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Feedback is gathered from participants in NZSSN courses and activities, in order to show where improvements could be made. For the 2006 summer programme short courses, full course evaluations were completed by the participants. In summary, the evaluations were very positive, with suggestions for improvement mainly relating to the facilities and/or teaching rooms used for the courses. Descriptions of the courses and some of the data from the course evaluations are presented below.
In January and February 2006, a total of 5 five-day short courses were offered at The University of Auckland's City Campus. The move from Tamaki was made in an attempt to address the concerns expressed in the 2005 course evaluations about the facilities and teaching rooms. The courses were on the following topics. INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS 31 January 4 February 2006 An introductory course in statistical methods with an emphasis on statistical techniques applicable to the social sciences, and focusing on concepts rather than mathematical theory. USING MIXED METHODS IN RESEARCH AND PROGRAM EVALUATION 7 11 February 2006 An introductory-level course intended for current and emerging researchers who want to know more about using both qualitative and quantitative methods in their research activities. DATA ANALYSIS IN SPSS 7 11 February 2006 This course provides the beginner in quantitative data analysis with the basic requirements for analysis in an SPSS computing environment. It focuses on the analysis of survey, administrative and/or census data for analysis. Some basic knowledge of descriptive statistics, Introduction to Statistics, or equivalent experience presumed. INTRODUCTION TO NVIVO: COMPUTER-ASSISTED QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS 7 11 February 2006 An introductory course designed for those familiar with qualitative research approaches who are interested in using NVivo to assist with the tasks of qualitative data analysis. The focus is on learning the NVivo data analysis toolkit through hands-on experience. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH TECHNIQUES 13 17 February 2006 An introductory course consisting of lectures and practical workshops, designed for those with no background in research or with no previous experience with qualitative techniques of data collection and analysis. COURSE EVALUATIONS OVERVIEW The results presented below have been aggregated across the five courses; the responses from each were very similar on most points. Course participants were asked why they chose to do the course specifically with regard to what their motivation was in improving their research skills. The results from this are shown graphically below.  Critique of course presenters The participants were asked to judge the performance of the course presenters on four aspects using a 10-point scale with 1 = poor and 10 = very good. The aspects, and mean scores for each, were: course organisation (9.1) knowledge of the subject matter (9.9) presentation of course material (9.2), and responsiveness to participants needs/questions (9.7). Critique of course amenities The participants were asked to judge the quality of the amenities and support that were provided during the course, again using a 10-point scale. The variables examined, and mean scores for them, were: morning and afternoon teas (8.6) teaching rooms (7.1) computing resources (9.3), and course schedules and timetable (8.4). Course evaluations provide helpful feedback that is used to attempt to improve subsequent activities. Unfortunately, the facilities and teaching rooms still scored lowest even with the new venue/improvement from 2005, but again, this was the only area noted where improvements could be made in the short term.
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