EDER 602 Grp 4 LT4
Summary
TLDRThe 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
🌊 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.
📊 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.
🔍 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Riverwatch
💡Water Education Programs
💡Eco-Floats
💡Creek Watch
💡Stakeholders
💡Environmental Stewardship
💡Field Research
💡Logic Model
💡Cultural Sensitivity
💡Mixed Methods Approach
💡Ethical Evaluation
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
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