Cheryl Poth | University of Alberta (original) (raw)

Papers by Cheryl Poth

The Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 2021

Organizations are required to evaluate their programs for both learning and accountability purpos... more Organizations are required to evaluate their programs for both learning and accountability purposes, which has increased the need to build their internal evaluation capacity. A remaining challenge is access to tools that lead to valid evidence supporting internal capacity development. The authors share practical insights from the development and use of the Evaluation Capacity Needs Assessment tool and framework and implications for using its data to make concrete decisions within Canadian contexts. The article refers to validity evidence generated from factor analyses and structural equation modelling and describes how applying the framework can be used to identify individual and organizational evaluation capac ity strengths and gaps, concluding with practice considerations and future directions for this work.

Academic Medicine, Sep 1, 2012

Net recherche 2009 : le guide pratique pour mieux trouver l'information utile et surveiller ... more Net recherche 2009 : le guide pratique pour mieux trouver l'information utile et surveiller le web (Coll. Sciences et techniques de l'information, 3° Éd.) Pourquoi un livre sur un thème aussi mouvant que la recherche d'informations sur Internet Parce que ce sujet en constante évolution ...

Evaluation of Journal of Australasia, May 26, 2023

This practice article advances an ethical imperative for guiding collaborative approaches to eval... more This practice article advances an ethical imperative for guiding collaborative approaches to evaluation with low incidence and underserved communities. We describe our evaluation processes for building transformative partnerships during a DeafBlind Support Services pilot program evaluation in Western Canada using collaborative approaches to evaluation. This program was designed to enable adults living with dual sensory loss to experience self-determined activities in the community that enhance resilience and belonging. Key features involve specialised Support Service Providers who assist DeafBlind community members with accessing and participating in essential community services and social, vocational, educational, and recreational activities. In presenting our co-generated evaluation insights, we advance an ethical imperative describing philosophical foundations, pragmatic actions, and political leadership for implementation of collaborative approaches to evaluation with a low incidence and underserved community.

Engaged scholar journal, Dec 22, 2022

This field report summarizes and advances key learnings for leveraging community-university partn... more This field report summarizes and advances key learnings for leveraging community-university partnerships addressing housing service gaps for high-risk, marginalized populations with complex needs. We describe our navigation of existing and forged intersections to develop a strength-based and individualized approach to humanizing housing service delivery for individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Our account is framed by four questions: why community and university partners came together to develop a responsive approach through the CanFASD network; who became key stakeholders in the partnership; how our humanizing housing approach is guiding the navigation of complexities inherent in service delivery for individuals with FASD; and what insights about creating intersections are we applying to our community-university partnerships. KeyWords housing service delivery, community-university partnerships, marginalized population needs, housing, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder Why: Housing as a Human Right for All Requires a Responsive Approach to Service Delivery Adequate housing has been described as essential to one's sense of dignity, safety, inclusion, and ability to contribute to the fabric of neighbourhoods and societies (Public Research Initiative, 2005). Canada has recognized that adequate housing is a fundamental human right by ratifying the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and has agreed to take appropriate steps toward realizing the rights set out in it. Yet, many Canadians struggle to secure adequate housing, and housing service gaps are especially pronounced for high-risk marginalized populations with complex needs, including individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), whose needs are not well understood in the homeless serving sector (Badry et al., 2018). FASD is a diagnostic term that refers to a broad spectrum of needs caused by prenatal alcohol exposure and the resultant injury to the developing brain (Cook et al., 2016). FASD is a lifelong disability and roughly 4% of Canadians are formally diagnosed with it (Brownstone, 2005; Canada Fetal Alcohol Spectrum

Frontiers in Education, Oct 31, 2018

As measured by the Teachers Responsibility Scale, teachers appear to have surprisingly low levels... more As measured by the Teachers Responsibility Scale, teachers appear to have surprisingly low levels of personal responsibility for student motivation even though they qualitatively identify low student motivation as a major teaching concern. Thus, the purpose of the current mixed methods research was to compare the way teachers' respond to items about personal responsibility for student motivation quantitatively and qualitatively. We used a convergent sequential mixed method design to answer the following research question: How do practicing teachers' perceptions and experiences of being personally responsible for student motivation converge with a quantitative measure of the construct? One hundred and 80 practicing teachers completed a self-report questionnaire on personal responsibility and then six teachers were purposefully sampled to participate in small-group interviews sharing their perspectives on responsibility for motivation specifically. The quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed separately and then integrated through a qualitative dominant crossover mixed analyses. Five mixed insights emerged and are represented in a joint display: dominance of interest, shared responsibility, divergent specificity and valence, complete alignment, and missingness of professional perspective. The mixed insights have important implications for theory, research, and practice and highlight the contribution that mixed methods can have in advancing motivation research.

The Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 2022

Reviewed by Navida Bachan and Cheryl N. Poth "Efective integration doesn't suddenly happen at the... more Reviewed by Navida Bachan and Cheryl N. Poth "Efective integration doesn't suddenly happen at the end of the project; it derives from a conversation that began as initial purposes and designs were being formulated, that then continued throughout the project" (p. 278). Tis quote illustrates the essential role of integration in mixed methods research and orients the reader to the practical approach advanced in the book for understanding the complex world from multiple viewpoints. Te author, Pat Bazeley, defnes integration as "the extent that diferent data elements and / or varied strategies for analysis of those elements are combined in such a way as to become interdependent (a twoway process) in reaching a common theoretical or research goal" (p. 10). Integrating Analyses in Mixed Methods Research is organized into three parts, containing a total of twelve chapters, and provides insights into the meaning of integration, strategies for integration, and suggestions for maximizing analyses. Te comprehensive discussion of foundational concepts surrounding integrated analyses is notable. Te book focuses on integration approaches to data collection and analysis that lead to warranted assertions. A valuable aspect throughout the book is the author's use of visual mapping, which provides the reader with a graphical way of understanding and appreciating the interconnected concepts. Additionally, the mapping is useful to the mixed methods researcher in order to apply their thinking about the various elements within the data and guide their identifcation of possible interactions during integration. Finally, visual mapping is also used to guide data representations to anticipate the nature and possible combination of the reported fndings; this adds to the practicality of the book. Tree prominent and impactful elements utilized throughout the book are the use of examples, sofware illustrations, and accompanying resources such as the companion website and databases. Examples allow the reader to grasp the concepts by seeing their use in real-world scenarios. T e sof ware illustrations demonstrate how the integrative process is navigated using and benef ting from technology. Accompanying resources, such as the website, list many helpful items to expand the reader's understanding of integrated analyses. For instance, in one of the videos, Bazeley explains the diferent ways in which integration of methods may occur in a project. Te exemplar report provided on the website also of ers a complete illustrative example of how integrated analyses are presented by topic. Furthermore, the databases shared allow the reader to review the analyses using a sofware that they are comfortable working with. Ultimately, each of these

Routledge eBooks, Apr 12, 2022

Physiotherapy, May 1, 2015

Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation

Strategies for optimizing evaluator education involve ongoing discussions within the field of eva... more Strategies for optimizing evaluator education involve ongoing discussions within the field of evaluation. There remains unrealized potential for authentic assessments to support and measure learning that demonstrates the integration of evaluation theory with practice. In this practice note, we advance collaborative evaluation designs as a useful authentic assessment for generating the type of applied learning evidence required within an evaluation-focused graduate course. First, we provide a brief review of educational literature, highlighting the value of authentic assessments and a description of the contexts where we effectively applied the col laborative evaluation design. Next, we offer details of the four instructional processes involved in the authentic assessment: planning, development, feedback, and meas urement. Finally, we advance lessons learned from our instructional experiences and the learner benefits of the collaborative evaluation design as an authentic assessment.

This study addresses the pressing need for attending to teacher e-professionalism, that is, the a... more This study addresses the pressing need for attending to teacher e-professionalism, that is, the appropriate application of information and communication strategies when using digital media. The authors examine data patterns related to 113 pre-service teachers' perceptions of e-professionalism, attitudes towards existing technology-related professional guidelines, and current behaviours on Facebook. The results from the online questionnaire suggest that these Western Canadian pre-service teachers are uncertain about what online behaviours should be restricted and whether maintaining e-professionalism was possible. Integrated findings are discussed in light of communication privacy management theory. The paper concludes by advancing implications for informing e-professional education for teachers. Cette étude adresse le besoin pressant pour assister e-professionnalisme d'enseignant, qui est, l'application appropriée de stratégies d'information et de communication lors ...

Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, 2021

Th is practice note describes the unique features of, and lessons learned from, UEval, an innovat... more Th is practice note describes the unique features of, and lessons learned from, UEval, an innovative one-week "evaluation institute" at the Faculty of Extension, University of Alberta. Th is initiative responds to an identifi ed community and university need to provide contextual and socially relevant evaluation-focused educational opportunities to learners across disciplines and sectors. UEval is guided by principles of participatory and experiential learning and brings together undergraduates, graduates, and community professionals as co-learners for a mutually benefi cial and sustainable educational experience. During the week, learners explore and apply evaluation theory through project-based curricula and develop evaluative responses to community-informed issues.

Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 2021

Purpose of Review There are a lack of system-wide integrative services for individuals with compl... more Purpose of Review There are a lack of system-wide integrative services for individuals with complex needs and a corresponding demand for advancing cross-disciplinary practices in community settings. This demand is especially acute for individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and a gap we have sought to address. Recent Findings We present findings from a literature scan to guide service delivery for individuals and families affected by FASD and other complex needs: four overarching guiding principles for policy decision-makers, seven guiding practices for organizations, and 23 guiding practices for service providers. Summary These identified principles and practices bridge diverse perspectives, with potential for their implementation to provide consistent, evidence-based services to underserved populations with complex needs.

Birth Defects Research, 2019

BackgroundThis study provides initial evidence of the contributions and suitability of relational... more BackgroundThis study provides initial evidence of the contributions and suitability of relational, trauma‐informed, and community‐based approaches for programs aimed at the prevention of future alcohol‐and drug‐exposed births. Specifically, this study extends understanding of the experiences of mentors providing evidence‐based 3‐year home visitation services through the Parent–Child Assistance Program (PCAP) in rural and isolated First Nation communities in Alberta, Canada.MethodsUsing a participatory approach to this research project, we explored existing PCAP services to capture implementation across six rural and isolated Alberta fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) networks involving First Nation communities over an 8‐month period. In total, we generated qualitative data with 35 participants to examine mentors' perceptions of the impacts and suitability of a relational, trauma‐informed, and community‐based approach to service delivery.ResultsSix major themes were revealed ...

The Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, Mar 28, 2022

For this special issue, our article provides an illustrative example of data integration in a com... more For this special issue, our article provides an illustrative example of data integration in a complex mixed methods design. It advances three mixed insights about the evaluation capacity needs of the early childhood feld generated by using a mixed methods community-based participatory research (MMCBPR) design. We integrated quantitative fndings from an evaluation capacity needs assessment tool with qualitative themes from community consultations. Findings highlight the pressing need for practices aimed at enhancing individual capacity through skills-based training, shifing organizational learning culture through resource investment, and cultivating interdependencies between organizational evaluation culture and individual evaluation capacity through engagement and collaborations.