Emphasizing Transdisciplinary Prowess in the Evaluation of STEAM Programs

Abstract

STEM to STEAM transitions can affect not only the design and implementation of programs across the education spectrum, but also the design and execution of program evaluations. Without evidence of effectiveness derived from a program evaluation, it becomes difficult to publish about, obtain funding for, or convince various audiences to participate in or support a STEAM program. A program with well-understood goals and objectives, described in a logic model, articulates what the program is expected to accomplish and by what criteria success can be measured for whom. The logic model thus becomes the foundation for the design of a high-quality program evaluation. As STEAM programs are more likely to bridge disciplines by virtue of including the arts, they require the development and therefore the evaluation of transdisciplinary knowledge and skills across diverse stakeholder groups. One framework that can be used to describe what we define as transdisciplinary skills in STEAM programs is the 4 Cs – communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. We round out the discussion of each “C” with important evaluation practices and evaluator competencies to consider. Successful evaluators must possess a certain degree of transdisciplinary prowess themselves to stay current and to optimize the value and use of evaluation evidence in STEAM programs.