You can also use “open” questions which allow the person to respond any way they choose. However, it’s important to design these questions so that the question you are asking is clear. Ask one question at a time; avoid multi-part questions. For example, instead of asking “do you find that you are writing letters more often and if so, who do you write these letters to and why?”, you could ask respondents to “please give examples of times when you find yourself writing a letter”.
Whether you are conducting a survey or a focus group, it is also important to assure the participants that their responses will remain confidential. You should explain why you are asking the questions and remind participants that you are not evaluating them; you are evaluating the program. Let them know how important their honest feedback is and how it can help the program to improve its services to learners. And be sure to thank them for their time and effort!
It is important to collect objective data from both within the program and external to the program.
It is important to collect objective data from both within the program and external to the program. Within the literacy agency itself, one of the first places to start is with the staff … what impacts do they notice? Be sure to also check in with your volunteers about this.
Of course, you will also want to survey learners about what works and what doesn’t. You can design a simple survey about just one thing (e.g., the availability of computers) or about all aspects of your programming. The example on page 39 is a survey about textbooks used at the Manitoulin Island site of Cambrian College. That agency uses the results of this survey to help them determine learner satisfaction in terms of the textbooks that are used and to decide if they will continue to use those texts or find something else.
In terms of external sources, think about other stakeholders, i.e., the agencies learners work with, other education and training providers, even family members. Of course, you have to take confidentiality into account, so you may have to ask general questions about literacy learners rather than about specific individuals.
The example on page 40 is a simple survey that Northern College in Kirkland Lake sends to agencies who may have referred clients to their program.
Northern College also has a questionnaire for faculty members so that the literacy program can assess how former literacy learners are doing in post-secondary courses. Please refer to page 41.