31 Copyright © 2012, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Chapter 2 DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-0182-6.ch002 1 INTRODUCTION For over twenty years, a wide variety of programs have introduced K-12 students to robotics. Large programs such as FIRST, started in 1989, and Bot- ball, started in 1997, have brought robotics to tens of thousands of students. There are many reports, mostly anecdotal, that students are motivated by such experiences and by other exposures to robot- ics in their classrooms. However, enrollment in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) at the college level continues to be a concern, even after more than twenty years of organized programs using robotics to attract students. Are these robotics education programs having any impact in increasing student interest in STEM fields? In order to determine the answer to this ques- tion, robotics researchers, designing and offering Kristen Stubbs Electra Studios, formerly of iRobot Corporation, USA Jennifer Casper The MITRE Corporation, USA Holly A. Yanco University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA Designing Evaluations for K-12 Robotics Education Programs ABSTRACT While a large number of robotics programs for K-12 students have been developed and deployed in the past twenty years, the effect that these programs have on students’motivations to enter science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers has yet to be fully determined. In order to demonstrate the value of these programs, researchers must make a concerted effort to measure their impact. Based on prior work in the evaluation of educational robotics programs, the authors of this chapter present frequently-utilized evaluation and measurement methods as well as guidelines for selecting these methods based on factors such as a program’s duration, size, and maturity. This chapter is intended for use as a reference guide for designing evaluations of K-12 educational robotics programs.