Certainly, if we had to do evaluation that was just about justifying our place in a STEM Directory, I would direct my staff not to do so, we don't get a significant enough number of bookings via this route to make any such work worthwhile.
IAN
Ian Simmons
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-----Original Message-----
From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Richard Ellam
Sent: 26 June 2010 16:12
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] FW: [PSCI-COM] STEM directory evaluation
Olympia
So, it seems that as of today there isn't any real evaluation of the
effectiveness or otherwise of the STEM Directories. I wonder why I'm
not suprised by this?
Let me ask you to produce some concrete figures:
1, How many 'hits' has your website had since it went live?
2. How many of those 'hits' have resulted in a scheme getting a booking?
I wonder if anyone else here thinks that the opinion of the Strategic
Management Group that "introducing a requirement of evaluation would
help to drive up standards across the STEM provision field" smacks of
arrogance?
Where's your evidence that there's a widespread quality problem
across the UK "STEM provision field"?
Where's your evidence that forcing people to publish evaluations will
do anything to address this problem, if it actually exists?
It seems to me that all you will actually achieve if you persist in
your obsession with evaluation is to drive a umber of very good
schemes out of the STEM directories, and so further damage an already
badly tarnished brand. It doesn't sit well with people to be told
that they must do better by an organisation that is itself, frankly,
pretty poor. It seems to me that instead of wasting everyones' time
by inventing more and smaller hoops for them to jump through your
'Strategic Management Board' would do much better to begin by
addressing the manifest failings of their own organisation.
Perhaps they would like to organise an open meeting where the future
direction and management of the STEM Directories could be freely and
frankly discussed by all the interested parties. Judging by the
responses I've had privately since this topic aired on Psci-Com they
might learn a good deal, although I don't think that they'd get much
praise.
Yours
Richard
Richard Ellam
L M Interactive
Science Shows and Hands-On Stuff
[log in to unmask]
On 25 Jun 2010, at 16:20, Olympia Brown wrote:
> Dear all,
> Thank you for your comments on the STEM Directories, always useful
> to have feedback.
>
> The intention when the directories were commissioned was for them
> to be evaluated as part of the wider STEM programme. Unfortunately,
> this larger evaluation appears to have been scaled back, but we are
> pushing our funders to still commission an independent evaluation
> of the Directories. We have been running formative evaluation of
> the Directories, through consultations with both teachers and
> scheme providers. Obviously we had to work with a sample of
> providers, in line with accepted practice for consultation and
> evaluation. We had a deliberate focus of our evaluation on the end-
> users of the directories, the teachers, though.
>
> In terms of updates to the site, and the decision to introduce
> evaluation as a criteria. We have had the facility for teachers to
> add comments about schemes live for about 6 months now. Although we
> haven't yet had many comments, we are developing this. For example,
> the Royal Institution maths team has obtained funding to work with
> teachers to encourage their use of the Directories and to log back
> in to put comments on these schemes. The decision to add evaluation
> was not taken on a whim. The consortium who produce the directories
> are themselves scheme providers (some of whom for over 200
> years...), and were fully aware of the implications this would have
> for schemes of all sizes. The Strategic Management Group, who lead
> on STEM Directories policy, felt that introducing a requirement of
> evaluation would help to drive up standards across the STEM
> provision field. However, out of thought for smaller providers, it
> isn't a requirement that this is independent (which can be
> expensive) and training courses are being provided to introduce
> easy ways of evaluating for those that haven't done it before.
>
> Finally, the Directories and ScienceLive actually serve different
> purposes. While there are some scheme providers for whom
> ScienceLive is wholly appropriate, there are others whose project
> simply wouldn't fit on there. Equally, there are others that fit
> happily on both - most notably freelance science presenters.
>
> Best,
> Olympia
>
> Olympia Brown
> Project Manager
> STEM Directories
> t. 020 7670 2969
> w. www.stemdirectories.org.uk
>
>
> From: Richard Ellam [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 24 June 2010 17:26
> Subject: Re: FW: [PSCI-COM] STEM directory evaluation
>
> HI Ian. Terri, and all
>
> Another point abut the STEM Directories which needs to be clarified
> is how decisions about the directories (like this latest idiocy
> about evaluation) are made. Whatever steering committee or junta
> is in charge of the STEM directories seems to be made up of people
> who live in various ivory towers and who have no real idea of what
> the people at the front line actually want. And there seems to be
> no way that the front line can really communicate with these
> mandarins.
