Scott Bradbury Podcast

Wrong Questions Generate Useless Learner Feedback

Cambridgeshire (UK), March 2023 - Using learner feedback to drive improvement is the focus of a new podcast from resources publisher Scott Bradbury. In the latest of its "Quick Wins§ podcasts, Catherine de Salvo explores common pitfalls in collecting and analysing learner feedback in conversation with CourseCheck founder Chris Wigglesworth.

One of the biggest mistakes learning and development professionals make when collecting learner feedback is not being clear about how they are going to use the data to make improvements, according to the podcast conversation. Knowing why you're collecting the data in the first place and what you are seeking to achieve must be the starting point for designing any learner feedback questionnaire, points out Chris Wigglesworth, who founded CourseCheck, in 2013.

With more than a decade's experience of helping HR and learning professionals to gather, collate, and analyse their learners' feedback, Chris shares examples of good and poor practice, including the downsides of using subjective and star-rating type questions, which deliver relatively useless information. 

Chris reminds the listener why it's so important to use impact-orientated questions that deliver valuable information for stakeholders and data on how the learning experience is making a difference. "We need to ask questions geared towards the outcomes; it's all about what the learners are going to do differently as a result of the training", explains Chris. 

Catherine de Salvo, Managing Director of Scott Bradbury comments, "We all think we know how to write learner feedback questionnaires, but it takes a lot of thought to do it well. Chris shares some extremely valuable advice, and this interview makes a great addition to our Quick Wins series of podcasts for learning and development  professionals."