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FEEDBACK,
REVIEW AND EVALUATION
Feedback, review and
evaluation are fundamental to our learning and continual improvement.
This year's Conference is addressing a number of levels:
Whole
Conference - before the event
Evaluation sheets compiled following the previous
Conference have provided input to program development for this year's
event.
Additional guidance has been obtained through canvassing of AFN list
subscribers on their expectations and aspirations for the AFN
Conference.
Individual
Session - at the event
Each workshop session is reviewed and evaluated by its participants at
the end of (within) the session.
This is undertaken to provide feedback to the organisers of the current
conference on the efficacy of the workshop proposal process and the
program selection criteria and process.
This also provides guidance to organisers of the next conference about
their selection process.
This level of review and evaluation involves plotting relative 'scores'
against a number of performance measures:
- Learning/benefit to me
- Quality overall as a facilitated
session
Additional
qualitative comment is invited. Participants are asked to
identify as Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced.
Whole Conference - at the event
This is supplemented by roving
reporters with hand-held recorders asking participants to share highs
and lows - confidentially, with some quotes to be used later.
Whole
Conference - after the event
The
closing event of the Conference includes a participatory evaluation,
conducted independently of the organising team, and involving all
participants. This also serves as a demonstration of large group
process.
The approach is to use socio-metric line-ups with group feedback
sheets, followed by anecdotes/short stories to share in plenary
session.
Participants
are asked to identify as Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced. They
discuss:
- usefulness
and quality of the conference
- best
aspects of the conference and what could have been strengthened
- wild
ideas for the next conference
This is
undertaken to provide feedback to the organisers of the current
conference on the design and implementation of the conference.
This also provides guidance to organisers of the next conference about
what participants value, and hope for, in an AFN Conference, and about
aspects of organisation and logistics.
Participants
leaving prior to the closing evalutation are provided with individual
feedback sheets seeking comment on the factors to be captured in the
closing session and also reason(s) for
leaving early.
The organisers
gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Dr Jess Dart of Clear Horizon
in the design and independent conduct of the whole-conference
evaluation.
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