Update: the powerpoint file used during the presentation of this material at the AEA 2011 conference is here:
In his book, The Educational Imagination, Elliot Eisner proposes that educational evaluation is and should be treated as an art form. In this presentation, we take that notion one step further by comparing evaluation to a specific art form, that of dance. The analogy will compare organizational evaluation types to different kinds of partner dance.
Corresponding Elements of Dance and Evaluation
The Gentleman: Stakeholders
The gentleman’s job in a dance partnership is to guide the lady. This is also referred to as leading. In the analogy, the gentleman represents the stakeholders of the evaluation as it is their responsibility to guide evaluators in their duties.
The Lady: Evaluators
Since the gentleman’s job is to lead, the lady’s role is to follow. In our estimation, this is what a good evaluator should do; effectively follow the lead of stakeholders. While both partners are essential to the dance, the lady is usually the one in the spotlight. She adds additional value to the dance by helping to create something beautiful.
Connection: Communication
Connection between partners refers to the gentleman’s ability to communicate to the lady the next steps in the dance. Connection is less necessary in dances where the order of the steps is laid out in advance. In others, the steps are known in advance but their order is spontaneous, making connection between partners absolutely essential. The relative importance of the communication flow between stakeholders and evaluators similarly depends on the type of evaluation to be performed.
The Dance: Evaluation
The dance is the interchange created by the give-and-take movement between partners. In evaluation just as in dance, this relationship is dynamic and depends on the many other factors involved.
The Steps: Criteria
Each dance comes with a set of steps that dancers are expected to learn. Such steps serve as the foundation for how the dance will proceed, although they can be modified to fit the needs of the dancers or to better match the music. In evaluation, these steps or dance moves represent the criteria or the ‘shoulds’ of the evaluation which guide the evaluation process.
The Music: Culture
In partner dancing, the music generally begins prior to the dance and establishes the rhythm. This subsequently guides the dancers as to what type of movement and steps are appropriate. In this analogy, music is compared to the culture of the organization. In most cases, the culture of the organization is established long before evaluators arrive on the scene.
Types of Dance and their Counterparts in Evaluation
After identifying the pieces of the dance analogy and their corresponding entities in evaluation, expressing particular types of evaluation through the medium of dance was the next logical step. The intent was to capture the look and feel of each kind of evaluation according to our understanding. The paragraphs below provide a brief description of this attempt.
Dance: Baroque
The type of baroque dance we reference is of the variety often portrayed in films based on the works of Jane Austen. In such dances, a gentleman invites a lady to the floor to serve as his partner. She takes his hand, he guides her to the floor, and the dance is begun with a formal bow and curtsy. During the dance, couples ritualistically perform a series of steps that have been previously learned by all participants. So, while couples engage in the dance together, their movements remain relatively independent of one another. The music serves to establish the tempo of the dance and indicates which steps are to be performed, but adds little more to the experience. The dance concludes following a final bow and curtsy.
Evaluation: Formative/Summative
The reason we chose this dance to represent formative/summative evaluation was due to its formal nature. In such evaluations, stakeholders and evaluators meet and establish the criteria beforehand. These criteria serve as fairly rigid guides throughout the entire evaluation process. While some communication is still required, the evaluation generally moves forward unaltered by stakeholders, evaluators, or circumstance. While the organizational culture provides a context for the evaluation, that is essentially the extent of its influence.
Dance: Waltz
The waltz is a beautiful, flowing partner dance. Even in choreographed waltzes, success depends on the partners’ ability to establish a strong connection in order to coordinate their movements. Even if both dancers know the steps, failing to respond appropriately to their partner causes the dance to quickly fall apart. Music is usually an integral part of waltz; the dance performed and steps used are specifically designed to fit with and enhance the message of the music.
Evaluation: Appreciative Inquiry
Part of what made this particular dance so perfect for expressing Appreciative Inquiry was the music. There is a definite culture and mindset that accompanies Appreciative Inquiry that must be absorbed into the culture of the organization, namely the ability to recognize things that are extraordinary about ordinary organizations on ordinary days. Stakeholders and evaluators must communicate well and support each other in order for such an evaluation to be effective. Such communication generally occurs in the form of formal meetings. While the criteria for performing Appreciative Inquiry in an organization are similar, their implementation should be responsive to the organizational culture.
Swing: Developmental Evaluation
While swing can appear uncontrolled, at its core it’s all about the dynamic interaction between partners. The effectiveness of a swing dance depends entirely on the ability of partners to read one another’s movements and respond accordingly. The leading style is different and more loose than other styles of dance, making excellent connection between partners even more essential. While steps are learned by partners before going into the dance, improvisation is welcome and even encouraged since it enriches the dance. Moves that uniquely highlight the music are also encouraged.
Evaluation: Developmental
In a similar way, developmental evaluation is designed to be highly responsive. While this evaluation style may seem uncontrolled when compared with other types, communication between stakeholders and evaluators becomes the key to unlocking evaluative success. During such evaluations, change is viewed not as a surprise, but an expectation. As such, developmental evaluation is uniquely designed to respond to the needs of organizations constantly in motion, celebrating instead of suppressing that feature.
We hope this analogy has effectively communicated our views and basic understanding of evaluation. We also hope this comparison of partner dance to organizational evaluation might provide new insights and helpful ways of considering evaluation to those already immersed in the field.
Review of Developmental Evaluation 