Are you planning to run a workshop, give a science cafe, prepare an exhibit, or participate in a talk series as part of your Broader Impacts for a grant funded project?
Collecting feedback from program participants is critical to learning about the program’s impacts and identifying areas to improve. Pre-program evaluation can also be a great way to plan your outreach strategy. This site will provide you with a helpful matrix of evaluation strategies that can be used to assess different types of Broader Impacts events or programs as well as a searchable database of resources for evaluation methods ranging from surveys to more informal tools for judging audience engagement.
If you have a favorite evaluation tool that you would like to share with the Broader Impacts Network, please submit a suggestion. Suggest an Evaluation Tool
Some software referenced in the tools below may require a paid license. To see if CU offers free/discounted licenses or to request new software be supported by CU, please visit OIT’s Software Licensing page.
For more background and discussion of strategies for evaluating Broader Impacts activities and how to write about evaluation in your grant proposals and reports, please see our chapter “Creative Evaluation to Improve your Programming - Practical Tools and Tips for Evaluating Broader Impact Programs” pending publication in The Handbook of Broader Impacts.
Evaluation Tools
All
Concept Map
Concept Maps are an open-ended exercise that prompts participants to draw or write what they think about a topic and draw connections or links between related ideas.
Curriculum Products
Curriculum products or student artifacts come in a wide variety of interpretations and they can be a unique alternative to more traditional forms of evaluation.
Digital Products
Using digital products such as websites, videos, and podcasts as an evaluation technique is a flexible tool that can be adapted to the needs of a program or facilitator.
Draw an Emoji
The growing popularity and use of emojis provides a fun and easy way to quickly survey participants of all ages, including pre-readers, about their experience.
Exit Ticket
Exit Tickets usually include a short writing prompt or reflection question at the end of a program or to wrap up the day's events.
Experience Buttons
"How was your Experience" feedback buttons are a fast and easy way for participants to provide quick feedback about an experience.
Focus Groups
Focus groups are used to collect qualitative data that reveals insights relating to a program or projects impact.
Graffiti Wall
A graffiti wall allows participants to share brief comments or questions and creates a visual representation of feedback and overall engagement.
I See, I Know, I Wonder
This technique prompts participants to share general observations, thoughts and feelings about these observations, and any further questions they may have.
Kahoot!
Kahoot offers a fun and engaging way to gauge student knowledge and learning in both virtual and in-person settings.
Maker Products
Evaluating finished student products, including design decisions and challenges can reveal nuanced understanding of learning.
Online Survey Tools
A wide range of online survey platforms such as Qualtrics, Survey Monkey, and Google Forms, now make it quick and easy to collect and analyze survey data from participants online.
Online Whiteboards
Padlet, Jamboard, and Google Slides are just a few examples of the virtual learning tools now available to support online collaboration.
Participant Interviews
Different types of interview formats are useful for better understanding a participant's unique reflections about their experience with a program.
Quick Whip
Ask a simple and direct question that participants will be comfortable answering without any preparation and do a quick 'go around' to hear their feedback.
Real-Time Polls
Polling apps such as Zoom, Mentimeter, and Polleverywhere all have various functions for engaging in real time polls with participants.
Rose, Bud, Thorn
Rose, Bud, Thorn is a versatile and easily applicable evaluation technique that is used to guide a group to reflect on areas of success, potential growth, and opportunities for improvement.
SMS Surveys
SMS surveys are brief surveys sent to a participants via a text message to their cell phone. They have a higher response rate than other online surveys and are quick and convenient to answer.
Snapshot Interviews
Snapshot interviews often consist of three to four questions and take only minutes to complete, making them easier to implement as a quick feedback tool.
Start, Stop, Continue
Start-Stop-Continue is a simple evaluation framework that allows you to collect organized feedback about a program, project or lesson.
Video Reflection - Flipgrid
Flipgrid is a free, online platform that allows educators and facilitators to collect short video reflections from students and/or other program participants.
Voting
Quick feedback can be collected by providing opportunities for participants to vote, using things like different colored dot stickers, coins or other props.
What Stuck With You?
Asking participants to write a quick response to the question "What stuck with you?" on a sticky note can be a great way to census what parts of a presentation or experience most resonated with people.
Word Clouds
Using word clouds to create a visual representation of participants' responses is an easy and creative way to highlight and share data and pull out common themes.