Max, first of all, you may appreciate some thread that came out of
some conference evaluation processes. I know these are different than
courses, but the questions raised are useful.

The string includes:
http://australianoctober.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html#598518526733142013
Then John Smith took another interesting angle:
http://www.learningalliances.net/index.php/2006-11-29/analyzing-audience-feedbac\
k
and
http://www.learningalliances.net/index.php/2006-11-30/analyzing-audience-feedbac\
k-part-2

Robyn Jay, one of the organizers, responded (this link seems to be
down at the moment)
http://www.nswlearnscope.com/?p=234#comments

This conversation has been useful to me to think about a) how we ASK
for feedback, including context around privacy, ownership, etc of the
data b) of course WHAT we ask and finally c) how we interpret it.
This goes to Bill Harris' post of a few days ago about how we
interpret numbers, but also for the quantitative stuff, how we find
the diamonds and recognize chaff.

As to the questions I use, well, they are pretty basic. And a survey
is just one of 2-3 evaluation processes I'll use. I use personal
reflection exercises, paired conversations, after action review, etc.

Here is an example of a survye:
Feedback makes communities strong. It is also the lifeblood of the
online facilitation workshop. What you have experienced is an
accumulation of past contributions and feedback.

Please take a few minutes to offer your feedback. Feel free to
contribute to or skip sections, as appropriate, Thank you!

1. Your Name (Sometimes I do anonymous too)

2. I participated as a...
participant mentor

These first questions are about the workshop preparation and
expectations. This includes workshop description on the Full Circle
site, prepatory emails and texts.

3. What I liked about the preparation and workshop expectations:
4. What I would like to see different about the workshop preparation
and expectations:
The next questions are about the workshop format and technology
(including web based discussion, chat, telephone, emails):

5. What I liked about the format and technology:

6. What I would like to see different about the workshop technology and format:
The next set of questions refer to the workshop content and materials:

7. What I liked about the content and materials:
8. What I would like to see different about the content and materials:
The following questions refer to the workshop exercises and activities:

9. What I liked about the exercises and activities:
0. What I would like to see different about the exercises and activities:
The following questions refer to the workshop delivery, instruction
and facilitation:

11. What I liked about the workshop delivery, instruction and facilitation:
12. What I would like to see different about the workshop delivery,
instruction and facilitation:
13. What ideas from the event I expect will be most useful to me immediately:
14. For mentors, any comments on your experience as a mentor? For
participants, any comments on the presence and participation of mentors?
This one is a table so it won't come through very well...
15. Please reflect on your experience of the following aspects of the
workshop.
Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly
Disagree Other (please specify)
In the workshop, I felt part of a learning community.
I felt empowered to manage my learning experience.
I felt overwhelmed by volume but developed coping strategies
I learned something new about at least one technology.
I was able to practice some things.
I found the learning journal reflective practice useful.
I learned a lot from others in the workshop.
I found something in the workshop applicable to my needs and online
interaction settings.
I would like to return as a workshop mentor sometime in the future.

16. Any other thoughts you'd like to share? General comments?


At 11:24 AM 12/20/2006, you wrote:
>Dear Nancy,
>thanks so much, your message is very useful like always!!!! I for one would
>love to share our questions. One of the continuing question that I face
>within myself is how to get to the actual process behind the feedback. Open
>ended question work obviously better, like for example "what can the
>presenter in your opinion do to make herself more available to the
>participants?" gives me obviously more info then "how do you rate the
>availability of the presenter". If I get an answer that says, "be more aware
>of the groups needs" this can mean that I was not in touch with what the
>group really needed for their professional development, but also that I
>smiled at someone in the morning, that the person who answered that question
>happened to hate. Which then means that the feedback I get stays within my
>own box, so to speak, a protraying my own awareness of who I am as a
>facilitator. Do others ever deal with any of this, and if so how. I would be
>interested.
>my questions are usually around
>what worked for you, what didn't. What was your most important learning
>experience, what was affirming you, what was challenging you and what was
>disempowering your own thinking/acting.
>best wishes
>Max
>
>www.maxfxx.net
>

Nancy White - Full Circle Associates - http://www.fullcirc.com - 206-517-4754
In October http://australianoctober.blogspot.com
Blog: http://www.fullcirc.com/weblog/onfacblog.htm


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