5 credits

Students in this course are introduced to evaluation research and provided with a foundation in the design of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method approaches to counseling research and evaluation. Students learn the strengths and limitations of each method and under what circumstances each design would be most appropriate. They consider the importance of scholarly writing and learn how to identify a topic for research and how to conduct a literature search. Students explore the history and theory underlying program evaluation, approaches to evaluation, and techniques used to perform the evaluation and demonstrate program effectiveness. Additionally, students explore the procedures involved in offering their evaluation services to a specific group or organization. They also examine strategies to gain stakeholder interest in developing appropriate standards, research progress, and evaluation outcomes.  Students gain hands-on experience developing a research proposal in which they address key elements, such as collecting and analyzing data, writing an introduction, stating a purpose for the study, identifying research questions and hypotheses, using theory, and communicating the significance of the study. Additionally, students consider the legal and ethical issues associated with human subjects' protection.