[Foss4g2009] Re: [Workshops] FOSS4G2008 workshop and lab evaluations

Fri Mar 6 02:11:37 EST 2009

Cameron

As I understood it the current standardised questionire has been in circulation the last 3 years+. It is no longer then one page. It has been based on ongoing experimentation and interaction. I do believe that the presenters should be educate don what the participants will rate them. The template is available if you want it in raw .doc/.odt format.

Kind regards,
Burnie Nawn  
Tel. No. (011) 773 1682
Cell No. 072 134 5352
Fax No. 086 613 2741
E-mail: jbnawn at hotmail.com

> Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 06:41:32 +1100
> From: cameron.shorter at gmail.com
> To: GavinF at mintek.co.za
> Subject: Re: [Foss4g2009] Re: [Workshops] FOSS4G2008 workshop and lab evaluations
> CC: foss4g2009 at lists.osgeo.org; conference-workshops at lists.osgeo.org
> 
> +1 from me too.
> 
> Any chance we could get a volunteer to start putting together an 
> evaluation form now?
> I think it would be good for presenters to see the evaluation form in 
> advance, and potentially improve the presentation accordingly.
> 
> My suggestion is "Less Questions = More Responders".
> Form must be no longer than one page.
> Core questions need should be able to be filled out in 3 to 4 minutes, 
> with space to add comments if you wish.
> 
> Gavin Fleming wrote:
> > +1
> >
> > Besides workshop evaluations, the full conference evaluation should also
> > be a web form. 
> >
> > Perhaps this existing OSGeo resource could be used:
> > http://community.osgeo.net/survey 
> >
> > Gavin 
> > 
> > 
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: foss4g2009-bounces at lists.osgeo.org
> > [mailto:foss4g2009-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Jeff McKenna
> > Sent: 05 March 2009 15:13 PM
> > To: FOSS4G conference workshops subcommittee; FOSS4G2009 - general
> > Subject: [Foss4g2009] Re: [Workshops] FOSS4G2008 workshop and lab
> > evaluations
> >
> > (forwarding to the main 2009 list also)
> >
> > Thanks Burnie, after the great work yourself and Graeme did last year 
> > for the workshops your input on 2009 is much appreciated.
> >
> > I agree that the location of the workshops in relation to the main 
> > sessions is very important (we first hit this issue in 2004, and it 
> > comes back once in a while). Not only does it affect the attendees 
> > (difficult to find the workshop), but as you mentioned, it stretches the
> >
> > resources of the workshop committee.
> >
> > I'm also glad that you mentioned the workshop evaluations. Actually, I 
> > remember Graeme and I talking last year after the event and we both 
> > FIRMLY agreed that the only way to do workshop/tutorial questionnaires 
> > at future events would be to do it through a web form. Why not? Every 
> > attendee will be sitting at a computer, so why not point them to a 
> > website for them to go through some questions. Big benefit: no more 
> > converting/compiling from paper responses to digital! (TylerM is a big 
> > fan of these online forms)
> >
> > What do we think for 2009? After 6 years in a row of paper workshop 
> > evaluations, I don't see ANY OTHER WAY to handle evaluations.
> >
> > -jeff
> >
> >
> >
> > burnie nawn wrote:
> > 
> >> Morning All
> >> 
> >> I think it is time to put more information to the table supplied. This
> >> 
> >
> > 
> >> would then also serve to inform the new LOC on what can improve.
> >> 
> >> As you are well aware we actually ran workshops on 5 different
> >> 
> > locations 
> > 
> >> at one time. One of the venues was more then 5km's away. Logistically 
> >> this was a challenge and we were ensured that the new LOC will take
> >> 
> > this 
> > 
> >> in consideration.
> >> 
> >> We further ran a record number of workshops and labs. The human 
> >> resources available to do this was stretched beyond the limit in both 
> >> setting up and preparing but also in running it and ensuring all goes 
> >> well. Volunteers did help greatly in distributing the printed
> >> 
> > materials, 
> > 
> >> including the evaluation questionaire.
> >> 
> >> We have however found that at certain venues participants did not
> >> 
> > return 
> > 
> >> their questionaires as requested or did not fill them in. In certain 
> >> case one or two pages might have gotten entangled in another pile when
> >> 
> >
> > 
> >> volunteers collected forms. As you would have seen under our planning 
> >> for FOSS4G2008 we used a generic template. The problem was that 
> >> participants did not fill in the workshop they attended and sometimes 
> >> only wrote Tuesday Lab on it. My guess is there are two ways to
> >> 
> > improve 
> > 
> >> this:
> >> 1. Print the questionaire with the workshop/lab title, which means you
> >> 
> >
> > 
> >> need to know precisely how many is attending or do a maximum bulk
> >> 
> > print, 
> > 
> >> which is too costly.
> >> 2. Have a house keeping slide in every venue to remind participants to
> >> 
> >
> > 
> >> write the workshop title on teh form as well and have that re-inforced
> >> 
> >
> > 
> >> by presenters at the end of each workshop/lab.
> >> 
> >> So to get back to the comments thus far. Thank your for helping us out
> >> 
> >
> > 
> >> and finding the one or two that was mis-filed. I will change the 
> >> settings this morning so you can at least see all the fields. I will 
> >> chat to Gavin and see how we can optimise participation and insight
> >> 
> > into 
> > 
> >> the feedback.
> >> 
> >> Looking forward to enhance everybody's experience at FOSS4G.
> >> 
> >> Kind regards,
> >> Burnie Nawn 
> >> Tel. No. (011) 773 1682
> >> Cell No. 072 134 5352
> >> Fax No. 086 613 2741
> >> E-mail: jbnawn at hotmail.com <mailto:jbnawn at hotmail.com>
> >>
> >> 
> >
> >
> > 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Cameron Shorter
> Geospatial Systems Architect
> Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050
> Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254
> 
> Think Globally, Fix Locally
> Geospatial Solutions enhanced with Open Standards and Open Source
> http://www.lisasoft.com
> 
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