EDER 602 Grp 4 LT4

Summary

The Riverwatch program, a non-profit initiative in Alberta, engages students in hands-on environmental science education through river rafting experiences. The school program, focusing on science floats, aligns with the Alberta curriculum for grades 8 to 12, fostering active learning and promoting environmental stewardship. With over 150,000 participants, it offers specialized lab equipment, professional guidance, and an online database for data sharing. This evaluation aims to assess the program's effectiveness in inspiring students and teachers to protect water resources, considering cultural, social, and political contexts while adhering to ethical standards.

Takeaways

• 🌊 Riverwatch is a non-profit organization focused on engaging the community in protecting Alberta's watersheds through education and river experiences.
• 🏫 The Riverwatch school program takes students out of the classroom and onto the river for hands-on learning in ecology, geology, engineering, and environmental science.
• 📈 With over 150,000 participants, the program aligns with the Alberta program of studies for grades 8 to 12, emphasizing hands-on data collection and water quality monitoring.
• 🔬 Students engage in scientific methods to understand ecosystem dynamics and the effects of human impact on these ecosystems.
• 💼 The program offers specialized lab equipment, professional river guides, active learning through rafting, and access to an online database for sharing findings.
• 🎯 The long-term outcomes for Riverwatch include fostering environmental stewardship, retaining staff, growing community presence, and improving water quality for wildlife and recreation.
• 🤝 Key stakeholders include Riverwatch staff, funding partners, the volunteer board of directors, and secondary school teachers, students, and parents in Alberta.
• 🌐 A logic model was created for Riverwatch to clarify stakeholders and evaluation objectives, starting with the program goal of motivating participants to manage water quality.
• 📊 The evaluation plan considers different levels of stakeholder participation and their power to implement or affect the evaluation outcome.
• 🌳 The program's context includes organizational, social, and political factors, with support from various government levels but lacking indigenous perspectives.
• 📝 The evaluation will use a mixed methods approach, integrating qualitative and quantitative data to provide a comprehensive understanding of the program's effectiveness.
• 📋 Ethical considerations for the evaluation include respect, relevance, reciprocity, responsibility, informed consent, privacy, and cultural sensitivity.

Q & A

What is the primary mission of the Riverwatch program?

The primary mission of the Riverwatch program is to engage the community in understanding, monitoring, and protecting Alberta's watersheds through urban river experiences and water education programs, inspiring Albertans to become active stewards of the province's rivers.

How does the Riverwatch program align with the Alberta Program of Studies for science students?

The Riverwatch program's school science floats are designed to align with both its mission and the Alberta Program of Studies for grades 8 to 12, allowing students to engage in hands-on data collection and water quality monitoring, which helps them understand ecosystem dynamics and the effects of human impact.

What are the three main elements of the Riverwatch program?

The three main elements of the Riverwatch program are school programs, eco-flats, and the Creek Watch River monitoring initiative.

How many participants has the Riverwatch program had to date?

To date, the Riverwatch program has had over 150,000 participants.

What are the four key benefits provided to schools by the Riverwatch program?

The four key benefits provided to schools by the Riverwatch program are access to specialized lab equipment, the expertise of professional river guides, the thrill of active learning through rafting adventures, and access to an online database where they can share their findings.

What is the main question that students aim to answer during the Riverwatch program?

The main question that students aim to answer during the Riverwatch program is 'How healthy is our River?', applying scientific methods to develop a shared understanding of ecosystem dynamics.

How does the Riverwatch program contribute to long-term environmental assessments?

RiverWatch students contribute to 50 days of field research each year, gathering vital physical, chemical, and biological data. This comprehensive collection, spanning years across numerous rivers, forms a robust assessment of river health and human impact in Alberta.

What is the logic model for Riverwatch, and what are the long-term outcomes it aims to achieve?

The logic model for Riverwatch begins with the program goal where participants are motivated to protect and manage water quality for the benefit of wildlife, safe drinking water, and recreation. The long-term outcomes for Riverwatch are that students demonstrate interest, motivation, and commitment to environmental stewardship, teachers become long-term partners, staff are retained for future seasons, community presence grows, and plants and animals benefit from improved water quality.

What are the four key stakeholder groups identified within the Riverwatch science float program?

The four key stakeholder groups identified within the Riverwatch science float program are Riverwatch staff (permanent and seasonal positions), funding partners (including government and private organizations), the volunteer Riverwatch Institute board of directors, and teachers, students, and parents from secondary school settings within Alberta.

How does the Riverwatch program address the cultural context of its programming?

