Evaluation and Impact

This developing site is a resource area for the NSDL network of projects and partners (both established and developing) concerned with developing effective evaluation practice and processes that enable, routinize, and advance reporting of data that contribute to the research and knowledge base revealing: 

• impact on student learning
• impact and capacity building for teacher/faculty professional development
• paradata of digital resource use by practitioner communities

Metrics

See the Metrics resource pages for metrics snapshots on NSDL sites, and related information.

NSDL Reports

• NSDL AudienceSurvey Report: Who Uses NSDL?  Spring 2011 (May 16, 2011), prepared by Holly Devaul and Sharon Clark, on behalf of NSDL Technical NetworkServices
• Best Practices for Metrics Collection and Analysis: Report of the NSDL Metrics Working Group (August 2, 2010) (PDF)
• Community Evaluation Summary Report. NSDL Technical and Network Services (TNS) has initiated a biannual interview process with NSDL Pathways, partners and projects as part of an ongoing evaluation effort. The Spring 2010 interview focused on community opinion about the value, utility, and perceived quality of TNS operations in support of services and tools, and community engagement. 
• Who Uses NSDL? Results of an April 2010 user survey for nsdl.org, by NSDL Technical Network Services  (July 30 2010)
  
  

Other NSDL Sites

• NSDL Program Monitoring Support - prepared for the National Science Foundation in December 2009 as part of their program monitoring of the National Science Digital Library, primarily between 2002 and 2009. 
• NSDL Reflections site  - outcome of DUE grant 0737821, Where Have We Come From and Where Are We Going? Learning the Lessons and Disseminating Exemplary Practices From the Projects of the NSDL; PIs: Flora McMartin, Brandon Murumatsu.

Articles, Reports, Commentary, Blogs, Resources...

Feel free to add links to interesting Web content about evaluation, impact, and measuring learning (contact Eileen McIlvain if you would like assistance on posting):

Reports

These two reports are related - reporting on a two-year study to analyze and evaluate over 200 published articles and reports on STEM professional learning communities, from 1995 to present - valuable synthesis! 

• Fulton, K. and T. Britton (2011). STEM Teachers in Professional Learning Communities: From Good Teachers to Great Teaching. National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, Available from http://www.nctaf.org/documents/NCTAFreportSTEMTeachersinPLCsFromGoodTeacherstoGreatTeaching.pdf. 

• Fulton, K., H. Doerr and T. Britton (2010). STEM Teachers in Professional Learning Communities: A Knowledge Synthesis. National Commission on Teaching and America's Future and WestEd, Washington DC. Available from http://www.nctaf.org/documents/STEMTeachersinprofessionalLearningCommunities.AKnowledgeSynthesis.pdf. A two-year study of research and articles regarding teacher professional learning communities.  

Blogs and Blog Posts

• Susan Van Gundy: Why Connected Online Communities Will Drive the Future of Digital Content: An Introduction to Learning Resource Paradata; Connected Educators Blog, Connected Online Communities of Practice (COCP) (November 9, 2011)
  
  
• Bob Donahue's Fun With Web Metrics blog (2x weekly). Bob Donahue is a metrics expert associated with WGBH's educational initiatives, including the NSDL Pathway, Teachers' Domain.
  
  

Resources

• www.perfettimedia.com - Consulting and training by Christine Perfetti: content design best practices, usability, and user experience. Free videos, as well as opportunities to attend free webinars on these topics. Good tips on maximizing user experience; do's/don'ts on web page design; do-able usability testing.

Kudos

NSDL-related SPORE winners 2010-2011:

SPORE is Science magazine's Science Prize for Online Resources in Education, awarded monthly, highlighting and featuring exemplary online educational materials for science and math education. 

• October 1, 2011: Earth Exploration Toolbook - TERC and partners on the Earth Exploration Toolbook celebrate SPORE award
• January 2011: Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears - science and literacy online magazine for elementary science (grades 1-5); Ohio State University
• November, 2010: Ask-a-Biologist, Arizona State University
• April 2010:  ChemCollective − Virtual Labs for Introductory Chemistry Courses, University of Illinois at Urbana Champagne
• February 2010: On the Cutting Edge - professional development program for geoscience educators, from Carleton College's Science Education Resource Center, and its partners

See additional navigation links below for other areas of interest.