I have now read for EdTech 5050 the last three chapters of the book:
Boulmetis, J., Dutwin, P. (2005). The ABCs of evaluation: timeless techniques for program and project managers. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
The authors insist on the differentiation between evaluation and research. Evaluation is a process of data collection aiming to better understand the process involved in programs, while research is a process of searching for relationship among data, using the scientific method, aiming to expand knowledge in a professional field. Although the difference seems clear to me, I can not immediately see its practical use.
Different kinds of sampling are defined, such as probability sampling methods (including simple random selection, stratified random selection, systematic random sample, cluster random sample, and multistage random sample) and nonprobability sampling methods (including judgment sample, quota sample, and purposive sample). I must confess that the difference among those concepts is not immediately clear to me, although I believe my intuitional knowledge might be enough when choosing a sampling method for an evaluation or researhc. I hope I have a chance to test my suspicion in a practical case.
While preparing an Evaluation and Research Glossary, I had to work with concepts that are regularly used in the literature but were not so clear to me, such as: anecdotal data, emic versus etic, grounded theory, longitudinal study, meta-analysis, triangulation, and the different senses of validity. In these cases, the exercise of searching for meanings in different sources and elaborating my own meaning helped me to reflect about these concepts, and the level of retention of knowledge was though probably higher than if I had just looked at ready definitions.
At this point, I am eager to put in practice all the concepts presented during Module 1 of the course in a real life evaluation case.