The Riverwatch program believes in hands-on inquiry-based learning and equal access for all participants. However, it does not currently include indigenous views on water use, which could be beneficial as indigenous perspectives are an integral aspect of Alberta and Canada's identity. Including indigenous voices and ways of knowing in their programming could enhance the cultural context of the program.

What is the evaluation approach used for the Riverwatch program, and what are the five objectives guiding this evaluation?

The evaluation approach used for the Riverwatch program is objectives-based, using Stufflebeam's context input process product (CIP) model to guide the design. The five objectives guiding this evaluation are to document stakeholder perception and satisfaction, document changes in student understanding connected to ecology and curriculum coverage, examine teacher development related to the Riverwatch program, provide a comprehensive look at these objectives, and to determine if the program is meeting its goals.

What mixed methods approach does the Riverwatch program evaluation use, and what are the three primary purposes of the data collected?

The Riverwatch program evaluation uses a mixed methods approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative data. The three primary purposes of the data collected are validation of intended program outcomes and curriculum, stakeholder satisfaction and perception, and examination of program outputs, specifically changes in students and teachers related to program engagement.

What ethical principles guide the Riverwatch program evaluation?

The ethical principles guiding the Riverwatch program evaluation include respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility. These principles ensure that all participants, staff, teachers, and funders are treated with respect, that the evaluation is relevant and beneficial, that there is a reciprocal trust and benefit, and that the evaluators act responsibly throughout the process.

Outlines

00:00

🌊 Riverwatch's School Program Evaluation

The Riverwatch program is a non-profit initiative aimed at engaging the community in understanding and protecting Alberta's watersheds. It focuses on school science floats, which are educational experiences on inflatable rafts that teach students about ecology, geology, engineering, and environmental science in a real-world setting. With over 150,000 participants, Riverwatch aligns its program with the Alberta curriculum for grades 8 to 12, offering hands-on data collection and water quality monitoring. The program's benefits include access to specialized lab equipment, professional guidance, active learning through rafting, and an online database for sharing findings. The evaluation of the program considers the perspectives of various stakeholders, including staff, funding partners, teachers, students, and parents, and is guided by a logic model that outlines the program's goals, outcomes, and the roles of different stakeholders.

05:00

📊 Mixed Methods Evaluation Approach

The evaluation of the Riverwatch program employs a mixed methods approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative data to gain a comprehensive understanding of the program's effectiveness. The evaluation is guided by Stufflebeam's Context, Input, Process, Product (CIP) model, which helps in identifying stakeholder needs, assessing the quality of implementation, and examining the outcomes related to the curriculum and student engagement. The data collection methods include checklists, site visits, observations, pre- and post-surveys, exit surveys, focus groups, and post-program surveys. The evaluation also considers the cultural, social, and political context of the program, emphasizing the importance of equal access and the support from various government levels and organizations. However, the exclusion of indigenous perspectives is noted as a potential area for improvement.

10:00

🔍 Ethical Considerations and Evaluation Integrity

The Riverwatch program evaluation is conducted with a strong emphasis on ethical considerations, ensuring respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility throughout the process. Informed consent is obtained from all participants, and their privacy and confidentiality are maintained. The evaluation is designed to be transparent, with findings and recommendations shared openly with all stakeholders. Cultural sensitivity is applied, and the diversity of participants is acknowledged and respected. The evaluators are mindful of their potential biases and strive to maintain impartiality and accuracy in their work. The evaluation aims to determine if the program continues to meet its objectives and to provide insights for further development, with the ultimate goal of promoting environmental ecology interest among students and supporting teacher professional development.

Keywords

💡Riverwatch

Riverwatch is a non-profit organization that plays a central role in the video's narrative. It is dedicated to engaging the community in the understanding, monitoring, and protection of Alberta's watersheds. The organization's mission aligns with the video's theme of environmental education and stewardship, as it aims to inspire Albertans to become active stewards of the province's rivers.

💡Water Education Programs

Water Education Programs are a fundamental aspect of Riverwatch's initiative. These programs aim to educate the community about the importance of water conservation and the health of water ecosystems. In the video, these programs are depicted as a means to inspire and equip participants with the knowledge to protect and manage water resources.

💡Eco-Floats

Eco-floats refer to the inflatable rafts used in Riverwatch's school programs. They serve as a platform for students to engage with the river environment directly, making learning a hands-on experience. The term 'Eco-floats' exemplifies the video's emphasis on experiential learning in real-world settings.

