Zappe, S., & Cutler, S., & Spiegel, S., & Jordan, D., & Sanders, M. (2022, August), Lessons learned - Conducting an External Evaluation of a STEM Teaching and Learning Center (Lessons Learned Paper #1 of 2)  Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--41149

\bibitem{asee_peer_41149}
  Zappe, S., \& Cutler, S., \& Spiegel, S., \& Jordan, D., \& Sanders, M. (2022, August), \emph{Lessons learned - Conducting an External Evaluation of a STEM Teaching and Learning Center (Lessons Learned Paper \#1 of 2)}
  Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Minneapolis, MN.
  10.18260/1-2--41149

Sarah Zappe, Stephanie Cutler, Sam Spiegel, Deb Jordan, and Megan Sanders.  "Lessons learned - Conducting an External Evaluation of a STEM Teaching and Learning Center (Lessons Learned Paper #1 of 2)".  2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN, 2022, August.  ASEE Conferences, 2022.  https://peer.asee.org/41149 Internet.  26 Apr, 2024

\bibitem{asee_peer_41149}
  Sarah Zappe, Stephanie Cutler, Sam Spiegel, Deb Jordan, and Megan Sanders.
  "Lessons learned - Conducting an External Evaluation of a STEM Teaching and Learning Center (Lessons Learned Paper \#1 of 2)".
  \emph{2022 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Minneapolis, MN, 2022, August}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2022.
  https://peer.asee.org/41149 Internet.  26 Apr, 2024

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_41149
author = "Sarah Zappe, Stephanie Cutler, Sam Spiegel, Deb Jordan, and Megan Sanders"
title = "Lessons learned - Conducting an External Evaluation of a STEM Teaching and Learning Center (Lessons Learned Paper \#1 of 2)"
booktitle = "2022 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2022"
month = "August"
address = "Minneapolis, MN"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/41149}
number = {10.18260/1-2--41149}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - This abstract is for a Lessons Learned Paper for the Faculty Development Division. In 2020, the authors conducted an external evaluation of a STEM-focused teaching and learning center located in the western United States. The authors, who also work in a different engineering-focused teaching and learning center, worked with the director and employees within the center to identify key stakeholders and questions that were used to guide the evaluation. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the approach that was taken for the external evaluation, along with the lessons learned from this approach. Our co-authors at the respective teaching and learning have submitted a corresponding abstract for a parallel paper that details the findings from this evaluation. The process of conducting the evaluation and the results may be of interest to those working in teaching and learning centers who have considered or would potentially consider conducting an external evaluation. 

The primary purpose of the evaluation was to gather perceptions about 1) the perceived roles and responsibilities of the Center, 2) the impact of the Center on the university and teaching, 3) the perceptions of effective teaching, and 4) recommendations for the Center to improve their services. The evaluation results were intended to be used to improve the Center’s services, to demonstrate to leadership the many areas in which the Center was involved in (oftentimes beyond the primary teaching and learning mission), and to gather baseline data on faculty perceptions of effective teaching. 

As part of the evaluation, interviews were conducted with three different groups of stakeholders: university’s executive council (n=9), the department heads (n=18), and a sample of faculty members (n=20). The interviews took place in 2020, with the executive council interviewed in February (just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic) and the remaining interviews conducted in the summer of 2020 (after the COVID-19 pandemic started). 

While the findings of the evaluation will be reported in the parallel paper, this paper will provide a detailed methodology of the evaluation methodology and approach. Some of the lessons learned included preparing for the unexpected, as the COVID-19 pandemic slightly derailed plans for the evaluation. However, the evaluation provided a new opportunity to gather information about how the teaching and learning center was able to pivot and adjust to the changed circumstances at the institution. 
AU  - Sarah Zappe
AU  - Stephanie Cutler
AU  - Sam Spiegel
AU  - Deb Jordan
AU  - Megan Sanders
CY  - Minneapolis, MN
DA  - 2022/08/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Lessons learned - Conducting an External Evaluation of a STEM Teaching and Learning Center (Lessons Learned Paper #1 of 2)
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/41149
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--41149
ER  -