Hello and Welcome to Another Edition of “Friday Fresh”!

In this edition of the Friday Fresh newsletter, we’ll revisit the topic we opened with – gathering feedback.

Creating a course takes time, determination, and an incredible amount of mental energy, so it is often tempting to leave the course as is and avoid editing it. A course, however, is much like a comedy skit – it requires fine-tuning after each delivery until it hits the mark 100% of the time. Then, it needs refreshing to include new and relevant information.

Since an educator cannot rely on a clapping audience to indicate which elements landed well and which ones may need tweaking, gathering feedback via surveys during and after the course can be an invaluable replacement.

To help you craft surveys that tell you everything you need to know about the performance of your training course, we have compiled 10 questions to ask and included why they’re essential.

Here are the 10 questions to include in your surveys:

1. Question: Did this learning activity match your expectations?

Possible Answers: Didn’t meet my expectations / Met my expectations / Exceeded my expectations
Why It Matters: Understanding if your course meets, falls short of, or exceeds expectations is crucial for gauging the accuracy of your marketing materials. Consistently exceeding expectations might mean you’re underpromoting your course, and there’s a missed marketing opportunity.

2. Question: How would you rate the relevance of the course content to your professional needs?

Possible Answers: Not relevant / Somewhat relevant / Very relevant
Why It Matters: This question helps you assess how well your course aligns with the professional needs and expectations of your learners. High relevance scores indicate that your course is on the right track in terms of content applicability.

3. Question: What aspect of the course did you find most beneficial?

Possible Answers: [Open-ended response]
Why It Matters: This open-ended question provides insights into what learners value most in your course, helping you identify strengths to emphasise and replicate in future courses.

4. Question: How likely are you to apply what you have learned?

Possible Answers: Very unlikely / Unlikely / Likely / Very Likely
Why It Matters: This question gauges the practical impact of your course, indicating whether learners feel equipped to apply their new knowledge or skills in their professional roles.

5. Question: What improvements would you suggest for this course?

Possible Answers: [Open-ended response]
Why It Matters: Direct feedback on potential improvements is invaluable for course refinement. It helps you address specific learner needs and enhance the overall quality of your training.

6. Question: How would you rate the difficulty level of assessments and tasks in this course?

Possible Answers: Too easy / Just right / Too challenging
Why It Matters: This question helps you gauge whether the difficulty level of your course is appropriate for your audience. It’s essential to strike a balance where tasks are challenging enough to be engaging and beneficial without being so complex that they discourage learners.

7. Question: Was the length of the course appropriate?

Possible Answers: Too short / Just right / Too long
Why It Matters: Feedback on the course duration helps you adjust the pacing and content to ensure comprehensive learning without overwhelming the learners.

8. Question: How would you rate the interactivity and engagement of the course?

Possible Answers: Not engaging / Somewhat engaging / Very engaging
Why It Matters: Engagement is key to effective learning. This question allows you to measure and improve the interactive elements of your course.

9. Question: What additional topics or content would you like to see included in this course?

Possible Answers: [Open-ended response]
Why It Matters: This feedback provides direct insights into learners’ interests and unmet needs, guiding the development of future course content.

10. Question: How would you rate the overall value of this course for your professional development?

Possible Answers: Low value / Moderate value / High value
Why It Matters: This question assesses the perceived value of your course in contributing to the learner’s professional growth, which is essential for establishing the course’s impact and effectiveness.

Final Thoughts

These 10 questions are a fantastic start but don’t limit yourself. If there are other areas where you need to gather information, don’t hesitate to replace any of the questions or add more. Just remember to keep the survey light – include multiple choice questions and keep answers short to ensure your learners answer every single one.

Finally, don’t hesitate to follow a survey with a link to a review platform, allowing the learners who have genuinely enjoyed your course to spread the word.