KOSEN 한인과학기술자네트워크

Evaluation of progress and effectiveness of projects funded by the National Science Foundation's(NSF) Directorate for Education and Human Resources(EHR) has become increasingly important. The first publication, User-Friendly Handbook for Project Evaluation: Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology Education, isssued in 1993, describes the types of evaluations principal investigators/project directors(PIs/PDs) may be called upon to perform over the lifetime of a project. The current handbook,User-Friendly Handbook for Mixed Method Evaluations, builds on the first but seeks to introduce a broader perspective. It was initiated because of the recognition that by focusing primarily on quantitative techniques, evaluators may miss important parts of a story. Experienced evaluators have found that most often the best results are achieved through the use of mixed method evaluations, which combine quantitative and qualitative techniques. Because the earlier handbook did not include an indepth discussion of the collection and analysis of qualitative data, this handbook was initiated to provide more information on qualitative techniques and discuss how they can be combined effectively with quantitative measures. Like the earlier publication, this handbook is aimed at users who need practical rather than technically sophisticated advice about evaluation methodology. The main objective is to make PIs and PDs "evaluation smart" and to provide the knowledge needed for planning and managing useful evaluations.