>
> It also seems that the people in charge have no real idea about
> what they are doing or how to do it - hence the truly dreadful
> printed versions of the STEM directories which could serve as
> examples of how to make something as boring and unexciting as
> possible on any graphic design course!
>
> Its a shame that the STEM directories project seems to have been so
> messed up by having the wrong people with the wrong skills running
> it - if there had been more open communication with stakeholders at
> an early stage in the process then the mistakes might have been
> spotted and corrected instead of being endlessly perpetuated.
>
> In frustration at a good idea badly done
>
> Richard.
>
>
> Richard Ellam
> L M Interactive
> Science Shows and Hands-On Stuff
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
> On 24 Jun 2010, at 16:29, Ian B Dunne wrote:
>
>
> Good afternoon Terri,
>
> Thank you for your comment. I stand corrected on the nomenclature.
>
> However if you look at the following links
> http://www.stemdirectories.org.uk/about_us/
> why_have_the_stem_directories_been_created.cfm
> http://www.stemnet.org.uk/about_us/stemnet_programmes.cfm
> http://www.stemchallenges.net/about-stem-challenges/
> http://www.stemclubs.net/about-stem-clubs/
> or
> http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/subjects/science/
> science_teaching_resources/
> http://www.teachers.tv/subjects/secondary/science
> http://www.byteachers.org.uk/sites.htm#science
> http://www.show.me.uk/places/places.html
> http://www.showsforschools.co.uk/
> http://www.schoolscience.co.uk/
> http://www.sciencelive.net/
> it is pretty clear how a woodlouse like me got confused in a forest
> of acronyms.
>
> Whenever I visit schools (around 100 times a year) I ask teachers
> how and where they find resources and presenters. I consistently
> get the same response for presenters - http://www.sciencelive.net/
> advanced-search.asp or Google.
>
> So my question remains.
> Why are significant resources out of the rapidly shrinking
> education budget being spent duplicating what is already working well?
> And how do we as presenters evaluate which of the myriad national
> websites will have the greatest impact in encouraging reluctant
> teachers to engage with science?
>
> I look forward to being convinced
>
> All the best
>
> Ian
>
> Do Science Ltd
> 37 Upper Brownhill Road, Southampton, SO16 5NG
> +44 (0) 23 8077 2341 [log in to unmask]
> www.doscience.co.uk
>
> This e-mail and any attachments are confidential. It is intended
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>
>
> Terri Telford wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I'd like to take this opportunity to correct Ian - they are called
> the STEM Directories, not STEMNET Directories. You can read more
> about the organisations behind the directories here http://
> www.stemdirectories.org.uk/about_us/
> who_has_created_the_stem_directories.cfm
>
> As an aside, STEMNET has completed a number of evaluations,
> including a current evaluation with the National Foundation for
> Educational Research, and has just been involved in an audit by the
> National Audit Office.
>
> Cheers
> Terri
>
> Terri Telford
> Head of Communications and Public Affairs
>
> Main Tel: 020 3206 0450
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> Website: www.stemnet.org.uk
>
> STEMNET, 2nd Floor, Weston House, 246 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EX
> Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network
> Registered in the UK No. 3236201 ; Registered as a Charity No. 1058056
> This email message (and attachments) may contain information that
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> STEMNET has made every effort to ensure that any attachments to
> this email have been swept for viruses. However, STEMNET cannot
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> and would advise the intended recipient to carry out a virus check
> before opening any attachment.
>
>
> From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:PSCI-
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ian B Dunne
> Sent: 23 June 2010 17:36
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [PSCI-COM] StemNet directory evaluation
>
> Hi
>
> There has been a bit of discussion on this forum and others of the
> StemNet directory wanting organisations to evaluate their programs
> or they will not be included on the directory at some time in the
> future.
>
> In these financially straightened times I was just wondering what
> evaluation StemNet does of itself,
> and, or, what would peoples' evaluation of StemNet directories be
> under the standard appraisal categories of
> value for money
> effectiveness
> quantifiable outcomes ?
>
>
> All the best
>
> Ian
> --
> Do Science Ltd
> 37 Upper Brownhill Road, Southampton, SO16 5NG
> +44 (0) 23 8077 2341 [log in to unmask]
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