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Seminar questionnaire
malcy:
I have just completed the questionnaire, and have found it straightforward and askinkg for opinions about the organisation of the event with an open suggestions box foe ANY comments. No problem and well done for putting it together. Malcolm.
Graham:
I have to agree with much of what Paul says, some of the questions do seem pointless or difficult to answer ( there is no way of saying I don't care which month of the year it is ) equally, some of the other questions would carry provisos in the answer. I don't really mind whether accommodation is onsite or offsite but since I don't drive it couldn't be to far away.
The main problem encountered with Loughborough was the distance from the accommodation to the lecture hall ( yes, we are mostly old farts ) I would have happily contributed to several morning and evening ( timed or announced ) runs from the minibus which would have solved that problem.
Dave Atkinson:
--- Quote from: PaulH on November 08, 2015, 12:16:59 PM ---
--- Quote from: Dave Atkinson on November 08, 2015, 11:19:52 AM ---I don't agree..... I have no intention of changing it.
--- End quote ---
No great surprise there.
--- Quote ---Can't see what's difficult in suggesting which month you prefer.
--- End quote ---
It's not about the difficulty in answering. My point was that it won't get you the information that would be useful.
The whole thing is a great example of confirmation bias, as you only want the answers you think you know already.
--- End quote ---
The reason I am not changing the questionnaire is that it is now ready for publishing in Revolutions and is already in use and many people have responded so we're not changing horses midstream. Secondly, although you insist your comments are constructive you haven't actually suggested any questions that we should ask.
In the other thread I wrote "But we have a number of ideas - we shall seek sponsorship; we have approached nine different venue providers for information and a quotation and I expect these back by the end of November; we shall consider a new look and feel; we shall try to provide a varied programme to try to meet all tastes and interests." We continue to receive all suggestions, whether they've been tried before or not. We'll review them all during the first quarter 2016 when we know about venue charges. So please don't suggest we don't listen.
And your suggestion that we make it easier for people to find out what attendance options are available have been taken on board. I must also point out that had you been a member, an individual one like me, you would have had a copy of Revs where the seminar was advertised in all its glory many times, including all the attendance options. We actually know what the problem is we have 4000 members and less than 5% want to come, or are not prepared to come. The questionnaire is designed to find out why. As I don't know what the correct answer is to any of the questions I hardly see it as an exercise in confirmation bias. I'm also interested in your comment that we won't get the information that would be useful. With respect, how do you know what information we will find useful?
Graham if you aren't bothered which month then the answer to the question is "any".
Dave
bodrighywood:
OK. My Pennyworth. The AWGB is run and maintained basically by a very few volounteers who put their all into it and deserve a lot more gratitude and thanks than they probably get. When you look at the number of members and the number of people actively involved it is frankly ridiculous. To have non members criticising, whether positive or otherwise and yet not prepared to actually offer help is, in my opinion, just going too far. Put up or shut up is something my grandmother taught me and if anyone (me included) wants to pick holes in what the few are doing then offer not just advice but help as well. I want woodturning to be recognised as a craft and art form in this country as it is in the States, Australia and one or two other places and am happy to do whatever I can to promote it but I cannot stand by whilst others pick holes and criticise from the sidelines those who try. Criticism, if given with an aim to improve is always valid but maybe the way it is put, and the attitude behind it should be.thought through as well. Thank you to all of you who actually do the work of th AWGB, whether I agree with everything you do or the way that you do is irrelevant, thank you!!!!!!!
Pete, AWGB, RPT, totally disorganised but always willing to help
PaulH:
--- Quote from: Dave Atkinson on November 08, 2015, 06:46:55 PM ---The reason I am not changing the questionnaire is that it is now ready for publishing in Revolutions
--- End quote ---
I didn't seriously expect anything else.
A shame as one of the key advantages of the internet is the ability to change things like this immediately. It might just be correcting a typing mistake, or eliminating a silly idea that reflects badly on the site, or just reacting to feedback to refine the page and improve the usefullness of the data returned.
A prime example is "do you use the internet ?" It looks silly on a web page and the answer for that respondent is already defined anyway. It's in the same class as a survey by phone call asking if you have a telephone.
--- Quote ---although you insist your comments are constructive you haven't actually suggested any questions that we should ask.
--- End quote ---
The problem here is not that you haven't asked enough questions, but that in some cases you've limited the range of answers possible or allowed too wide a range of answers to make data analysis straight forward.
--- Quote --- I must also point out that had you been a member, an individual one like me, you would have had a copy of Revs where the seminar was advertised in all its glory many times, including all the attendance options.
--- End quote ---
But I'm not a member, although you'd like non-members to attend and, hopefully, become part of the AWGB, correct ?
--- Quote ---We actually know what the problem is we have 4000 members and less than 5% want to come, or are not prepared to come.
--- End quote ---
or weren't able to attend.
Is members failing to be interested enough to attend 'The problem' ? or is it just insufficient numbers of people attending 'The problem' ? there's a significant difference there.
Or did you just misjudge how much you should charge ? which is a different problem again.
You may have decided that members failing to attend is the main cause of the loss, but you can't be sure of that. Just getting 40 non-members to attend would have allowed you to break even, one more would have seen you in profit.
--- Quote ---The questionnaire is designed to find out why.
--- End quote ---
I don't have an easy answer to that, but I hope you've surveyed those that did attend their views and whether they would have been prepared to pay enough to have broken even.
If the questionnaire is specifically aimed at the 95% of AWGB members that didn't attend, you shouldn't make it public.
--- Quote ---As I don't know what the correct answer is to any of the questions I hardly see it as an exercise in confirmation bias.
--- End quote ---
The problem with confirmation bias, is that the creators of the survey aren't aware of the bias. Sometimes it's easier for an outsider to see that a survey is going to give erroneous information, than the authors.
--- Quote --- I'm also interested in your comment that we won't get the information that would be useful. With respect, how do you know what information we will find useful?
--- End quote ---
As I've said, sometimes it's easier for an outsider with any preconceived ideas or prejudices to see what information would be useful than for people tied up with precedent.
--- Quote ---Graham if you aren't bothered which month then the answer to the question is "any".
--- End quote ---
Except that isn't a possible answer.
Start to see my point now ?
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