent
stagnant thoughts. Doing this reflectivestagnant thoughts. Doing this reflective
practice, thinking about what we have done,practice, thinking about what we have done,
and how to be stronger and all around better.”and how to be stronger and all around better.”
——StudentStudent](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/practicemakesprogressfinal-151029192949-lva1-app6892/85/Practice-Makes-Progress-4-320.jpg)
![QUESTIONS/UNCERTAINTIESQUESTIONS/UNCERTAINTIES
““What do you think could happen if the description you
What do you think could happen if the description you
come up with for the evaluand is not what *some*
come up with for the evaluand is not what *some*
stakeholders expected? How do we facilitate that
stakeholders expected? How do we facilitate that
discussion?”
discussion?”
““How involved SHOULD
How involved SHOULD
[stakeholders] be in this
[stakeholders] be in thisprocess?”
process?”
““Now
Now
what?”
what?”
““How are evaluators certain
How are evaluators certain
of what to measure, or that
of what to measure, or that
what we are measuring is
what we are measuring is
correct?”
correct?”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/practicemakesprogressfinal-151029192949-lva1-app6892/85/Practice-Makes-Progress-11-320.jpg)
Practice Makes Progress
- 1. PROGRESS:PROGRESS: REFLECTIONS OFREFLECTIONS OF EVALUATORS IN TRAININGEVALUATORS IN TRAINING AND SIGNIFICANCE TOAND SIGNIFICANCE TO THE FIELDTHE FIELD Karl Lipovsek, Steven Christiansen, Cortney Sabin, Jack Lazorik,Karl Lipovsek, Steven Christiansen, Cortney Sabin, Jack Lazorik, and Tiffany Smithand Tiffany Smith University of Wisconsin—StoutUniversity of Wisconsin—Stout
- 2. REFLECTIVE PRACTICEREFLECTIVE PRACTICE • One of six essential competenciesOne of six essential competencies • Relates to an evaluator’s awareness of personal expertise,Relates to an evaluator’s awareness of personal expertise, need for growth, and engagement in professional developmentneed for growth, and engagement in professional development ““We learn more about ourselvesWe learn more about ourselves throughout the process [ofthroughout the process [of reflective practice] about ourreflective practice] about our strengths, weaknesses, biases,strengths, weaknesses, biases, etc.”etc.” ——StudentStudent
- 3. COLLABORATIVE REFLECTIVECOLLABORATIVE REFLECTIVE PRACTICEPRACTICE • Useful in classroom contextUseful in classroom context • Students share ideas with each otherStudents share ideas with each other • Explore ideas outside of classroom settingExplore ideas outside of classroom setting ““Reflective practice involves a willingness to actively participate in aReflective practice involves a willingness to actively participate in a perpetual growing process requiring ongoing critical reflection on bothperpetual growing process requiring ongoing critical reflection on both classroom practices and core beliefs” (Larrivee, 2010, p. 293-307).classroom practices and core beliefs” (Larrivee, 2010, p. 293-307).
- 4. OUR PROJECTOUR PROJECT • Two classes over the course of one yearTwo classes over the course of one year • Online discussion forumsOnline discussion forums • Themed responses for reflective practice behaviorsThemed responses for reflective practice behaviors ““Patton is saying [that] we need to preventPatton is saying [that] we need to prevent stagnant thoughts. Doing this reflectivestagnant thoughts. Doing this reflective practice, thinking about what we have done,practice, thinking about what we have done, and how to be stronger and all around better.”and how to be stronger and all around better.” ——StudentStudent
- 5. OUR PROJECTOUR PROJECT • What we will beWhat we will be discussing…discussing… • Themes discoveredThemes discovered • Relation to reflectiveRelation to reflective practicepractice • Importance to studentImportance to student learninglearning • All quotes from this point onAll quotes from this point on are from fellow studentsare from fellow students unless otherwise notedunless otherwise noted
- 6. META EVALUATIONMETA EVALUATION ““Without checking on our ownWithout checking on our own evaluation skills, there would be noevaluation skills, there would be no accountability for error. Noaccountability for error. No accountability would beaccountability would be devastating to the field, because ifdevastating to the field, because if we were no longer viewed aswe were no longer viewed as evaluation experts, who wouldevaluation experts, who would be?”be?” ““The struggles of keeping true to theThe struggles of keeping true to the research results, and conveying themresearch results, and conveying them to a group who has stake in theto a group who has stake in the project is a topic I'll continue toproject is a topic I'll continue to investigate, as I know my future workinvestigate, as I know my future work will involve these moments of concernwill involve these moments of concern or disagreement.”or disagreement.”