💡Creek Watch

Creek Watch is a river monitoring initiative within Riverwatch's program. It involves active participation in assessing the health of rivers and understanding human impact on these ecosystems. The term is used in the script to highlight the practical, scientific aspect of Riverwatch's educational approach.

💡Stakeholders

Stakeholders in the context of the video include a diverse group of individuals and organizations involved with Riverwatch, such as staff, funding partners, the board of directors, teachers, students, and parents. The term is central to the evaluation process discussed in the video, emphasizing the importance of considering various perspectives in assessing the program's impact.

💡Environmental Stewardship

Environmental Stewardship is a key concept in the video, representing the long-term outcome Riverwatch hopes to achieve. It involves培养学生对环境保护的兴趣、动机和承诺，and the commitment to protect and manage water quality for the benefit of wildlife, safe drinking water, and recreation. The term encapsulates the video's overarching goal of fostering a sense of responsibility towards the environment.

💡Field Research

Field Research is a significant component of the Riverwatch program, where students contribute to data collection on river health and human impact. The term is used in the script to illustrate the practical application of scientific methods in understanding ecosystem dynamics, which is a core part of the video's message on active learning and environmental awareness.

💡Logic Model

The Logic Model is a tool used in the video for planning and evaluating the Riverwatch program. It starts with the program goal and defines stakeholder pathways through a series of outcomes. The term is central to the evaluation process, helping to clarify the program's objectives and the expected outcomes, which is essential for understanding the video's approach to assessing program effectiveness.

💡Cultural Sensitivity

Cultural Sensitivity is an important aspect of the evaluation process discussed in the video. It involves considering historical, social, cultural, and environmental factors that may impact the program's outcomes. The term is used to emphasize the need for evaluators to be aware of the program's context and their own positionality, which is crucial for a fair and inclusive evaluation.

💡Mixed Methods Approach

A Mixed Methods Approach is the evaluation strategy chosen for assessing the Riverwatch program. It combines both qualitative and quantitative data to provide a comprehensive understanding of the program's effectiveness. The term is used in the script to illustrate the video's commitment to a balanced evaluation method that considers various forms of evidence.

💡Ethical Evaluation

Ethical Evaluation is a guiding principle for the Riverwatch program evaluation. It involves ensuring respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility throughout the evaluation process. The term is used in the video to highlight the importance of maintaining integrity and respect for all participants, which is fundamental to the video's portrayal of a responsible and transparent evaluation process.

Highlights

Riverwatch is a non-profit organization focused on community engagement in watershed protection.

The program includes Urban River experiences and educational initiatives for students.

Riverwatch's school programs are designed to align with the Alberta curriculum for grades 8 to 12.

Science floats offer hands-on learning experiences on inflatable rafts.

Students explore ecology, geology, engineering, and environmental science in real-world settings.

Over 150,000 participants have engaged with Riverwatch to date.

The program provides specialized lab equipment and professional river guide expertise.

Riverwatch students contribute to field research, gathering data on river health and human impact.

A logic model was created to clarify stakeholders and evaluation objectives.

Four key stakeholder groups have been identified within the Riverwatch program.

Stakeholders include Riverwatch staff, funding partners, the board of directors, and secondary school teachers, students, and parents.

The evaluation plan considers the different levels of participation and power of stakeholders.

Cultural sensitivity in program evaluations takes into account historical, social, and environmental factors.

Indigenous perspectives are not currently included in the program, suggesting an area for improvement.

The evaluation will use Stufflebeam's CIP model to guide interactions with stakeholders.

Five objectives have been set to guide the evaluation process.

A mixed methods approach will be used, combining qualitative and quantitative data.

Data collection will serve three primary purposes: validation, stakeholder satisfaction, and program output analysis.

Ethical evaluation practices will be maintained, respecting diversity and ensuring informed consent.

The evaluation aims to provide a comprehensive overview of findings and recommendations for the Riverwatch Institute.

