The Nuances of Being "Non": Evaluating Nonformal Education Programs and Settings

Overview & Synopsis

This article examines the nuances of conducting evaluation of and in nonformal education programs and settings. The author examines a set of universal evaluation issues--evaluator role, stakeholder involvement, program theory, capacity building, strategy selection, and evaluation use--as they occur and interact within nonformal education situations. The examples she has used do not include all possible purposes, organizations, content, settings, and audiences found across the nonformal education spectrum, but they do share common characteristics. Illustrations come from conservation education; extension education; and education by zoos, aquariums, museums, parks, and community organizations. Her hope is that by presenting snippets from the nonformal education program evaluation world, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which common evaluation issues manifest themselves in some less common situations. (Contains 1 table.)