The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.
Internet Surveys: Back to the Future
Internationally recognized survey expert Don Dillman discusses the advantages and limitations of conducting surveys via the Internet.
Evaluating a Literacy Program Using Web Surveys
Daniel Khimasia from Frontier College shares lessons learned from evaluating the administering of a literacy program using web surveys.
Empowerment Evaluation's Technological Tools of the Trade
David Fetterman, from the Schools of Medicine and Education at Stanford University, describes how technological tools can be integrated into the practice of empowerment evaluation.
New & Noteworthy
This section features an annotated list of papers, organizations, initiatives, and other resources related to the issue's theme of Harnessing Technology for Evaluation.
Harnessing Technology for Evaluation
This issue of The Evaluation Exchange explores the contribution of technology to evaluation practice, with articles centering on four key areas in which evaluators are using technology: data collection and analysis, collaboration, knowledge mobilization, and evaluation capacity building. Rounding out the issue is a special feature on the role technology plays in fostering youth civic engagement and in evaluating programs for youth.
Free. 28 Pages.
WIDE: Using Networked Technologies to Promote Professional Development
Stone Wiske and David Eddy Spicer, from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, describe the school's Wide-Scale Interactive Development for Educators program
New & Noteworthy: Expanded Web Only Version
This web only version of the New & Noteworthy section features an expanded annotated list of papers, organizations, initiatives, and other resources related to the issue's theme of Harnessing Technology for Evaluation.
Bringing Together Information Technology and Professional Development to Transform the Settlement Sector
Etagegnhue Woldeab and the Information and Technology team from the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants describe two web-based tools that are helping immigrant-serving agencies to operate more effectively.
A Conversation With Jonny Morell
Jonny Morell of the Altarum Institute discusses, among other things, the relationship between innovation and efficiency in technology application.
Girls Make the Message: Community Action Through the Girls Incorporated Lens
Faedra Lazar Weiss and Deborah Aubert describe a program in which young women use video production technology for community needs assessment and action.
Information Technology and Outcome Measurement at Girls Incorporated
PeiYao Chen discusses how information technology is used in outcome measurement at Girls Incorporated.
A Lens on Learning: Teaching Youth to Produce Documentaries
Steven Goodman, director of the Educational Video Center and author of Teaching Youth Media, describes a program that teaches media literacy and documentary production skills to youth in New York City, with an eye toward fostering civic engagement.
YouthLearn: Using Technology to Create Meaningful Learning Experiences for Youth
Tony Streit, from Education Development Center, discusses the challenges and potential rewards of using technology to enhance learning in both formal and informal settings.
The Child Trends DataBank: An Evolving Resource for Policymakers, Researchers, and Practitioner
Brett Brown, Kristin Moore, and Sharon Bzostek describe Child Trends' “one-stop data shop” for the latest indicators on child and youth well-being.
Making Voices Heard: Using Multimedia to Give Evaluation a Cutting Edge
Suresh Balakrishnan describes the use of multimedia to disseminate evaluation results in Bangalore, India.
Using Internet and Communications Technology to Foster Evaluation in Africa
Zenda Ofir and Jean-Charles Rouge reflect on how Internet-based communication strategies have contributed to building evaluation capacity in Africa.
From the Director's Desk
An introduction to the issue on Harnessing Technology for Evaluation by HFRP's Founder & Director, Heather B. Weiss, Ed.D.
Electronic Collaboration Tools: Opening Up a New World of Possibilities for Evaluators
Benoît Gauthier talks about the ways electronic collaboration tools are facilitating evaluation around the world.
Taking the Next Step: Harnessing the Power of Technology for Evaluation
Arnold Love, an internationally recognized independent consultant with more than 20 years' experience in evaluation and the guest editor of this issue, provides a conceptual map of the issue's theme
Software Programs for Nonprofit Evaluation
Erin Harris from HFRP provides an overview of software programs for nonprofit program evaluation.
Videotaped Interactions in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project
Rebecca Ryan, Christy Brady-Smith, and Jeanne Brooks-Gunn describe the use of videotapes in the national evaluation of Early Head Start.
The National Youth Participation Study: Using Online Surveys to Reach Large Numbers of Youth
Lynne Borden, from the University of Arizona, describes the use of online surveys in a national study of the out-of-school time activity participation of middle and high school youth.
Parental Involvement in Homework: A Review of Current Research and Its Implications for Teachers, After School Program Staff, and Parent Leaders
Parents often become involved in their children's education through homework. In 2001 research on parental involvement in children's homework was conducted (Hoover-Dempsey et al., 2001). The review focused on understanding why parents become involved in their children's homework, what strategies they employ, and how involvement contributes to student learning. In this paper, findings from the 2001 review suggest several ways in which schools can invite parents' involvement in homework.
Free. Available online only.
Math Teachers' Use of Class Websites to Support Parent Involvement
Interviews with 84 math teachers about the use of their class websites suggest that sites could be used more effectively to share information with parents and to support parent involvement.
Free. Available online only.
Adolescence: Are Parents Relevant to Students' High School Achievement and Post-Secondary Attainment?
Analysis of National Educational Longitudinal Study (NELS) data shows that parents' high educational expectations positively affect students' academic achievement in high school.
Free. Available online only.