Feedback is important – But when collecting feedback on your online course, mistakes can easily happen. We show five classic mistakes in feedback and explain how to avoid them easily.
Feedback questionnaires are a powerful tool to gather opinions and ideas from others and to keep improving in what you do – for example, in creating online courses.
I found an interesting article titled “5 Easy Mistakes To Make When Collecting Feedback For Your Online Course” on the blog of “eLearning Industry.” Below, I give you a brief summary:
What mistakes in feedback can happen with your online course and how can you avoid them?
The 5 Most Common Mistakes in Feedback
Mistake 1: Asking Too Many Questions
If there are too many questions, participants will either abandon the questionnaire early or fill out the questions “hastily” to finish quickly. In both cases, the feedback is not helpful to you.
Tip: Ask a few targeted questions! Think about what you might improve in your course. Leave out less relevant questions.
Mistake 2: Asking the Wrong Type of Questions
A classic feedback question at the end of an online course is: “Would you like to share something about the course?” But be careful: This question is too general for honest feedback.
Tip: Encourage your participants to think! A better question would be, for example: “If you could change two things about this course, what would they be and why?”
Always a good idea: Ask open questions – but provide guidance. Open means that the participant should ideally not be able to answer with just one word. An example:
Poor: How did you like the course?
Better: What exactly did you particularly like about the course and why?
Positive feedback is always welcome – but honest criticism helps you improve your online course.
Mistake 3: Not Requesting Feedback
Most questionnaires are filled out after the course ends. However, there will always be participants who do not want to give their opinion (or do not do so directly). Here you should follow up!
Tip: Use other channels to reach your participants and ask for feedback! Good channels for this are targeted emails or social media.
Mistake 4: Avoiding Difficult Questions
In order to truly improve your online course, you inevitably need “unpleasant” feedback: You only receive honest constructive criticism when you openly ask your participants for it.
Tip: Ask specifically for criticism! A suitable tough question could be, for example: “What could have led you to drop out of the course?”
Mistake 5: Asking Too Many Closed Questions
Closed questions and yes/no questions are quick to answer and easy to evaluate. But you do not receive helpful ideas or suggestions this way.
Tip: Always provide an open response option where your participants can respond freely in their own words.
Conclusion: How to Avoid Mistakes in Feedback
Feedback mistakes can be easily avoided. To truly receive useful and honest feedback from your participants, you should adhere to these 5 tips:
Ask few, targeted questions!
Encourage your participants to think!
Use various channels to gather feedback!
Ask specifically for points of criticism!
Always provide an open response option!
Do you have one of your feedback forms at hand? Then take 10 minutes now and review your questions according to the mentioned 5 points. It's worth it!
