Rachel--some thoughts on the low return rate you are experiencing with
surveys:
If possible, definitely offer an incentive. They do work. Also, the best
return rates I have experienced are when the teacher is asked to fill out
the survey during the museum visit. In other words, don't let them take the
survey home because it will get lost among all the other stuff they have to
do. In general, with take-home surveys, I have had a 25% return rate.
The highest return rates I have experienced are when we have distributed the
surveys at the beginning of the museum program and told teachers that they
would receive a gift when they returned the survey to the museum store. The
gift can be something minimal like a poster or discount coupon for the store
or, like you suggested, a raffle ticket for a free visit.
In my experience, self-addressed and stamped envelopes do not make a
difference when trying to get teachers to return things so don't waste too
much money on stamps. Strike while the iron is hot and get the teachers to
complete the survey on site.
Good luck!
Jessica Ruskin
Education Coordinator
Pretend City
The Children's Museum of Orange County, Inc.
949-553-8790 ext. 105
[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of Rachel Ehrenberg
Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2000 5:38 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: program evaluations
My apologies for cross-listings...
I am working with the education director of a small natural history
museum to get an evaluation procedure in place of their group programs. The
programs were developed for student groups (k-12) that come to the museum
on field trips. They are led by docents, focusing on specific topics such
as local wildlife and prehistoric earth. I am developing a survey for the
teachers that bring their students to assess whether the museum programs
meet their objectives, how the programs could be improved and to find out
what is working already. I have gathered a fair amount of literature on
evaluations and visitor surveys, and now I am appealing to the vast
resource of the lists:
Does anyone have a similar survey/evaluation that they have had success
with and would be willing to send me? This is my first attempt at such a
project and I am curious about they breadth of material addressed in survey
questions (and what I may have missed!)
I am finding reported return rates to be quite low, teachers: is there a
threshold length after which it becomes too cumbersome to respond to such a
survey? We are considering holding a raffle for a free museum trip for a
class, entering all respondents; do such incentives usually work?
Any other words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated, you may reply on or
off list.
Thanks in advance,
Rachel Ehrenberg
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