ArtStories is a research initiative of Charles Darwin University, in the Northern Territory of Australia. Over three years ArtStories researchers are measuring the impact of shared artmaking in school communities upon

• partnership building
• wellbeing
• adult arts learning
• student learning outcomes

Data collected includes

• results of standardised tests
• semi-structured interviews
• focus groups
• student work samples
• practitioner journals
• video, audio and still photographs

Artstories is utilising a number of innovative evaluation tools. It is the first Australian educational research initiative to establish a partnership with the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE, North Carolina, USA). The Outcomes Engineering Toolbox (OET) was developed by Barry Kibel of PIRE. It is a web-based tool for collecting and transforming narrative data so that it can be reported in quantitative terms. ArtStories is using OET to measure partnership building in school communities. In addition, ArtStories is utilising StudioCode software for the analysis of visual data.