Transcripts

Riverwatch program

evaluation Riverwatch is a non-profit

organization dedicated to engaging the

community in understanding monitoring

and protecting Alberta's precious

watersheds through Urban River

experiences and water education programs

Riverwatch aims to inspire albertans to

become active stewards of the province's

rivers RiverWatch has three main

elements school programs ecof flats and

the creek watch River monitoring

initiative in this program evaluation we

are focusing on the school's program

specifically the school science floats

program takes students out of the

classroom and onto the river where

learning comes alive on fully equipped

inflatable rafts students explore

ecology geology engineering and

environmental science in a real world

World

setting with over

150,000 participants to date Riverwatch

has designed these floats to align with

both its Mission and the Alberta program

of studies for grades 8 to 12 science

students engage in Hands-On data

collection and water quality monitoring

analyzing the health of the rivers and

understanding the effects of human

impact on these

ecosystems the program provides four key

benefits to schools access to

specialized lab equipment the expertise

of professional River guides the thrill

of active learning through rafting

adventures and access to an online

database where they can share their

findings Guided by experienced

professionals students collaborate to

answer the ental question how healthy is

our River they apply scientific methods

to develop a shared understanding of

ecosystem Dynamics laboratory techniques

and critical

analysis every year RiverWatch students

contribute to 50 days of field research

Gathering vital physical chemical and

biological data this comprehensive

collection spanning years in numerous

Rivers forms a robust assessment of

river health and human impact in

Alberta by participating in River

watch's school programs the organization

hopes to inspire the Next Generation to

actively protect and manage our water

resources to help clarify stakeholders

and develop evaluation objectives a

logic model for Riverwatch was created

beginning with the program goal where

participants will be motivated to

protect and manage water quality for the

benefit of wildlife safe drinking water

and Recreation the model then defines

stakeholder pathways through a series of

outcomes the long-term outcomes for

Riverwatch are that students demonstrate

interest motivation and commitment to

environmental stewardship ship teachers

become longtime

Partners staff are retained for future

Seasons presence in the community

grows and plants and animals are

beneficiaries of improved water

quality four key stakeholder groups have

been identified within the Riverwatch

science float program setting Riverwatch

staff made up of permanent and seasonal

positions funding Partners including

government and private organizations the

volunteer Riverwatch Institute board of

directors and teachers students and

parents from Secondary School settings

within Alberta each of these

stakeholders plays a different role

within the Riverwatch School float

program including program design

delivery and participation in

activities key considerations for

stakeholder involvement in the

evaluation were the need to honor the

idea that trust and relationship

building require time the at all and the

need to be sensitive and strategic when

asking for stakeholders time Bryson and

Quinn Patton also considered in the

evaluation plan are the different levels

of participation of the stakeholders

based on their power to implement or

affect the evaluation outcome and

interest in the program Bron and Quinn

Pat based on these cons key

considerations stakeholders are involved

at different times throughout the

evaluation plan the CIP evaluation model

checklist from stufflebeam will serve as

a guide for the interactions with the

various stakeholders the primary

stakeholder the Riverwatch Institute is

represented by the permanent Riverwatch

staff and board of directors and will be

involved from the beginning of the

evaluation this group has both the

interest and power to effect evaluation

use so will need to remain involved

throughout the duration of the

evaluation participants in the program

have high interest in the outcome of the

evaluation below ability to influence

the implementation of the evaluation

results these participants will be

involved during the data collection

phases be the primary data source to

determine if the program is meeting the

program objectives seasonal Riverwatch

guides will be involved during the data

collection phase as a role in delivery

of the program provides specific insight

into how the planned program activities

are implemented

funding Partners will be involved in the

data collection stage to provide data

towards certain evaluation objectives as

they have the power to influence the

implementation of any evaluation results

overall communication will occur mainly

between the evaluators and the

Riverwatch Institute however

communication with seasonal staff and

funding Partners will be important to

ensure any recommendations are acted

upon culturally sensitive program

evaluations include the consideration of

historical social cultural and

environmental factors evalua ERS need to

be aware of program context alongside

understanding their own

positionality multiple factors impact

the context of a program when will

affect the outcomes of the program in a

variety of ways we need to consider

three main areas of context for

Riverwatch organizational social and

political the organizational context of

the Riverwatch program is education

Riverwatch School floats are designed to

connect directly to various Alberta

science outcomes in grades 8 through 12

allowing students to gain a deep

understanding of the impacts humans have

on their environment in a real world

context socially Riverwatch believes in

Hands-On inquiry based learning for

students and teachers the information

that is collected each day is entered

into a database in order to monitor

long-term trends while also allowing

students to see the real world impact

their work is having another important

social contextual feature of Riverwatch

is equal access for all Riverwatch makes

equal access to Alberta's waterways

achievable by supplying safety equipment

to all participants such as boots and

life

jackets politically the program is

supported by the City of Calgary the

city of Edmonton as well as the Alberta

Government Riverwatch is also supported

by numerous organizations and serves as

a Confluence of resources and

expertise indigenous views on water use

