Setup an Evaluation Form

Saturday, Apr 26, 2014

Step 1

Design the form to include the form fields and guidance, on a whiteboard, paper or use an existing evaluation form

TIP
When devising the form try to use consistent names, eg. call your trainer a trainer or facilitator, or presenter, but not all of them. It helps the participant who is completing the form.

Step 2

Create process steps “Send evaluation form” and “Completed evaluation form”

Step 3

Create fields for the evaluation form, eg. Trainer rating, venue rating.

Note
You do not need to create identification fields like name, email etc. as {{}} will link the form directly to the registration form.
Idea
We have a recommended evaluation form structure based on the Learning Composite Assessment Tool, focused on the Trainer, Venue and Administration.
TIP
When you create your fields we recommend that you label them consistently e.g. ‘Evaluation: Trainer open comments’, not just ‘Trainer open comments’, this means that you can then sort and see the fields relevant for the evaluation form quickly and easily.
TIP
The same goes for the guidance information, ensure that naming is consistent, eg. Call the content ‘Evaluation guidance: Trainer open comments’ and the field that is then created with that content the same name. This will make it easier when selecting from what can become a long list after you have created a few forms!

Step 4

Set up any drop down or radio fields as options, if you want participants to select a list of items you will need to create these in publish/options if they don’t already exist in the pre-configured lists: Gender, 1-5, country,

Step 5

Write any guidance. If you have instructions to help participants complete the registration form then these should be created as content type ‘field’ and use the short content area to describe the instructions/information.

Step 6

Create the “Evaluation form”, add the fields in the order you want them to appear on the form, making those mandatory that are required and inserting the guidance as necessary.

Step 7

Save and then publish the evaluation form, open the process path, add the process steps “Send evaluation form” and “Completed evaluation form” and then select the evaluation form in the extranet dropdown on the process step “Completed evaluation form”.

TIP
When adding the process steps to the path select ‘summary’ to have the short name of that process step appear in the list when checking the status of the document - it will make it much easier to make sure that you have send evaluation forms to which participants. And who has completed the evaluation form.

Step 8

Write two emails: one to the participant to inform them of the evaluation form, and another to the course administration to notify them of the form completion.

Warning
Be sure to use the variable starting in [Documents:DocumentUrlExtranet when linking to the evaluation form. Any other link to the extranet form will not work.

Step 7

Create two process rules; one for each email to be sent, and linked to each of the process steps. The first to the customer is linked to the process step “Send evaluation form”, the second email to the course administrator is linked to the process step “Completed evaluation form”.

Step 8

Test by signing up, use process step, check email, check link, check email to administrator works.

TIP
If you choose not to use some fields inactivate those fields, having them come up in drop down lists means that they might be used when they shouldn’t.
Note
Common mistakes include:

  • Choosing a course where a different process path is used
  • Not editing the process rule to include the TO and CC or BCC emails so emails don’t get sent
  • Form has not been published
  • link in email is not correct
  • Form has not been included in process path (or linked to wrong process step: remember it needs to be linked to the ‘Completed evaluation form’ process step.
  • Process rules are linked to wrong process step.
TIP
I get an error that the link has expired!
What is wrong? Perhaps nothing is wrong, if you have clicked on the link and submitted the form then that link can no longer be used, the link is for only one use, once it has been used it cannot be used again. To test the link you must apply the process step to generate a new link each time you submit it.

Extending the evaluation form results

Send the Trainer feedback to the trainer

Write email to Trainer, link ‘trainer login to course date/master, compose email with trainer feedback to trainer, from admin, set up process rule linked to same process step that indicates a completed form.

Send the Course materials feedback to the course materials owner

Write email to course materials owner, link course materials owner login to course date/master, compose email, set up process rule linked to same process step that indicates a completed form.

Note
When forms are not working as expected check the following:

  • Document Form is visible on public pages should be ticked on the process path for those forms that are public
  • The public forms should be published, republish to confirm this is the case
  • Check the administration and public side of the website are working - try to spot any differences, while editing a document use the ‘preview’ mag glass to see if the information is as expected