Problem Statement

Group #1 : Lynda Kwiatkowski, Justin Fiocca, CorinSilvestrini, Kweshon Alexander , Bari Taub

STEP 1:

Background Information

First Hand Learning, Inc. is a New York nonprofit corporation founded in 1998 to promote inquiry-based teaching, learning from

direct experience, and closer links between cultural institutions and schools.

MISSION: Promote the process of scientific inquiry as a vehicle for learning. Most learners acquire and retain new knowledge

most effectively when it derives from firsthand experience.

Clientele: Middle School Students

Problem

There also may be an issue regarding the kids interest in what First Hand Learning’s program offers.

A major problem that First Hand Learning has been currently facing is engagement among the

students with the organization.

Objective

We have decided the best way to take control of the problem is to talk to the kids who attend the

program regularly and those who attend occasionally.

Solution

In a child-friendly way, we intend to talk to the kids involved in the program. To possibly create a

survey that evaluates weather or not what First Hand Learning is offering are the interests of those who

come to the program.

STEP 2 :

Similar Issue

In our research we found that nearby School 19 in Buffalo has partnered with UB in an after school program that uses

science to make things like slime and Styrofoam which is educational and fun for them.

.

Evaluation MethodsThe After-School Corporation (TASC) based in NYC, Elizabeth R.

Reisner lead a study on the effectiveness of after school programs for different age groups in school paired with community based and

non profit organizations.

Evaluation Methods Cont.

1. Gathering data on students exposure to the particular program

2. Focus data on events, activities, relationships that are important to the initiative's success

3. Bring people of the organization into the evaluation process

4. Make sure information is in understandable language

5. Set up a system for managing information

Sample Questions

1. My favorite subject is..2. Were you a student at this school last year ?

3. If you started coming to the after school program this year, what month did you start coming?

4. Before attending this after school program how often were you alone or with a friend without an adult or parent present after school?

5. What do you do after school now?6. How many days last month did you attend the after school

program?7. Rank the after school program

8. Yes or no questions about activities they have participated in at the after school

These are some sample questions we have come up with for our survey:

STEP 3 : Criteria

- Make simple questions that the kids can comprehend

-Use shorter questions and choices they can pick from

-Vocabulary will also be modified-Constellation prizes such as candy, pens, and

pencils to motivate the kids to fill out the survey, will be handed out

Positive Consequences

The organization will get an idea of why students can not return to the program on a regular basis, or if it is just a matter of disinterest

Resolving conflicts within the program can enhance kids attention to the subject

Positive Consequences Continued

Find out certain interests of the students so they get the maximum learning potential within the program

This may all result in an overall increase in attendance to programs, expanding young minds into science hands on

Negative Consequences

Students may not be able to understand questions if they are not at the correct reading level.

Students may not take surveys seriously and just want to get it over with leaving results to be inconclusive.

Negative Consequences Continued

Limited responses from just the students that attended the after school program that day

Students that young may be unfamiliar with surveys and feel they need to base their answers in accordance to the after school coordinators wishes.

Advantages and Disadvantages to a

Survey

Advantages

Surveys are relatively inexpensive (especially self-administered surveys)

Surveys are useful in describing the characteristics of a large population.(No other method of observation can provide this general capability)

They can be administered from remote locations using mail, email or telephone.

Very large samples are feasible, making the results statistically significant even when analyzing multiple variables.

Advantages Continued

Standardized questions make measurement more precise by enforcing uniform definitions upon the participants

Standardization ensures that similar data can be collected from groups then interpreted comparatively (between-group study)

High reliability is easy to obtain--by presenting all subjects with a standardized stimulus, observer subjectivity is greatly eliminated

Disadvantages

Relying on standardization forces the researcher to develop questions general enough to be minimally appropriate for all respondents, possibly missing what is most appropriate to many respondents.

Surveys are inflexible in that they require the initial study design (the tool and administration of the tool) to remain unchanged throughout the data collection.

Disadvantages Continued

It may be hard for young participants to recall information or to tell the truth about a controversial question.

As opposed to direct observation, survey research (excluding some interview approaches) can rarely deal with "context."

STEP 4: Recommendation

Create a list of questions in a survey to have the students take to find out why they are not

returning to the after school program.

Splitting the students into small groups will work more effectively & find out their

personal reasons for not wanting to return to the program.

Decision Process

It seemed like the best way possible to survey them would be in small groups, that way we

would be able to receive more honest answers and come up with the best possible solution to

why students are not coming back to the afterschool program.

Survey Questions

1. What is your age? ______________

2. About how many days a week do you attend this after school program? ____________

3. Are you a male or a female?

Male Female

4. How much do you like science at school?

1) A lot 2) Somewhat 3) A little 4) Not at all

5. Do you like First Hand Learning’s science activities?

1) Yes 2) No

6. Did you have fun with First Hand Learning?

1) Yes 2) No

7. Do you like doing science activities outdoors or indoors?

1) Outdoors 2) Indoors 3) Both

8. Do you like your First Hand Learning science teacher?

1) Yes 2) No

9. Do you think science is an important subject to learn?

1) Yes 2) No

10. Do you wish to do more science at school?

1) Yes 2) No

STEP 5 : Implementation

Traveled several sites to hand out the surveys

Only a limited amount of students that were present

Students were younger then expected

Many students didn’t understand the survey and it needed to be explained further to them

because of their young age

Variables to Implementation

The kids felt pressured by us being there, thinking that they have to like science

Not enough kids showed up and were the “correct age” to survey and make it equal

Some of the mentors decided that we should only survey the kids who take “science period”

Results

10

2

2

Do you like science?

A lot

A little

Not at all

Results

The variables when going to the sites show that the results are not completely accurate

The un-organization at the sites made it harder to find out clientele

We completed to the best of our ability with the available resources