Do You Need Research or Evaluation?

As a non-profit organization, ILI conducts both evaluation and research to further the field's understanding of free-choice learning. Our clients often ask us about the difference between these two services and which one is most appropriate for their needs. The answer to that question depends on the purpose of the study, and because each project is unique, we will need to discuss it with you further before determining a course of action.

The education staff at a city's science museum would like to know how interactive experiences facilitate intergenerational learning, to better plan a future exhibit on robotics. Do they need help conducting research or an evaluative study?

Research enables you to seek explanations, draw conclusions, advance knowledge, or understand relationships. It usually requires a rigorous, independent study, and the findings can be broadly applicable.

Evaluation is more focused. It helps you solve problems and make decisions about the effectiveness of a specific program, for example. The results can guide planning and strengthen programming.

If the science museum above were our client, we might suggest that we would conduct a small literature review of the research currently available on intergenerational learning. We would then follow up with a front-end evaluation study to see how that research could be integrated with the science museum's specific needs and audiences. This is only one suggestion among several possibilities. Each of our suggestions would take into account your specific situation.