Browsing by Subject "tool"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Best Practices for Field Days: Environmental Field Days Assessment Tool: Focus Group Results
    (St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension Service, 2008) Marczak, Mary; Carlson, Stephan
    The following results are based on two focus groups conducted in October, 2007. The 14 participants (7 at each focus group) had gone through the Assessment Tool training on the use of the tools and also had used the tools to assess environmental field days. Focus group questions specifically addressed both the quality of the training as well as the tools (individual and holistic) themselves. The participants were asked not only to describe their experiences but also to provide recommendations to improve the training and the tools. During the focus group discussions it became clear that participants also wanted to address the actual day of the observation, or the field day experience itself. Thus, the results address these three key areas: 1) the day of the training; 2) the field day experience, and 3) the tools.
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    Best Practices for Field Days: Modified Delphi used for Observation Tool Development
    (St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension Service, 2009) Heimlich, Joe; Carlson, Stephan; Tanner, Dawn; Storksdieck, Martin
    A team of 40 people from across the country were invited to the Best Practices for Field Days (BPFD) Delphi panel to develop an effective observation instrument for determining the quality of field day components that represent best practices. Thirty nine people accepted the invitation and 27 people participated.
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    Best Practices for Field Days: Validating an Informal Science Education Field Day Observation Tool
    (St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension Service, 2009) Carlson, Stephan; Storksdieck, Martin; Heimlich, Joe
    A study was conducted at the Metro Children’sWater Festival (CWF) in St Paul, Minnesota in the fall of 2008 where 44 schools and more than 1,200 fifth grade students participated in the one day event. The purpose of the study was to assess the validity of an observation tool for informal science education around Field Day programs. Content validity (Modified Delphi) and coder reliability of the observation tool was established the previous years (NSF, #0635559). Items from the observation tool were mapped to students’ evaluation questions to determine the degree to which observed characteristics of the field day are aligned with student perception. It is conceivable that they don’t align. Students’ assessment of their experience is based on factors that have little to do with what educators care about. Significant correlations support the validity; lack there of, on the other hand, does not indicate that the tool isn’t valid.