Joanne Cantor has more than twenty years’ experience doing evaluation research, mainly for nonprofit organizations that have programs promoting educational or prosocial goals.
For the past six years, she has been the principal evaluator on Fusion Science Theater (FST). Funded by the National Science Foundation, this project uses principles of theater to engage children in scientific demonstrations that teach them scientific concepts as well as making them like science more. FST incorporates assessment of learning into the show itself. Before-and-after balloting (“vote your prediction”) on the central scientific concept being conveyed not only provides quantitative evidence of knowledge gained; it strongly motivates children to pay attention and learn.
See the Summative Evaluation of the 2007-2010 FST Planning Grant
A sampling of Dr. Cantor’s other projects:
- (1993-1998): Evaluation research for Wisconsin Public Television‘s series Get Real!, with funding from the National Science Foundation.
- (1996): National Survey of Parents’ Attitudes about Current Rating Systems for Media, for the National PTA. Funding from Institute for Mental Health Initiatives, Washington, DC.
- (1998-99): Evaluation of Safe Night USA, a production of Wisconsin Public Television, funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
- (2000): Formative Evaluation of Pilot Program for “Cultural Horizons” television series for schools, Wisconsin Educational and Communications Board.
- (2005-2006): Formative Evaluation of a pilot program for “democracy it is!,” a television series for K-12 schools, Wisconsin Educational and Communications Board.
More information on these and other projects is available on request.
Dr. Cantor’s evaluation services run the gamut from small, one-time questionnaire assessments to large-scale multi-year projects, including both formative and summative evaluations and qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Contact Dr. Cantor for more information on how her evaluation services can enhance your project.
