RESULTS OF EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE

First of all many thanks to those who sent in their completed questionnaires. It is always useful to have feedback from the users of a new system, and all responses are very much appreciated.

A summary of all the responses received appears below. I have added a few comments too.

Section 1 -- Your opinion of the course

On the questionnaire this was a series of tick-boxes on the subjects of Content/Information, Layout/Presentation, Explanation of course topics, General operation/running of the course, Standard, Cost/pricing, Suitability and Speed with which work is marked and returned.

I was particularly relieved to find no 5s in your responses! (the boxes were given as 1 Excellent, 2 Good, 3 Satisfactory, 4 Could be better and 5 Poor). There were very few 4s too. Apparently one or two respondents think that the course is a little over-priced, in which case those concerned may well be interested in alternative ways of paying, hopefully to be introduced within the next few months. These alternative ways of paying will allow students the option of paying for more than one module at once, thereby saving money as multiple modules will be offered at reduced rates.

All the other responses in this section were very positive and in some cases extremely complimentary. The mean reponse scores for each subject were as follows:

So it appears that in the main most, if not all, students are at least reasonably happy with what they have received so far; however comments made in the latter part of the questionnaire will be fully considered.

Section 2 -- What would you like to see in the course?

There were some very useful and positive ideas here. The main suggestions were as follows:

• A contents page for each module, for easier reference. This is not hard to do, and should appear in all modules later in the year.
• Website help and advice on related course topics plus perhaps a chat room where students can make contact with each other. This of course will require much more preparation and time, so will not be implemented right away. However I will look into the possibilities within the fairly near future with a view to introducing such facilities as soon as possible (probably not this year, nevertheless!).
• A glossary of terms used at the end of each module. Again, a central point of reference to topics covered is always a good idea, so you should be seeing this introduced sometime within the next few months.

Reward system

Those who sent in questionnaires were somewhat divided on the issue of a reward system. However those who thought it would be a good idea were all unanimous on their choice of the type of reward system used (for making the most progress). I will have another think about this one; as less than half of all respondents voted for such a system I may not introduce it at all, or it might be introduced for a limited period of time (say, one year) to get some more feedback.

General information

Most of those who responded have access to a computer (which is hardly surprising in view of the fact that currently 'Theory by Post' is only advertised online!). All students who have access to a computer also have internet access, so this means that the majority of students will be able to take advantage of any website facilities that may be introduced.

On credit card payment options again the responses were somewhat mixed. Approximately one-third of respondents each said respectively 'Yes', 'No' and 'Possibly'. The 33% who said 'Yes' should be pleased to learn that payment by credit card is now possible -- see the page devoted to 'Theory by Post' on the website if you are interested in using this method to pay for your next module. I have had to accept credit card payments in preparation for the forthcoming launch (later in the year) of 'Theory by Email' -- the online international version of the course.

Final comments

a) Would you like to see the course extended?

This is where 90% of all respondents agreed! Most of you would like a continuation of 'Theory by Post'. To be frank, I'm a little knocked back by this response, as a few months ago I had decided not to continue the course! However I obviously need to think again. I would certainly be happy to extend the course up to, say, Grade 8 level, but when one considers that I started work on the existing course as long ago as 1998 it is clear that anyone who wants a 'Part 2' will have a long wait! But if that is what is wanted, then I will endeavour to do it. I must first, however, complete the ongoing preparations for the online version of the existing course -- this is now in its final stages.

b) Any other comments?

Not a lot was said here on the whole. There were a couple of suggestions relating to supportive website material and referencing exercise numbering to sections of the tuition notes respectively. Most comments (where made) were encouraging.

So there we have it! Again, my thanks are due to all students who responded. And I hope to make a start on the implementation of at least some of the suggestions you all made within the next few weeks.

In the meantime ...

How are you getting on with your current module?