Dartboard
The evaluation dartboard is a quick and simple method for participants to rate the delivery of a workshop, training session or similar activity.
Participants, using sticky dots or a marking pen, make a mark on the dartboard based on a rating scale, for example from ‘highly satisfied’ to ‘highly dissatisfied’ or ‘exceeded expectations’ to ‘missed the mark’. The dartboard provides a visual snapshot of participants’ views without the need for further analysis or work (for example, compared to questionnaires).
An evaluation dartboard consists of drawing a large circle on a flip chart paper, a whiteboard or similar. You can then draw another ring in the centre of the circle to represent the bull’s eye, and one in between the centre and the outer ring.
Participants are asked to place a separate mark within each sector that represents a question. The nearer the bulls eye, the more satisfied a participant is, and the further they are away from the centre, the less they are satisfied. This is presented in the diagram below.
An evaluation dartboard
You can then divide the dartboard into sectors based on the number of questions you want answered. There is any number of questions that you can ask based on what you want to find out (refer back to developing a M&E plan). Questions can include:
- Extent to which the workshop (or other) met participants’ learning needs
- Extent to which the workshop (or other) inspired participants to take action
- Level of enjoyment
- Level of interaction
- Extent to which questions were answered
- Quality of speakers
- Quality of facilitation
- Quality of handouts
- Quality of catering
What you need to consider is whether the question makes sense with regards to the rating that you use (refer to designing a questionnaire).
If you want more information, especially for variables that are rated low, you can invite participants to also write a small comment next to their mark that represents the reason for their low rating.
A dartboard evaluation of a workshop. Source: City of Knox
Dartboard pros and cons
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Easy, quick and simple to prepare and use | Does not evaluate processes of change |
Easy to analyse visually | Evaluation is not anonymous so there is the potential for group effect to influence placement |