4.0 EVALUATING THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE

There is a need to evaluate the effect of whale watch education. Of particular interest is the question of whether education received on a whale watch is retained and changes the behaviour of the watchers, making them more sensitive to other environmental and conservation issues. Such an evaluation has not been conducted in any systematic way, although many individual tour operators, some outside researchers and some NG0s have undertaken the task for particular whale watch operations.

The Workshop thought it important to set forth some general principles and ideas about this topic which could then be used in future.

4.1 Reasons to evaluate

The rationale for a systematic evaluation emphasises three points:

• 1) to investigate whether the goals and values (information transfer and change in normative measures) of education are being met;
• 2) to identity those component parts of educational programmes which are either working or not working;
• 3) to measure the significance of any success in terms of its impact on the improved condition of the species and/or habitat, and the cost-effectiveness of the effort. (Cost in this case is meant to mean impact on the species, economic and energy demands on the educator, and any impact on the whale watcher.)

4.2 What to evaluate

Two general categories were identified as targets of evaluation.

• 1) elements of programme delivery, and
• 2) changes in the audience.

The ultimate success of educational programs is in part a function of the platform of delivery, the personnel interacting with the participants as guides or naturalists, the nature of the presentation, the collateral materials utilised, and the linkages to other sources of information or activities identified as part of the whale watch. Each of these elements should be investigated to determine what varieties of each element are associated with the most effective programme.

In the final analysis, the success of educational programmes on whale watch excursions must be judged on the basis of changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of the participants. It should be noted that these changes could be measured in both immediate and long-term scales. In addition, evaluations of change should be related to the ongoing nature of each specific programme to determine whether the programme demonstrates evidence of improvement over time. Specific goals of educational programmes with respect to knowledge, attitudes and behaviours are specified in Sections 2 and 3 (above) dealing with educational and conservation themes.

4.3 How to evaluate

The particular mechanisms for evaluating the effectiveness of educational programmes on whale watches should be selected by specialists in quantitative methods. Evaluation techniques used by the travel management industry and ecotourism companies may have relevance to this task. There are many sources of bias inherent in studies of attitudinal changes, and behavioural changes may be extremely difficult to monitor over extended periods of time,

Nonetheless, it is imperative that standardised methodologies be used in consultation with appropriate experts to ensure the validity and replicability of any significant findings. Ensuring such standardisation will enhance the ability to generalise the results to many other areas as well as the identification of area-specific features of particular programmes.

4.4 Who should evaluate

As in other phases of programme development, it is recommended that the evaluation process result from partnership of government, NGO, industry, research and community groups. It was felt that government agencies may serve an important function by requiring effective evaluation of programmes on an on-going basis.

The results of evaluations would be of most value if published in peer-reviewed literature to enable the widest possible dissemination of information concerning the effective elements of successive educational programmes on whale watches.

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