are not included in the program however

indigenous perspective and voices are an

integral aspect of Alberta and Canada's

identity a land-based program such as

Riverwatch would benefit from including

indigenous voices and ways of knowing in

their

programming it was interesting when

starting to discuss the methodology for

program evaluation as many of our group

members gravitated towards indigenous

program evaluation methods however with

the nature of the program we had Chosen

and the context we decided upon which

was that we were hired by Riverwatch to

perform an evaluation it was determined

it was most likely the evaluation itself

would be objectives based our swalling

readings mentioned that many government

or organization funded evaluations were

required to be objectiv based um so we

created five objectives to guide this

evaluation which are listed on this

slide we hope to document stakeholder

perception and our satisfaction to

document changes in student

understanding connected to ecology and

coverage of the curriculum and to

examine teacher development as it

relates to the riverwater

program to provide a comprehensive look

at these objectives we've used Stuffle

Bean's context input process product

model to guide the design of our

evaluation also pictured

here diving deeper into the integration

of Stuffle beam's model we determined

that certain components connected better

to different objectives our goals for

context evaluation were to identify

stakeholder needs and programed goals or

intended outcomes best connected to our

first three objectives for input

evaluation we want to examine if the

program design met those needs looking

at the process component our evaluation

will assess the quality of

implementation and aim to improve the

process if needed connected best to

objectives two three and four finally

the product itself is really the science

floats uh this connected best to

objectives two three and five the

primary components we're looking at for

these objectives are stakeholder

satisfaction as well as if students are

meeting related program with studies

outcomes after

participation next next I will discuss

some of the data collection that would

support us to examine these components

of the CIP model and determine if our

objectives are being met our group

agreed that a mixed methods approach

using both qualitative and quantitative

data would best support a clear

understanding of the program we wanted

to ensure that any numbers are provided

context with connected stories and that

stories are supported in turn by numbers

we also built in multiple opportunities

for data to be shared throughout the

evaluation process as opposed to only at

the end we felt this would be really

important to maintain transparency

throughout the course of our

research the data collected would have

three primary purposes the first is

validation which is focused on intended

program outcomes and the curriculum we

use checklists site visits observations

and pre- and post surveys to measure

this secondly we want to look at

stakeholder satisfaction and perception

collection methods such as exit surveys

focus groups and surveys for additional

stakeholders will incorporate multiple

points of view finally we wanted to take

a close look at the program outputs

specifically any changes that occur in

students and teachers related to program

engagement methods such as interviews

observations and post-program surveys

will be utilized for this you recognize

that if students participate in

Riverwatch once prolonged engagement

would be difficult to measure as a

component of satisfaction however we

will be able to measure repeat teacher

participation as they can come back with

multiple classes which will support us

to determine if the program is valuable

to its

teachers in order to conduct an ethical

evaluation that will maintain high

levels of integrity and respect a number

of guiding principles need to be

considered during the planning and

execution of the Riverwatch program

evaluation in order to ensure ethical

evaluation practices utilizing a

framework such as the four RS for

developing academic research is useful

respect relevance reciprocity and

responsibility in ensuring that all

participants staff teachers and funders

have given informed consent in regards

to what the evaluation is about its

purpose procedures and potential risks

or benefits is essential it will also be

crucial to communicate that

participation is voluntary and the

participants May withdraw at any time it

is also important that their privacy and

confidentiality is protected throughout

the entire process by using platforms to

securely store data making surveys

Anonymous and using pseudonyms for any

reports or publication

evaluators must also demonstrate respect

and create reciprocal trust with

participants since Riverwatch caters to

a number of different schools and school

boards there's a large range of

participant diversity amongst those who

engage with the program it will be

important to ensure that a range of

diversity is represented in the

participants and the cultural

sensitivity is Applied Trust can be

created between evaluators and

participants by maintaining transparency

throughout the entire process

participants should understand the

evaluation purpose goal goals methods

process and finding should be shared

openly finally evaluators should be

aware of their own potential bias or

conflicts of interest in order to ensure

their work is thorough accurate fair and

impartial evaluators should understand

their own reflexivity and potential

biases for almost 20 years the

Riverwatch school program has provided

an immersive environmental science

programming experience for thousands of

secondary school students and teachers

across Alberta the primary goal of this

program is to promote and sustain

interest in environmental ecology for

its student participants alongside

meeting various learning and

professional development objectives this

evaluation will determine if this

program is continuing to meet its

objectives or if shifts need to be made

this objectives based evaluation was

designed using the CIP model and will

integrate a mixed methods approach in

addition to these components through

outlining the cultural social and

political context

and adhering to ethical standards such

as respect transparency and informed

consent we believe that this evaluation

will reflect the needs of all

stakeholders identified a comprehensive

overview of findings and recommendations

will be provided to the Riverwatch

Institute of Alberta to support

continued program development thank you