ECUR 809 Assignment 5 - Revised Survey

**Please note - this post is the second posting for this assignment. My original survey and design considerations are found in the previous post.

I piloted this survey with four Jr./Sr. High Language Arts teachers in my school division, and of course, I tested the survey myself. Although the responses gathered matched up quite well with the type of information I was hoping to gather, I did make a few improvements:

Things that I liked about the survey and the tool:
1. Google apps was simple to build the survey with, providing a variety of question types and easy to use design features.
2. Participants did not experience any problems accessing, using or submitting the survey to me.
3. The data was compiled automatically in a Google spreadsheet, although I have to manipulate it to make sense of it, it is great to start with it already in a spreadsheet. There is also graphing capability built in.
4. The organization/order of my questions made sense. On my own, I would not have included so many questions about the participants, but while reading the materials for this module, I realized the benefit of these questions in truly interpreting the results.

Things I improved after the survey the pilot:
1. For the scale questions, I simplified the descriptors of the scale, as they were too wordy,
2. Google forms allows you to include help text for each question, which appears just below the question in a slightly lighter font. In the end, I removed this for several questions in order to clean up my survey. Rather than including the instructions "Please consider a 3 as no change" as help text in each question, I moved up to the beginning of the section that includes scale questions. This makes the survey look less cluttered.
3. After reading the responses from my participants, I realized that there was an important question missing at the end of the survey as to whether or not they would teach using this model in the future. I added this question, along with a follow-up question (depending on how they answer) providing them space (although this space is actually the only optional "question" in the survey) for them to explain or comment on their response.
4. I simplified or clarified several of the questions, not because I received feedback that they were confusing, but as I tested it myself, I just felt like it was a little "clunky".

Here is a link to my revised survey.

My final thoughts on the survey tool - Google Forms:
As for using Google Forms - I'm still on the fence as to whether or not it's really a great survey tool. I think that for most purposes as a teacher, it would allow me to survey my students quickly and easily. However, for a more formal survey, there are some layout issues that I would like to have more control over. A simple example - if there is a long list of check boxes, I would prefer to put them over two or three columns, so the question doesn't look so long. I haven't been able to figure this out in Google forms.

ECUR 809: Assignment 5 - Survey Draft

This week's assignment is to create a test a survey, using a variety of question types. I chose to create my form in Google Apps because I am quite involved in the roll-out of this system in my school division. However, I'm not quite sure if this is the method I would use for gathering data or not if completing an actual program evaluation. I haven't use Google forms very much, and I wanted to test out this aspect of Google Apps more fully.

Here is a link to my form.

I used a variety of question types (multiple choice, numeric,
scale, checkbox, text and paragraph text) in my survey, so I am curious to see how these work in the spreadsheet that gathers the data for Google forms.

As I haven't created many research surveys in the past, I referred quite heavily to the article "Formatting a Paper-based Survey Questionnaire: Best Practices", by Elizabeth Fanning, for guidelines in creating my first drat. Prior to creating the questions, I worked my way through the design considerations identified by the author - noting my thoughts and plans here.

My survey is currently being tested out by four teachers, who have agreed to respond by lunch time tomorrow. After reviewing their answers, I will fine tune my survey and post a revised version.

ECUR 809 Assignment 4 - Logic Model

Assignment 4 in this course was to develop a logic model for the program we are considering evaluating. For this assignment, I continued to work on the Reader's Workshop program being implemented in my school division.

This assignment is available as an image below, however a PDF version is also attached for easier reading.

Assignment 4 - Karen Fox

ECUR 809 - Assignment 3 - Evaluation Plan

The third assignment in this course is to create an evaluation assessment for a program we are interested in evaluating. This evaluation assessment is intended to determine the feasibility and direction of our evaluation. To complete my assignment, I used a template provided by the University of Wisconsin - Extension, which is accessible, along with many other excellent program evaluation resources here.

The program I am working with is a Reader's Workshop program, currently being implemented in my school division to support our literacy focus, and with the end goal of developing a love of reading in our students.

Assignment 3 - Karen Fox

I'd love to hear your feedback on the assessment, as well as any comments you have about similar programs, assessments and evaluations you have been involved in regarding Reader's Workshops.