Making the Grade continued from 15
If you need to ask people to get the data you need, you can interview them or you can ask them to complete a written survey or questionnaire. One of the tools for continuous improvement in business is the Deming Cycle. Dr. William Edwards Deming was a statistician known for improving both the production and quality of goods in the United States and Japan. The Deming Cycle for Continuous Improvement uses the PDSA approach and can be applied to surveys. 1) The Cycle begins with PLAN. Without adequate planning, your survey will be ineffective. 2) The next step in the cycle is DO. This encompasses the actual design of the survey, selection of the sample, and collection of the data. 3) The next phase of the Cycle is the STUDY phase. This is the point where you analyze the data you have collected, draw conclusions, and report your findings. 4) The last phase of the Cycle is ACT. Here is where you determine the appropriate action steps to be taken in the light of the data. Once the actions steps are taken, the Cycle leads you back to PLAN another survey to evaluate the changes made.
PLAN Before you begin, identify the purpose for the survey. What is your objective? What kinds of information will you need? Identify the best people to give you the answers you need. You should consider asking students, faculty, administrators, parents and/or community members, depending upon the purpose of the questions and the information and perspective needed. Determine the timeframe for administering the survey and how it will be administered. Also determine how you will get the word out to the appropriate audience that you need their input. Know in advance how you will analyze, report and use the data.
DO Survey construction is not easy, but it helps if you remember some simple tips: • Keep the purpose of the survey in mind. Every question you ask should support the purpose. • Ask the people who will have the information. • Keep the questions — and possible answers — simple. Don’t ask long complex questions or try to ask about two things in one question, for example, speed and accuracy or quality and quantity. Make those separate questions. • Keep it short. • Make it easy to complete. • Do a trial run with a sample of the intended audience to identify problems with wording or instructions. • Group your questions in sections and put them in a logical order. • Avoid words like always, never, invariably, etc.
Figure 1. Deming’s PDSA Cycle
• Begin with a short description of the purpose of the survey and end with a thank you.
| Florida Media Quarterly | Spring 2007 | Page 16 |