Forum BEVI Project
The Forum BEVI Project is a special collaboration between the International Beliefs and Values Institute (IBAVI) and the Forum on Education Abroad. Initiated in 2007, this state-of-the-art project uses the Beliefs, Events, and Values Inventory (BEVI) to assess the processes and outcomes of international, multicultural, and transformative learning, broadly defined.
Project Overview and Recent Activities
To learn more about the latest developments, please see the PowerPoint presentation from the April, 2011 roundtable session at the Forum Annual Conference, The Forum BEVI Project in 2010 - 2011: Assessment, Research, Teaching, and Training, along with the current activities and future plans of the Forum - IBAVI Working Group on BEVI Implementation in Research, Education, and Practice. If you, your institution, or organization would like to learn more about this project, including how to participate or gain access to the BEVI, please feel free to contact one or more members of the Working Group (contact information is available at the above link), the Forum on Education Abroad (info@forumea.org), or the International Beliefs and Values Institute (ibavi@ibavi.org).
About the BEVI
In development since the early 1990s, the Beliefs, Events, and Values Inventory (BEVI) is an innovative analytic tool that examines how and why we come to see ourselves, others, and the larger world as we do (e.g., how life experiences, culture, and context affect our beliefs, values, and worldview) as well as the influence of such processes on multiple aspects of human functioning (e.g., learning processes, relationships, personal growth, the pursuit of life goals). For example, highly relevant to international, multicultural, and transformative learning, the BEVI assesses processes such as:
- Basic openness;
- The tendency to (or not to) stereotype in particular ways;
- Self- and emotional awareness;
- Preferred strategies for making sense of why “other” people and cultures “do what they do”;
- Global engagement (e.g., receptivity to different cultures, religions, and social practices); and,
- Worldview shift (e.g., to what degree do beliefs and values change as a result of specific experiences).
Usage of the BEVI
Individuals, groups, institutions, and organizations use the BEVI for a variety of assessment and intervention purposes, including:
- To evaluate learning experiences (e.g., study abroad; multicultural courses; service learning);
- To understand learning processes (e.g., who learns what and why, and under what circumstances);
- To promote learning objectives (e.g., increased awareness of self, others, and the larger world);
- To enhance teaching and program quality (e.g., which experiences or courses have what impact, and why);
- To facilitate growth and development (e.g., of individuals, groups, organizations);
- To conduct research (e.g., how and why do people become more “open” to different cultures);
- To address organizational needs (e.g., staff / leadership development; assess organizational climate); and,
- To comply with assessment and accreditation requirements (e.g., substantive assessment).
BEVI Reports
BEVI results are translated automatically into reports at the individual, group, and organizational level. Individual reports have multiple applications (e.g., as a teaching tool in classes, or during pre-departure orientation sessions for an international learning experience), and are designed to facilitate thoughtful and substantive reflection on self, others, and the world at large. Group and organizational reports provide cohort profiles, index scores, and other analyses that help course instructors, program directors, and administrators understand how different groups see the world before a learning experience occurs (e.g., education abroad), and how much “worldview shift” occurs as a result of the experience. In addition to individualized reports and pre/post testing at the group or organizational level, the BEVI may be used for many other assessment and research purposes as well (e.g., to track learning processes over time; evaluate program outcomes; meet institutional assessment needs; examine specific research questions; use the BEVI with other measures and research projects).
The Pilot Phase of the Forum BEVI Project
The following colleges, universities, and study abroad providers - all members of the Forum on Education Abroad - participated in a "pilot" phase of this project: Brethren Colleges Abroad, Dickinson College, IES Abroad, International Studies Abroad, James Madison University, Michigan State University, Saint Mary’s College, Saint Olaf College, University of South Carolina, University of Texas, and Wells College. The "pilot phase" was completed in 2009, and included administration of the BEVI to nearly 2,000 international learning participants in the U.S. and internationally. Statistical analysis narrowed the original number of factors on the BEVI from 40 to 18; nearly 60 items also were eliminated during the subsequent review process. Norms are now established for each of these "scales" (i.e.,factors), with most reliabilities above .80 or .90 (no scale has a reliability of less than .75). Three new qualitative items were integrated into the BEVI prior to the pilot phase, which allow for complementary types of analyses.
The Forum-IBAVI Working Group on BEVI Implementation
In 2010, the Forum on Education Abroad and the International Beliefs and Values Institute established the Forum - IBAVI Working Group on BEVI Implementation in Research, Education, and Practice. The working group is charged with 1) identifying and investigating empirical and theoretical questions that may be pursued via the BEVI, and which are of relevance to international, multicultural, and transformative research, assessment, and practice, broadly defined; 2) providing guidance regarding how the BEVI may best be used to promote learning, growth, and development in various educational, applied, and practical contexts and settings; and, 3) specifying best practices for usage of the BEVI’s individual, group, and organizational report system. Among other outcomes, it is anticipated that the Forum-IBAVI Working Group will present the results of its work at the Forum’s annual conference, other professional venues, and in publications. Members of the working group are: Brad Baltensperger, Cynthia Banks, Mell Bolen, Stephen DePaul, Jennifer Engel, Missy Gluckman, R.T. Good, Esther E. Gottlieb, Dawn I. Pysarchik, Craig N. Shealy, Lee G. Sternberger, and Arnd Wächter.
Additional Information
If you, your institution, or organization are interested in learning more about the Forum BEVI Project or BEVI, please see www.thebevi.com or contact us directly via the Forum on Education Abroad (info@forumea.org) or International Beliefs and Values Institute (ibavi@ibavi.org).
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