Overview
Instructors often comment that they learn much more about their subject matter when they begin to teach it. When they try to explain the topic to someone else, they begin to connect concepts in new ways. They anticipate questions that students might ask and consider different viewpoints. Thus, there is not only external value in guiding or instructing others; there is internal value for you as well. This idea of instruction-as-growth can be directly applied to the disseminating of research. The results of an evaluation do not serve a purpose without being shared, either within the organization or more broadly across the social work discipline. Such sharing facilitates critical thinking and potential application to practice.
For this Discussion, you assume the role of a social worker who is instructing their colleagues on the results of a particular evaluation study, and giving their recommendation about whether the organization should consider adopting the program or practice.
elect an evaluation study from this week’s resources. Consider how you would present the information to a group of colleagues.
Download the PowerPoint Presentation template from the Learning Resources and use it for this Discussion.
- Post three slides in which you present the results of the evaluation to a group of social work colleagues. Within your slides:
- Summarize the important points of the study, including background information, research methods used to evaluate the program or practice, and the main findings.
State whether you would support adopting the program or practice in your agency or community setting, based on the evidence.
Prepare your slides in a way that would hold your colleagues’ interest. Do not include narration.
In these instructions, I provide an outline you may use for your PowerPoint presentation.
- “For this Discussion, you assume the role of a social worker who is instructing their colleagues on the results of a particular evaluation study, and giving their recommendation about whether the organization should consider adopting the program or practice.” (Walden University, LLC, Week 11 Discussion).
- Your task:
present the results of a study in a way that does not put your audience to sleep
offer your opinion about adopting the program described in the study.
Preparation:
Watch Death by Powerpoint: A Crash Course in Slide Designhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U_HN7H8n8ELinks to an external site.
You are limited to three slides in addition to your title slide. A suggested outline is presented under "Your task".
Choose an evaluation study from these two options:
The listed evaluation studies in the learning resources this week --- OR ----
- The study you evaluated in Week 9. The list of the Week 9 studies follows these instructions.
- Your presentation:
Summarize the study in a PowerPoint presentation, using the following points. Upload it to the discussion forum. Do not include narration or your references in the PowerPoint.
Use the PowerPoint template in the learning resources for your title slide.
Organize a 3-slide presentation to follow the title slide. Use phrases to address the elements of the study (no sentences)
- 1. Slide 1: The challenge
Outline the need, the target problem (the specific issue that is the focus of the study), and the research question as phrases (5-12 words each, if possible), using bullet points for each item.
Example:
The need: daily hot lunch for all Walden Elementary School students
The problem: students reject foods that differ from the foods they eat at home
The approach: Food is Fun! program
Identify the type of evaluation you are reporting and the research question. Some articles include both process or outcome evaluations – pick one. If your article has several research questions, choose one. Then paraphrase the research question to make it as clear, succinct, and understandable as possible.
Outcome evaluation: how effective is Food is Fun! for increasing children’s acceptance of new foods?
Process evaluation: how satisfied are the little consumers with the activities in the Food is Fun! program?
2. Slide 2: The research plan
- Provide the number of participants and a brief description of the features most relevant for the purposes of the study
List the methods used in the program. List them as phrases naming clear, measurable or observable action steps and tools
- The interventions
The measurement methods
- If reporting a process evaluation, include information on how the data about the program services were obtained (staff logs, observations, questionnaires, focus groups, and so on)
- 3. Slide 3: The results
Answer the research question. The wording will depend on the type of evaluation.
Example for an outcome evaluation:
Children accepted 40% of the new foods presented in the program
Groups with a likeable older student were more successful than groups with an adult leader.
Example for a process evaluation:
- Children liked tasting the new foods in groups
Making new foods attractive and smell good is key to acceptance.
- Note: most presentations on evaluations will include plots or graphics. We don’t have enough space on the slides to include them in this discussion, but remember to include them in an actual situation.
2. Describe one limitation of the study. See the discussion section of the article or use your clinical judgment about what could improve future studies. (phrase or brief sentences)
3. To finish:
Post your PowerPoint presentation, including the title slide and 3 slides summarizing the study and its results.
Underneath your PowerPoint “State whether you would support adopting the program or practice in your agency or community setting.” (Walden LLC, Week 11 Discussion) (5-8 succinct sentences)
Base your recommendations on these factors:
the findings in the article
the FINER criteria – feasibility, interest, newness, ethics, and relevance