Joanna's reflections from American Evaluation Association 2010

I was the primary presenter for one demonstration session at American Evaluation Association and I also assisted in preparing two additional presentations. The focus of my primary presentation was on cognitive lab methodology whereby you ask an individual to "think-aloud" as they engage in a decision-making process such as completing a survey item or solving a multiple-choice test item. This method provides information about the cognitive and affective processes that an individual engages in while making a decision and is often used to validate or improve research instruments. The audience that attended my demonstration included eight that were interested in conducting cognitive labs. Thus they posed several logistical and methodological questions. The audience members also provided helpful suggestions for improving cognitive labs in future research. The presentation was well received.

The most valuable presentation that I attended was think-tank session #605 led by Dr. Nathan Balasubramanian. This session was focused on defining and measuring teacher quality and effectiveness which is one of my primary research interests. Balasubramanian shared his work which has been aimed at creating a system for providing teachers with timely assessment data in his state. In many states, assessment data is obtained too late for teachers to use it to guide instructional decision-making. He has also found a way to report the data so that teachers can better evaluate growth over time by standardizing scale scores across grade levels. Balasubramanian invited colleagues from representatives from several schools in his state to discuss how they were using this information and how it has impacted instruction and achievement in their schools. The audience also encouraged Balasubramanian to consider other measures of teaching quality beyond standardized tests and there was considerable debate about the most important indicators of quality teaching and the most appropriate goals for K-12 instruction. The powerpoint slides for this presentation can be seen at http://comm.eval.org/EVAL/EVAL/Resources/ViewDocument/Default.aspx?DocumentKey=11a532a4-d321-417b-bffa-ac625fb1df56

The Power of Photo Voice (PV)

Have you ever been looking through the old albums and thinking of your life, of how things were or how could they actually be? Have you ever remembered the happy moments that you had by wondering through those photo-albums? Have you ever thought of the power which brings back those memories?

That’s the power of a photography which actually talks to you and brings you back the story of your own life, the story of the people around you, the stories, which could have been forgotten if not the invention of photography.
In this small abstract I would like to talk a bit about the Photo voice research method which is one of the most powerful tools to speak up and to tell stories about different aspects, problems and issues that we face during our lives.
Why the photo?-Well, because it is visual and you can see, feel and understand it better than maybe just a black text written on the white paper.
And why voice?-Well, because it actually talks to you and explains you many things that may not be so obvious for a naked eye.
Photo voice is a participatory action research method in which individuals photograph their everyday realities. Photo Voice (PV) aims to enable people to record and reflect on their communities’ and their own strengths and concerns; promote critical dialogue; and reach policy makers(Wang & Burris 1997). Photo voice puts the power of image creation into hands of participants by giving them cameras and an opportunity to record, name and reflect on their lives and their issues. The research component comes through analysis of images ,critical dialogue, and self-reflection after the photos have been taken.
Photo Voice is a research method that falls within Participatory Action Research approaches Thus, PV shares similar principles and ethics of research with PAR/CBR:

PV was developed by Wang, Burris and colleagues in research with village women in rural China. It draws on community photography traditions of photojournalism and diverse theoretical traditions centered on bringing marginalized groups into voice and power by naming their own realities based on their own experiences. Some of the main influences include, Paolo Freire’s problem-posing approach to critical literacy education, feminist theory, and documentary photography.

The basic PV is comprised of the following stages

A. A planning stage- Work is conducted to develop goals and objectives
B. A recruitment stage- Photo voice participants are recruited, selected and screened.
C. A training stage- Photo Voice participants are trained in the use of cameras and ethics of photo voice.
D. A discussion and brainstorming stage-Participants brainstorm and select themes or issues that will be the basis for photographs.

E. Photo shoot assignment stage. (May be conducted several times over a period
of weeks).

Photo voice places high ethical demands on researchers. The approaches and methodologies should be used with care and sensitivity. Researchers should have a clear sense of purpose, respect principles underlying photo voice, and have a commitment to stay involved in all stages through to action.

I have been involved in Photo voice action research for already 7 years. I have to tell you it helpd to make change, it helps to deliver the message, it helps to penatrate the minds and the most important, it shows the reality.

Congrats to new Ph.D.s!

First, Joanna Gilmore, and now, Farzana Sultana!  Congratulations on your successful defenses! Farzana, it was great to see you today--it's been a while.