- 7. META EVALUATIONMETA EVALUATION ““Nobody will want to hire anNobody will want to hire an evaluator whose knowledge won'tevaluator whose knowledge won't help solve a problem. This is whyhelp solve a problem. This is why meta evaluation is super important:meta evaluation is super important: to stay current with changingto stay current with changing times.”times.” ““As knowledge seekers, we areAs knowledge seekers, we are continuously learning newer,continuously learning newer, innovative approaches so that we willinnovative approaches so that we will be the best evaluators we can be forbe the best evaluators we can be for our stakeholders, throughour stakeholders, through professional developmentprofessional development opportunities, reflective practices, andopportunities, reflective practices, and meta-evaluations.”meta-evaluations.”
- 8. COLLABORATIONCOLLABORATION ““My group has come up with aMy group has come up with a pretty KICK ASS evaluationpretty KICK ASS evaluation plan and project only to have itplan and project only to have it knocked down and changedknocked down and changed probably over 40 times andprobably over 40 times and sometimes we go back to thesometimes we go back to the original way or even come uporiginal way or even come up with new ideas we thoughtwith new ideas we thought were impossible in the firstwere impossible in the first place.”place.” ““The most positive aspect of this projectThe most positive aspect of this project so far is having teammates to bounceso far is having teammates to bounce ideas off of and keep our attitudesideas off of and keep our attitudes upbeat even when things take a turn forupbeat even when things take a turn for the worst.”the worst.” ““It has been fun, although at timesIt has been fun, although at times challenging, to collaborate and reallychallenging, to collaborate and really listen and understand one another inlisten and understand one another in order to make a decision on how toorder to make a decision on how to move forward. This is one of mymove forward. This is one of my favorite parts of group work.”favorite parts of group work.”
- 9. COLLABORATIONCOLLABORATION ““I always feel that when weI always feel that when we really listen to each other, andreally listen to each other, and build off each others ideas, webuild off each others ideas, we ultimately end up with a betterultimately end up with a better idea than one of us couldidea than one of us could have come up with on ourhave come up with on our own.”own.” ““It is cool to be working withIt is cool to be working with individuals who have strong workindividuals who have strong work ethics and WANT to succeed andethics and WANT to succeed and gain as much knowledge asgain as much knowledge as possible.”possible.” ““Our group has done a good job delegatingOur group has done a good job delegating work to individuals and then coming togetherwork to individuals and then coming together to finalize things with consensus. I feel liketo finalize things with consensus. I feel like we've learned a lot about the benefits of thiswe've learned a lot about the benefits of this collaboration in planning an evaluation.”collaboration in planning an evaluation.”
- 10. LEARNINGLEARNING ““The most positiveThe most positive experience I have gottenexperience I have gotten out of the evaluation hasout of the evaluation has been going from a positionbeen going from a position of confusion and disarray,of confusion and disarray, to getting a hold of theto getting a hold of the situation and developing asituation and developing a plan that is do-able.”plan that is do-able.” ““I now see the importanceI now see the importance evaluation utilization has for theevaluation utilization has for the evaluator, stakeholders,evaluator, stakeholders, program, organization, andprogram, organization, and pretty much anyone else whopretty much anyone else who comes in any proximity of thecomes in any proximity of the project.”project.”
