As you work with the instruments, different ways of using them in your own situation will probably occur to you.

Programs will have to use their own ingenuity in administering the Learner Questionnaires. Some learners may be capable of filling it out on their own, but the responses may not be very revealing. More information might be obtained if the tutor and learner sat down and worked through it together in one of their sessions. That could then generate some discussion about surveys, market research and so on. Learners might even be encouraged to write their own questionnaires or suggest additional questions on a topic.

In smaller programs, it might be possible for coordinators to interview the learners in person or on the telephone. Alternatively, another "third party" not known to the learner, but connected with or having an interest in the program could ask the questions. In some programs a learners' meeting might be held and some of the questions discussed there and learners' suggestions recorded.

By now, you will realize that the kit is a tool to get you started on your own evaluation strategy or process. Every program should have an evaluation and it is worth building in the time to the program to do it well.

Specific directions for use are attached to each of the questionnaires. If individual questionnaires are distributed, you will have to add your own cover note indicating such things as purpose and deadline for return. Questionnaires will have to be collected and the results collated and analyzed. Results should be shared as much as possible through meetings or in annual reports.

The Program Profile is the fourth instrument. As indicated this is not an evaluation instrument per se, but provides an opportunity to describe the program in quantitative and usage terms. Programs attached to institutions usually have to submit similar kinds of information to their administrations on a regular basis. Thus, they may not want to use this instrument. For programs not attached to institutions which require such reporting, the Profile could be useful in several ways.

1. If filled in annually, it could provide a means of comparison of program trends and performance from one year to the next.