Signal Boost: EvalULand Podcast
Man wearing headphones walks across a bridge toward a city in the distance
This month, I’d like to take the opportunity to highlight a great podcast I’ve been enjoying for many years. Dr. Dana Linnell Wanzer’s EvalULand offers interviews with evaluation professionals on a broad variety of evaluation-related topics, navigating the complexities and unique experiences that exist in the evaluation field.
The podcast premiered in 2020 and has over 40 episodes out now. As a practicing evaluator, I appreciate the way listening to this podcast makes me feel like I’m chatting with colleagues and sharing ideas. Non-evaluators may enjoy getting an insider view into the kinds of challenges we encounter and interesting questions we grapple with. This podcast would be an excellent resource for informal STEM education professionals looking to grow their evaluation literacy or for professionals interested in making a pivot into the evaluation space. You’d certainly get an idea of the unique critical thinking and problem-solving involved in this work.
Linnell is an excellent interviewer, and I appreciate her attention to including a wide range of evaluation voices. A few episodes I found valuable included conversations focused on entrepreneurship and evaluation, particularly the episodes featuring Drs. Tamara Hamai (episode 38) and Nina Sabarre (episode 26). I also enjoyed the interviews with Allison Prieur (episode 43), a current graduate student and consultant, and Dr. Tatiana Bustos (episode 40), a community-based participatory research expert.
Screenshot of EvalULand podcast episode 43 with Allison Prieur
A highlight of the episode with Dr. Tatiana Bustos was a discussion on the community's engagement in community-based participatory research. The interview even cited an example of community members participating in the data analysis process. Check out the short clips below.
In sum, I’d recommend EvalULand to practicing evaluators, prospective evaluators, and other folks interested in taking a peek into the land of evaluation.
Have ideas for podcasts, blogs, or other media related to evaluation and informal STEM education we should check out? Let us know at hello@improvedinsights.com!
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