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S. K. ROCKWELL, Dept. of Agriculture, Leadership, Education and Communication, Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln, 300 Agricultural Hall, PO Box 830709, Lincoln, NE 68583-0709 As early as the 1960s, logic models started setting the stage for "outcome thinking." In the 1980s and '90s we struggled to define outcome and impact terminology as well as identify and document appropriate program accomplishments. Federal legislation of the 1990s forced more attention on looking at outcomes to judge program importance at national, regional, state, and local levels, and governmental budget crises recently have reinforced the need to evaluate whether program outcomes merit the resources spent on program initiatives. As we enter the 21st century, Extension programming is better equipped with programming theory that comprehensively addresses program evaluation. Part of the theory incorporates using logic models to address emerging issues associated with outcome thinking. Different not-for-profit organizations and agencies have now developed logic models that help them look at programming outcomes, use the results for program improvement, and document what their program resource allocations mean to individuals and groups of people as well as to society and the environment in which we live. Key concepts underlying programmers' abilities to adequately address program evaluation needs are articulating the logic behind educational logic models, identifying indicators which address immediate-, intermediate-, and long-term behavioral outcomes, planning appropriate evaluation strategy, and integrating it into the programming process. Targeting Outcomes of Programs (TOP) is a simple logic model to use in planning for targeting behavior change outcome categories, conveying necessary time frames for identifying outcomes, and integrating resources for evaluating program initiatives. TOP also provides sound underlying concepts that are built into more expansive and complex logic models. It illustrates a way of thinking about outcomes and impacts as one builds programs and reports on their effectiveness.
Session 24, Are you making a difference: Evaluating the impact of education programs
2005 IFT Annual Meeting, July 15-20 - New Orleans, Louisiana |