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

Fri Mar 6 17:49:05 EST 2009

Cool,
Anyone know where we can get a copy of the evaluation sheets?
We either link to them from our foss4g 2009 wiki, or put them into 
subversion, or both.

burnie nawn wrote:
> 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 <mailto: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
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Conference-workshops mailing list
> > Conference-workshops at lists.osgeo.org
> > http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/conference-workshops
>
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-- 
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