In the last 10 years, there has been increased use of case study methodology, with accompanying refinement and improvement of the methods. Case studies have become legitimate research methods in evaluation, but it is too soon to say whether improvements in methodology are really resulting in improvements in the case studies conducted. (SLD)

Empowerment evaluation is defined as a process that encourages self-determination among the recipients of a program evaluation. This article contains a theoretical framework of empowerment evaluation, a discussion of methodological issues, and suggestions for operational considerations for evaluators who wish to implement empowerment evaluation.…

Web tools are an inexpensive and easy way to learn about participants' views of their training. Options for evaluating and reinforcing training programs include e-mail, audio teleconferencing, Web-based surveys, and Web conferencing. (JOW)

Discusses current issues in theory-driven evaluation from the perspective of the evaluation practice literature. Confirmatory program evaluation is proposed as one way to use theory, in combination with quantitative analytical techniques, to assess the effects of social and educational programs. An illustration is provided in the evaluation of a…

A student satisfaction survey in a British college used input from the student charter and delivered questionnaires on paper at one campus (289 responses) and through an intranet at another (71 responses). Issues identified were embedded in the college's quality framework. (SK)

Describes and presents evaluation evidence of a long-term clinical supervision program for school counselors. Results show that peer group clinical supervision of school counselors is a feasible route to enhanced perceptions of professionalism. Participants viewed their peer group clinical supervision program to be a worthwhile and valuable…

Articles in this special issue are reviews that focus on issues related to the evaluation of addiction treatment outcomes over longer term followup periods (2 years or more). The primary conclusion that can be drawn is that research evaluations of substance abuse treatment should reflect, to a greater degree, the chronic nature of addiction. (SLD)

Reevaluation of Bookstart, a British project to promote library use and book sharing with babies, found that 53% of pilot families had never used the library; younger caregivers were less likely to use libraries. However, data may have been miscalculated if parents used their own instead of children's library cards. Many parents spoke positively…

Describes the use of transformative learning theory to evaluate a family-empowerment project focusing on life skills (N=34). Results reveal evidence of transformative learning outcomes such as an empowered sense of self and new connections with others. Participants also spoke of factors built into the program designed to foster transformative…

A survey of 306 undergraduate and graduate students, focus groups, and lecturers' reports evaluated a Web-enabled distributed learning system. The system was popular with students, flexible, self-paced, and empowering; technical support difficulties generated frustration. There was less interaction than desired and a lack of instant feedback and…

Evaluated the success of a palliative health care team in a Dutch health region. Results show that it is more appropriate to acknowledge ambiguity and facilitate its handling as part of dynamic learning processes. Discusses the usefulness of a responsive approach to evaluation, evaluation methodology, and learning experiences. (SLD)

Using his experience with rankings of Master's degree programs in public affairs, one public administration professor provides lessons for those in other disciplines who are about to be ranked, explaining what he learned from being ranked and how to improve the process. A sidebar presents U.S. News & World Report rankings in Master's Degree…

Asserting that college union and student activities administrators can become more effective in reaching their desired outcomes by conducting environmental assessment, this article provides a comprehensive plan to conduct such an assessment. Discusses defining the purpose; getting to know the audience, its satisfaction level, and its needs;…

Discusses methods for evaluating the return on investment of training. Compares the effectiveness of electronic learning and traditional methods and suggests that measuring hard numbers might not be a true indicator. (JOW)

Describes methods used to adapt a health care program so that it would better meet the needs of a group of well, older Mandarin-speaking Chinese residents of Los Angeles. Outcomes from a pilot experiment are presented that are consistent with the notion that the adapted program was effective in reducing health-related declines among participants.…