EVALUATION COURSE -- Focus on Food Safety Education

Course Objective

A good evaluation plan is critical to providing credible evidence about the effectiveness of a food safety education program. The purpose of these nine modules is to give one grounding in practical evaluation methods so that they can begin to collect evidence about their programs. The course is designed for Extension Agents and other food safety educators who develop and/or deliver food safety education programs at the local level.

What the Educator will Learn:

• The components of a good evaluation plan.
• Sound data collection and analytical methods. 
• Evaluating a food safety education programs.

Course Outline

1. Program Evaluation -- Five Steps to Conduct An Evaluation, Ethnical Considerations
2. Conceptual Framework -- Bennet’s Hierarchy of Evidence, Logic Model
3. Evaluation Instruments -- Types of Items, Wording an Evaluation Instrument, Formatting an Instrument, Pretesting an Instrument
4. Reliability and Validity -- Reliability, Validity, Threats to Validity
5. Collecting Data -- Ways to Collect Data
6. Sampling -- Population, Sample, Types of Sampling, Determining Sample Size
7. Quantitative Data Analysis -- Quantitative Data
8. Qualitative Data Analysis -- Qualitative Data
9. Evaluating a Food Safety Program -- Reporting and Instruments

Course Format

One must read all eight modules. At the end of each module is a short "Test Your Knowledge" quiz.

Course Developer

Dr. Angela Fraser is an Associate Professor/Food Safety Education Specialist with the NC Cooperative Extension at NC State University. Dr. Fraser’s primary responsibilities are to develop and evaluate food safety training programs that can be delivered by county Extension Agents. Dr. Fraser has a B.S. in Dietetics, an M.S. in Institutional Administration, and a Ph.D. in Food Science. All of her degrees were earned at Michigan State University.

ENTER TO BEGIN LEARNING ABOUT PROGRAM EVALUATION

If you have questions, contact Dr. Angela Fraser, Associate Professor/Food Safety Education Specialist, Clemson University, Clemson, SC.

Clemson University is an AA/EEO employer and does not discriminate against any person or group on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.