Practice Makes Progress Powerpoint Presentation for AEA 2015. This presentation focuses of the benefits of students engaging in reflective practice.

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