Community Organizing in/as Adult Education

The purpose of this paper is to explore the conceptual and practical overlaps of adult education and community organizing, in an effort to promote participation, equity, and justice through adult education

Evidence in Practice: A Study of “Evidence-Based” Non-Formal Education

Non-formal education programs are under increasing pressure to be “evidence-based,” where evidence derived from randomized controlled trials is seen as the most credible type of evidence—the “gold standard.” This qualitative study explores the politics of evidence enacted in the practices of the “evidencebased” education movement, focusing on three cases

Whose Extension Counts? A Plurality of Extensions and Their Implications for Credible Evidence Debates

The debate over what counts as credible evidence often occurs on a methodological level (i.e., about what technical applications of systematic inquiry provide believable, justifiable claims about a program). Less often, it occurs on an epistemological level (i.e., about what ways of knowing are appropriate for making claims about a program). Even less often, the debate touches on ontological concerns (i.e., about what conceptualizations of reality, in general or in relation to a specific program, are in play when we wish to make claims about that program). For example, whether we understand Extension to be a vehicle for the dissemination of scientific knowledge or a site of grassroots democracy matters when we seek to evaluate Extension with credibility. The purpose of this paper is to examine the credible evidence debates through an ontological lens, showing why and how different narratives (or different realities) of Extension must be considered when we seek credible evidence about Extension

Four Approaches to Building Extension Program Evaluation Capacity

Extension educators are expected to more fully evaluate programs. In response, evaluation capacity building (ECB) is a necessary component of Extension educator professional development. One size rarely fits all; ECB more likely succeeds if it is well aligned with the educator\u27s evaluation needs and the type of educational effort. Four approaches to Extension work have been documented—service, facilitation, content transmission, and transformative education. These approaches require different evaluation measures and therefore different forms of ECB