Online large group sessions can be challenging to facilitate and evaluate. How do you know if you achieved your objectives, engaged your participants, and delivered value? In this article, you will learn some practical tips and tools to measure the success of your online large group sessions, whether they are webinars, workshops, or conferences.
Before you start your online large group session, you need to define what success means for you and your stakeholders. What are the goals and outcomes of the session? How will you measure them? What are the indicators of engagement and satisfaction? You can use a variety of criteria, such as attendance, retention, participation, feedback, learning, action, and impact. You can also align your criteria with the Kirkpatrick model of evaluation, which assesses four levels of learning: reaction, learning, behavior, and results.
Most large group online sessions are done considering geographical spread, inclusive learning and for large impact group. Participation is the key for such sessions. Defining a clear agenda and then evaluating on data points of key parameters does give a clearer picture of the success of the session. The session could be knowledge sharing, informative or participative . The criteria for evaluation of the session should be defined using the core derivatives considering the type of session and are measurable
Once you have established your criteria, you need to collect data to evaluate them. You can use a variety of methods and sources, depending on the type and duration of your online large group session. For example, online polls and surveys can be used to gather feedback and opinions from participants during or after the session. Chat and Q&A features can be used to monitor the level and quality of interaction. Analytics and reports can track the number and behavior of participants, such as registration, attendance, drop-off, and completion rates. Quizzes and tests can measure learning outcomes and knowledge retention. Follow-up emails and interviews can check the application and impact of the session on participants' work or life.
One of the game changing new features in data collection for large group sessions is Zoom's AI Companion. As many online sessions use Zoom meetings and webinars, the AI Companion offers summaries, action items, highlighted points and a variety of other features that can be tagged. The even cooler part is that you can copy the entire transcript into ChatGPT and ask it to "derive 3 key feedback points from the conversation" or "generate a sentiment analysis for the conversation, indicating where participants were most engaged". As you can see, integrating AI into large group sessions significantly streamlines the data collection process.
Once you have collected data, you must analyze it to draw insights and conclusions. Depending on the type and amount of data, different tools and techniques can be used. Spreadsheets and charts are useful for organizing and visualizing quantitative data, such as numbers, percentages, and scores. Thematic analysis and word clouds can be used to identify the main themes and patterns in qualitative data, such as comments, feedback, and stories. SWOT analysis and gap analysis are ideal for evaluating the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your session, as well as the gaps between the expected and actual outcomes.
Once you have analyzed the data, you should report your findings to your stakeholders and participants. The format and channel of the report can depend on the purpose and audience. Dashboards and infographics can be used to present key metrics and highlights in a visually concise manner. Reports and presentations can be used to share detailed data and analysis in a structured, comprehensive way. Additionally, testimonials and case studies can be used to showcase success stories and best practices in a narrative, engaging way.
After you report your findings, you need to implement improvements for your future online large group sessions. Strategies and actions to take vary based on the feedback and results of your evaluation. You should celebrate and replicate what worked well in your session, such as the content, format, facilitation, and technology. Additionally, you should address and fix what did not work well in your session, such as the timing, interaction, accessibility, and support. Lastly, experiment with new ideas and approaches for your session such as the design, delivery, evaluation, and follow-up.
Once the data is analyzed, it's useful to categorize the findings into a prioritization matrix (like the Eisenhower matrix) or develop user stories and value-based criteria to determine which improvements will be acted upon first. For example, if a majority of the group prefer to leave feedback through polls administered during the sessions, this is an added value for the organizer as the response rate is higher and faster (compared to email polls issued after the sessions). Remember that improvements are for effectiveness (increasing the value) and/or efficiency (increasing the speed to value) - NOT based on the singular voices of one or two outliers.
Evaluating the success of your online large group session is not a one-time activity, but a continuous process of learning and growing. You can use various resources and opportunities, depending on your goals and needs as a facilitator. For instance, seeking feedback from peers and mentors can help you develop your skills and confidence. Joining online communities and networks can enable you to exchange tips with other facilitators. Additionally, exploring online courses and books can help you stay up-to-date with current knowledge and practices.