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Roundtable

AEA Sponsored Sessions

Navigating the Role of Hosting Student Evaluation Case Competitions: Learning from the Experience

Stream:

Thursday, October 24, 2024
3:45 PM - 4:45 PM PST
Location: B117-119
Abstract Information: Student evaluation case competitions have occurred for over 25 years in different countries. Surveys of former participants have reported benefits such as teamwork experiences, an appreciation of evaluation as a field, the development of evaluation skills, and the ability to work within tight timeframes to complete deliverables. Participants have also stated that involvement in evaluation case competitions influenced their choice of evaluation as a career choice. The American Evaluation Association held its inaugural Student Evaluation Case Competition in 2023 through a Working Group of the American Evaluation Association and continues its work today. The purpose of the proposed roundtable is to get input from the evaluation community and to encourage participation in future competitions. This session will share an overview of the American Competition, including initial metrics on the competition. Hosting the American Case Competition has involved the following primary tasks: 1. identifying, selecting, and engaging a case organization in the key phases of case development, 2. developing case materials (e.g., case narratives, rubrics, pre-reading materials), 3. recruiting, selecting, and guiding judges to review student group submissions. Providing students with an evaluation case gives them a real-world opportunity that extends and enhances their academic learning. The role of judges is an essential aspect of student mentoring. We often forget that reviewing someone's work goes beyond a thumbs-up or down scenario. In the case competition, judges provide critical and constructive feedback to support students' experiential learning and facilitate their evaluation understanding. We will seek answers to the following during the Roundtable: • How might we, as the AEA community, leverage the opportunity to select a case – its theme and organization in future years of this competition? • How do other countries and/or the world select cases for student competitions? • What makes a person qualified to serve as a judge for the competition? • What criteria do we use for participants across different levels of students (e.g., undergraduate and graduate students)? • How can we better guide and support judges with their review of submissions for competitions such as this one?