To assess how ArtsSmarts' model of creative inquiry can improve teaching and learning, ArtsSmarts has developed unique quantitative and qualitative research instruments for evaluation.

Our research instruments allow us to build practice-based knowledge about the dynamics of engagement in classrooms when students have the opportunity to experience creative inquiry as a powerful way of learning.

Quantitative
The quantitative research instrument is the ArtsSmarts Student Engagement Questionnaire (ASEQ) administered to students for self-reporting before (pre-questionnaire) and after (post-questionnaire) participating in an ArtsSmarts project.

Launched during the 2007-08 school year, the questionnaire asks students a series of questions which allows us to assess the effects of ArtsSmarts projects on each of the three dimensions of engagement - which we call doing, feeling and learning - while also contributing to our knowledge of engagement as a promising outcome of learning contexts, concepts, processes and products.

This tool was validated in a 2007-08 pilot, and in 2008-09, it was rolled out and available for use by all ArtsSmarts partners across the country.

Qualitative
To accompany this quantitative research tool, ArtsSmarts developed a qualitative tool that allows artists and teachers to plan for their project and simultaneously document and reflect on the work they undertake together.  This tool also enables ArtsSmarts to gather local data about projects over time and then share that information with our national level learning community via symposia, mentorships and joint-work projects.

Called the ArtsSmarts Inquiry Template (AIT), the AIT was based on a template originally designed by Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education and customized for ArtsSmarts projects by our partner ArtsSmarts Durham Region with support from the Ontario Ministry of Education.

This tool was tested in five partner locations in 2008-09 and made available for use by all partners in 2009-10.