Evaluation Reports

AAM Annual Report — July 2006
(Adobe PDF file 1.8 MB - requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Executive Summary

In mid 2006, the Adventure of the American Mind (AAM) program entered its seventh year and continued to be active in 7 states ( Colorado, Illinois, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Indiana) at 23 partner institutions. Through the Phase I and Phase II initiatives, more than 8,200 classroom teachers have received AAM training to date, and more than 2,800 have been mentored.

The greatest area of growth in AAM continues to be in Phase II, also known as the workshop-based approach. From its implementation in October 2003 to June 2006, more than 18,600 teachers have enrolled in AAM workshops, with over 7,000 achieving the basic training level. Because of the flexible and customizable nature of Phase II, participants learn to incorporate primary sources from the Library’s vast online collections by using a wide spectrum of state-of-the-art technology, software, and other rich media, and by participating in innovative workshop programs such as digital storytelling and library-based programs.

In early 2006, an independent evaluation of AAM’s workshop-based program was released. Conducted by the Education Development Center’s Center for Children and Technology, the report concluded that AAM programs were “well managed and effective at reaching K-12 teachers.” Researchers found two general approaches in practice:

• Type “A” Programs focusing on technical skills, familiarity with the Library of Congress Web site, and helping teachers make narrative multimedia products, such as PowerPoint presentations and digital stories
• Type “B” Programs focusing on helping teachers understand the nature and value of primary source archives as well as learn to conduct document-based activities with their students

Researchers found some partners using primarily the Type A approach, some using primarily the Type B approach, and some using a hybrid approach. The report concluded that the Type B approach was somewhat more effective in impacting advanced student learning, but that both approaches were similarly effective in provoking and developing critical thinking in students.

Through the Phase III faculty education programs, more than 1,000 university faculty members have been exposed to AAM, and many are integrating Library of Congress digitized resources into the regular college curricula. This achievement, combined with the Phase I and II results, means that more than 12,000 educators have been reached since the program began in 1999. An independent evaluation of the Phase III program will be conducted in 2007.

During the reporting year, two partner meetings were held, first in September 2005 in Chicago, and then again in March 2006 in Washington, DC. These semi-annual meetings continue to be effective in facilitating exchange of ideas, providing networking opportunities for program administrators and their staff, introducing new staff to the program, and in modeling activities using primary sources.

In 2006, AAM program partners entered the early phases of transitioning to the Library’s new Teaching with Primary Sources program. During 2006-07, most AAM partners will make this transition, while others (notably those in Western North Carolina and South Carolina) will conclude their programs in their respective regions. The final report of the AAM program will be published in 2007.

An Adventure of the American Mind is made available through a Library of Congress grant funded by the U.S. Congress. AAM is administered through the Education and Research Consortium of the Western Carolinas Inc.
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