[APG Public List] Participating in Evaluations

[Suzanne Johnston]

Claire:

Perhaps all speakers could include an "evaluation sheet" with their 
syllabus material when they send it to the conference program committee.
The committee could use this, adding points they would like to see 
covered and have the form copied for use at the
conference. That way the committee could obtain the information they 
need and the speaker could get feedback on what they feel is important.

If NGS or FGS do not want to share feedback with the speaker, their 
questions could be at the bottom of the sheet. That portion could be 
torn off and the
speaker's evaluation questions/answers could be sent to them.

I often don't have time after a session to evaluate a speaker. Of course 
there are lectures that you know immediately are memorable and others 
you know
you will forget by the end of the day. But sometimes what appears to be 
an excellent lecture (read "entertaining") turns out to be of little 
value in the real world. Perhaps a
follow-up evaluation could be done via e-mail or by a "sophisticated" 
survey. Giving listeners a chance to think about what they learned might 
lead to a more
meaningful evaluation.

Suzie


Claire Bettag wrote:
> The discussion about what should be included in evaluations piques my  
> interest. Some of the comments sound as if evaluations have been  
> introduced for specific lectures at the national conferences. If so,  
> I'm surprised and pleased. So, can someone clarify...have NGS and FGS  
> begun to include evaluations on specific presentations?
>
> For years NGS at least has not used them (but I don't know about  
> Raleigh, as I was not there). I've always believed attendees should be  
> asked to evaluate every presentation at national conferences, and-- 
> just as important--that the evaluations should be shared with the  
> speakers. I realize this is a hot button, but I nevertheless believe  
> it is time for all national conferences to include evaluations and to  
> share the evaluations with the speakers.
>
> For the first several years when I began speaking at national  
> conferences I made up my own eval forms. The room monitors passed them  
> out to the attendees and collected them for me. The feedback was  
> invaluable.
>
> NIGR and IGHR and probably some of the other institutes and events do  
> request evaluations for each lecture / class. As a speaker I must say  
> I find them indispensable--we learn what worked in our presentations,  
> what didn't, what people found too basic, too advanced, too rushed,  
> too detailed, too general--you get the drift. Evaluation forms for  
> each presentation should be a wonderful tool, as well, for answering  
> the kinds of questions that are being raised here--for example,  
> whether more advanced tracks should be offered.
>
> I'm glad this topic has come up and I hope others will urge conference  
> planners to introduce meaningful evaluations not just for the overall  
> event, but for each lecture / class. Even if there have been problems  
> in the past--and I realize there have been some--isn't it time we  
> moved past them? I believe everyone would benefit.
>
> Claire
>
> Claire Bettag
> 1685 34th Street NW
> Washington, DC 20007
> 202-625-2598
> cell: 202-436-2121
>
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