Workshop Evaluation

Having access to an array of potential stress management strategies in response to the variety of stressors your clients may encounter increases the likelihood of improving the coping response to stress. However, without a means by which to measure each strategy’s effectiveness for a particular stressor, blind treatment is what results.

When developing an evaluation of your stress management workshop, identify your intention for the workshop’s overall outcome. Then consider the outcome of your workshop using the following measures:

• How might you define or determine whether the workshop was successful?
• Consider asking what has changed. Has the program made a difference?
• Are behavioral changes going to occur? What behavior shifts have already occurred?
• How are the participants’ lives changed?
• Do they feel confident with the tools they were given?
• Can participants envision a previous stressful experience where the application of these tools would have benefited them?
• How well was the information relayed? Was the environment comfortable?
• Are there wider ripples of social effect due to the resulting policy changes or institutional practice?

For the assignment, you continue to build on your Final Project. Review the “Evaluation of the Guided Imagery Workshop” handout provided. Also, conduct an Internet search for additional examples of reputable workshop evaluations. Then, consider the various evaluation methods and select an evaluation method appropriate for your stress management workshop.

The Assignment (2–3 pages)

• Using APA essay format, describe the type of evaluation method you might use to examine the effectiveness of your stress management workshop and justify your selection.
• Develop your evaluation form and include it as an appendix to the above justification.
• Include a list of references in APA format.
• Submit the assignment for Instructor feedback.

Required Readings

Spaulding, D.T. (2008). Foundations of program evaluation. In Program evaluation in practice: Core concepts and examples for discussion and analysis (pp. 3–35). San Francisco, CA: Jossey–Bass.
Program Evaluation in Practice: Core Concepts and Examples for Discussion and Analysis, 1st Edition by Spaulding, D.T. Copyright 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. – Books. Reprinted by permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. – Books via the Copyright Clearance Center.

American Cancer Society. (2008). Humor therapy. Retrieved from Military Medicine, 176(8), 879–888. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Academic Search Complete database.

D’Eon, M., Sadownik, L., Harrison, A., & Nation, J. (2008). Using self-assessment to detect workshop success: Do they work? American Journal of Evaluation, 29(1), 92–98. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Sage Premier 2012 database.

Frick, L. R., Rapanelli, M., Bussmann, U. A., Klecha, A. J., Barreiro Arcos, M. L., Genaro, A. M., & Cremaschi, G. A. (2009). Involvement of thyroid hormones in the alterations of T-cell immunity and tumor progression induced by chronic stress. Biological Psychiatry, 65(11), 935–942. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the ScienceDirect Health Sciences Subject Collection database.

Martin, R. A. (2002). Is laughter the best medicine? Humor, laughter, and physical health. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11(6), 216–220. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Academic Search Complete database.

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. (2010). What is sleep apnea? Retrieved from Healthy sleep tips. Retrieved from Journal of Loss and Trauma, 15(5), 448–464. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Academic Search Complete database.

Steinert, Y., Boillat, M., Meterissian, S., Liben, S., & McLeod, P. J. (2008). Developing successful workshops: A workshop for educators. Medical Teacher, 30(3), 328–330.
Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Academic Search Complete database.

Stokenberga, I. (2008). Humorous personality: Relationship to stress and well-being. Baltic Journal of Psychology, 9(1/2), 70–84.
Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Academic Search Complete database.