Planning a responsive evaluation: Establishing solid partnerships by clarifying expectations and purpose,part 2

For evaluation to be worth the resources it consumes, it must enable decision makers to make sound decisions based on relevant, reliable, and valid data that lead to improved performance. It is from here that all evaluation efforts stem. All components of the evaluation must be aligned with the objectives and expectations that the organization and its stakeholders value and the decisions that will have to be made as a result of the evaluation findings. These decisions should be concerned with how to measurably improve performance at all levels of the organization. This article, the second of a two‐part series on evaluation (see Guerra‐López, 2007b, for part 1), describes how to create a responsive evaluation through the identification of stakeholders and expectations as a first and fundamental step.     

Effects of multiple context and cumulative stress on urban children's adjustment in elementary school

Using longitudinal data collected over 2 years on a sample of 2,745 urban elementary school children (1st-6th graders, ages 6-11 years) from economically disadvantaged communities, effects of stressful experiences within 3 contexts (school, family, neighborhood), cumulative stress, and multiple context stress on 3 indices of children's adjustment (achievement, depression, and aggression) were examined. All 3 stressor contexts were related contemporaneously and longitudinally to negative outcomes across adjustment measures, with differential paths in each predictive model. Cumulative stress was linearly related to increases in adjustment problems but multiple context stress was not related to problematic adjustment beyond effects of cumulative stress alone. The important influence of life events stress on children's adjustment in disadvantaged communities is discussed.     

Towards teaching analytics: a contextual model for analysis of students’ evaluation of teaching through text mining and machine learning classification

Education and Information Technologies - Recent trends in educational technology have led to emergence of methods such as teaching analytics (TA) in understanding and management of the...     

History, Philosophy, and Science in a Social Perspective: A Pedagogical Project

Various studies have promoted instruction in the history and philosophy of science (HPS) in science classes, but the best way of putting this perspective into practice remains undetermined. To contribute to this issue, we developed a pedagogical project in some high schools in Brazil that aimed to present science content using an historical–philosophical approach focusing on the HPS from a social perspective. The content was developed broadly, highlighting the dialogues between science and the cultures in which scientific knowledge was accumulated. The results of the first stage of project implementation show that some strategies efficiently encouraged student discussion about science using an historical–philosophical approach. One successful strategy was the use of artistic material, such as movies and plays. The creative language and images in these elements allowed teachers to broaden historical–philosophical discussions without compromising science content. This project shows that a social approach to the HPS stimulates interdisciplinary discussions in science classes, enabling students to reflect on the nature of science.     

POGIL in the Calculus Classroom

In this paper, we will describe the experience of the authors in using process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) in calculus at four institutions across the USA. We will briefly examine how POGIL compares to and fits in with other kinds of inquiry-based learning approaches. In particular, we will first discuss the unique structure of a POGIL activity, which includes a model and a learning cycle of specific types of questions. We then turn to a discussion of the particular characteristics of a classroom implementation of a POGIL activity, including facilitation strategies an instructor might use, the importance of specified student roles in groups, and different ways of reporting out. Finally, we provide some preliminary data on student pass rates in non-POGIL and POGIL calculus classrooms in the participating institutions. Throughout the paper, we use examples from student dialogues as groups were working through POGIL activities developed for Calculus I by the authors.     

Sociocultural influences on science and on science identities

Angela Chapman and Allan Feldman (2016) conducted a study that aimed to exam how a group of diverse urban high school students were affected by the participation in a contextually based authentic science experience. The analysis of all data led the authors to conclude that the experience of authentic science positively influenced the science identity of students and promoted a shift in perceptions from stereotypical to more diverse views of scientists. For the purpose of this forum paper, we concentrated on the unexpected results of Hispanic students in the IAS instrument. In the authors’ interpretation, Hispanic students were classified as non science identities because they do not feel recognized as a particular kind of student in that school, being possibly more marginalized than other students. We tried to expand the discussion bringing the contribution of a sociocultural approach of science construction and of science identity to enrich some of the issues involved. Our concise analysis does not allow conclusions about the Hispanic students’ results, but we believe it helped to understand sociocultural problems involved in their science identity and to reveal the inequality in science production as one of these problems.     

Educational Planning and Social Responsibility: Eleven Years of Mega Planning at the Sonora Institute of Technology (ITSON)

ABSTRACT The Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora (ITSON), a public and autonomous university in Cuidad Obregon, Sonora in Mexico has, since its inception, maintained a commitment to society and public service. To transform this commitment into valued results, it has used Mega Planning as its framework over the last eleven years. This article illustrates the impact an educational institution can have through a strategic planning and implementation approach that is focused on measurable objectives, the appropriate processes and activities, and the required resources for the development of its region (i.e., students and their environment). The article will begin with a brief background of the institution, its strategic approach, the subsequent curriculum and organization reform, and finally four key strategic programs that have had a positive social impact in the region: The Integrated Community Development Program; ITSON‐Consulting; Masters in Agribusiness; and the Software Factory.