In this episode, I talk with Jim McDavid, Ph.D., about his experience with mindfulness and meditation practice, how it has influenced him, and how it affects how he views and practices evaluation. Our conversation also covers practical wisdom, Jim’s interest in the environment, and challenges associated with determining cause and effect in evaluation. Jim is…
James Pann, Ph.D., interviews David Victorson, Ph.D., of True North Treks, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower young adults and caregivers affected by cancer to “find direction through connection” and mindfulness. As a child, David grew up surrounded by nature and its many restorative benefits. Therefore, when he went on to complete his…
I’ve written and talked before about how the work of evaluators can be supported through mindfulness practice. Well, would you believe it if I said that mindfulness can be indirectly enhanced through the use of an artificial intelligence technology? Let me explain how. Also, see the video below. GPT-3 Generative Pre-trained Transformer – 3 (GPT-3)…
In this interview, I speak with Amy Gullickson, acting Co-Director and Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Program Evaluation at Melbourne Graduate School of Education. She is also Chair of the International Society for Evaluation Education. We talk about what is the best definition of evaluation and why it is important to have a clear definition. Amy…
Thomas Archibald, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education at Virginia Tech. His practice and research are focused primarily on program evaluation and evaluation capacity building. He serves as the Chief of Party/Director of the Feed the Future Senegal Youth in Agriculture project, funded by…
Research has increased our understanding about how mindfulness based programs have their impact on people, or what is referred to as the mechanisms of mindfulness. Also, delaying school start times can provide adolescents, many of whom have significant sleep deficits, with much needed sleep resulting in many positive outcomes. In this post I wanted to share…
I recently led a skill-building workshop titled, Integrating Mindfulness into the Practice and Use of Evaluation at the American Evaluation Association national conference in Minneapolis. We went over various mindfulness-based practices and how to use them to inform our work. It was a lot of fun and thanks to those of you who attended. …
I was backpacking with my son in Yosemite National Park during the summer. We were making our way up to El Capitan from the west and John Coltrane’s take of Rogers and Hammerstein’s My Favorite Things was echoing in my head. I was thinking about the things I enjoy most and how they were related with…
Data Talks with James Pann, Episode 4 is with Sameet Kumar, Ph.D., a psychologist at the Memorial Cancer Institute, serving the patients of the Memorial Healthcare System in south Broward County. We focus on
Many graduate and other students confuse the terms “clinical problem” and “research problem.” It is understandable but they are not one and the same. There is an important distinction that has practical implications for people interested in engaging in research.