- 11. QUESTIONS/UNCERTAINTIESQUESTIONS/UNCERTAINTIES ““What do you think could happen if the description you What do you think could happen if the description you come up with for the evaluand is not what *some* come up with for the evaluand is not what *some* stakeholders expected? How do we facilitate that stakeholders expected? How do we facilitate that discussion?” discussion?” ““How involved SHOULD How involved SHOULD [stakeholders] be in this [stakeholders] be in thisprocess?” process?” ““Now Now what?” what?” ““How are evaluators certain How are evaluators certain of what to measure, or that of what to measure, or that what we are measuring is what we are measuring is correct?” correct?”
- 12. INTROSPECTIONINTROSPECTION ““I love running stats andI love running stats and making interpretations out ofmaking interpretations out of them. I am however notthem. I am however not looking forward to datalooking forward to data collection because it's not fun,collection because it's not fun, based off my previousbased off my previous experiences, and the highexperiences, and the high attrition rate of e-mail surveysattrition rate of e-mail surveys really scares me.”really scares me.” ““I was naive to think thatI was naive to think that evaluations are almost alwaysevaluations are almost always going to be straightforward.going to be straightforward. Sometimes the client and theSometimes the client and the evaluator will not be on the rightevaluator will not be on the right track.”track.” ““I think I have always had the frame of mind to useI think I have always had the frame of mind to use the results of an evaluation.”the results of an evaluation.”
- 13. LOOKING BACKLOOKING BACK ““It would be difficult for us asIt would be difficult for us as professionals to learn and grow ifprofessionals to learn and grow if we refuse to reflect on what wewe refuse to reflect on what we could have done to make thecould have done to make the process smoother and so on.”process smoother and so on.” ““If I were to travel back in time IIf I were to travel back in time I would impart some of the perspectivewould impart some of the perspective that we all have gained up to thisthat we all have gained up to this point about what realisticpoint about what realistic expectations for the project are. - Ourexpectations for the project are. - Our expectations, the client expectations,expectations, the client expectations, how to collect data from this group,how to collect data from this group, time management skills, propertime management skills, proper distribution of the work, clearer plansdistribution of the work, clearer plans for group work, perhaps a system tofor group work, perhaps a system to encourage participation. There areencourage participation. There are dozens of things.”dozens of things.”
- 14. LOOKING BACKLOOKING BACK ““In retrospect, simulating the use of theIn retrospect, simulating the use of the evaluation findings would have been aevaluation findings would have been a great idea to help us bridge any gap thatgreat idea to help us bridge any gap that might have been missing between whatmight have been missing between what our stakeholder might have wanted out ofour stakeholder might have wanted out of the evaluation and what we think shethe evaluation and what we think she wants.”wants.” ““Retrospectively, I think aRetrospectively, I think a conversation with PIUs would haveconversation with PIUs would have been helpful, but it may havebeen helpful, but it may have widened the scope again to outsidewidened the scope again to outside of what we are able to do under timeof what we are able to do under time pressure.”pressure.”
- 15. QUANTITATIVE DATAQUANTITATIVE DATA Data showed a 22%Data showed a 22% increase in posts readincrease in posts read
- 16. QUANTITATIVE DATAQUANTITATIVE DATA 38% increase in38% increase in replies madereplies made between the 2between the 2 semesterssemesters
- 19. BUT WHY?BUT WHY? ““When building a spaceWhen building a space ship you want preciseship you want precise instruments. Wheninstruments. When evaluating the teamevaluating the team that makes thethat makes the spaceship, you will alsospaceship, you will also need precise tools.need precise tools. Serious reflectiveSerious reflective practice and metapractice and meta evaluation help honeevaluation help hone these tools.”these tools.”
- 20. Karl LipovsekKarl Lipovsek lipovsekk0945@my.uwstout.edulipovsekk0945@my.uwstout.edu Steven ChristiansenSteven Christiansen christiansens0100@my.uwstout.educhristiansens0100@my.uwstout.edu Cortney SabinCortney Sabin sabinc0621@my.uwstout.edusabinc0621@my.uwstout.edu Jack LazorikJack Lazorik lazorikj9091@my.uwstout.edulazorikj9091@my.uwstout.edu
Editor's Notes
- #20: The tools that shape us as evaluators are our minds, our abilities to reflect. To learn from what we have done, where we have gone, and plan where our next stop is. We are improvement seekers.