COSEE National Network Evaluation

这是一项对COSEE网络进行国家评估的建议。在这份提案中，我们提出了一种设计和进行评价的方法。这种方法以协作设计为中心，在COSEE网络内创建一个评估者社区，并从广泛的角度看待对COSEE的投资如何为该领域做出贡献。我们建议的主要评估任务包括对中心进行年度调查，创建评估员社区，并通过访谈和实地访问的形式直接从中心收集数据。我们认为COSEE是对国家海洋科学教育基础设施的投资：一个由中心和相关合作伙伴组成的网络，不仅可以提供教育服务，还可以建设实地开展更高质量和更广泛的海洋科学教育的能力。我们认为，对COSEE的评价既应侧重于COSEE正在作出的直接教育贡献，也应侧重于在为该领域创造领导、合作、知识和宣传方面的更无形的贡献。我们还认为，评估应该帮助COSEE更好地了解自己，改进其设计，向其管理层提供信息，并改进其实施。COSEE网络代表着一种复杂的安排，它创建了一个将不同的海洋科学教育中心连接在一起的国家网络。这里提出的评估计划借鉴并补充了网络、中心和科学教育改进的基础设计原则的知识库。评估不仅将记录该网络对公众和专业受众的贡献，还将研究该网络，将其作为改进海洋科学教育基础设施的范例。这种概念化将有助于创建一个评估框架，使人们能够更丰富地了解NSF在大型复杂网络项目中的投资的多个维度。因此，评价将有助于建立知识库，为设计和评价大规模实地建设举措提供信息。这项拟议的评估计划将以多种方式促进教育，特别是科学教育的改善。首先，它将通过研究该网络为其目标受众提供服务的方式和程度，并为各种受众提供精心设计的学习海洋科学的机会，帮助COSEE了解对该网络所作的投资。其次，通过了解改进网络运作方式的需要和机会，评价将帮助COSEE网络更好地管理其资源的使用。第三，评估将有助于更好地了解该网络如何建设个人和集体能力，以开展高质量的海洋科学教育。最后，评估将有助于更好地理解这种设计--一个独立中心的网络--如何在其他领域使用，以进一步发展国家改进的科学教育基础设施。

This is a proposal to conduct the national evaluation of the COSEE Network. In this proposal we lay out an approach for designing and conducting the evaluation. This approach centers around collaborative design, creating a community of evaluators within the COSEE network, and taking a broad perspective on the ways in which the investment in COSEE is making contributions to the field. The major evaluation tasks we propose include an annual survey of Centers, the creation of an evaluator community, and direct data gathering from Centers in the form of interviews and site visits. We see COSEE as an investment in a national infrastructure for Ocean Sciences education: a network of Centers and associated partners that can not only provide educational services but also build the capacity of the field for doing higher quality and more extended Ocean Sciences education. We believe that the evaluation of COSEE should focus on both the direct educational contributions that COSEE is making, but also on the more intangible contributions in terms of generating leadership, collaborations, knowledge and advocacy for the field. We also argue that the evaluation should help COSEE better understand itself, improving its design, informing its management, and refining its implementation. The COSEE Network represents a sophisticated arrangement that creates a national network linking together distinct Ocean Sciences Education Centers. The evaluation plan proposed here draws upon and adds to a knowledge base of the design principles underlying networks, centers, and science education improvement. The evaluation will not only document the contributions of the network to public and professional audiences, but also study the network as an example of an improvement infrastructure for Ocean Sciences education. This conceptualization will help to create an evaluative framework that will allow for a richer understanding of the multiple dimensions of NSF's investments in large complex network projects. The evaluation will thus contribute to the knowledge base that informs the design and evaluation of large-scale, field-building initiatives. This proposed evaluation plan will promote the improvement of education, particularly science education, in multiple ways. First, it will help COSEE understand the investment made in the Network by studying the ways in which and the extent to which the network is serving its intended audiences and providing well-designed opportunities for a variety of audiences to learn Ocean Science. Second, the evaluation will help the COSEE Network better manage the use of its resources, by understanding the needs and opportunities for refining the way in which the Network operates. Third, the evaluation will contribute to a better understanding of ways in which the Network builds both individual and collective capacity for doing high-quality Ocean Sciences education. And finally the evaluation will contribute to a better understanding of how this design -- a network of independent centers -- can be used in other arenas to further develop a national improvement infrastructure for science education.