Evaluation of Synthesis Imaging Summer School '98

With help from Terry Romero, the evaluation forms handed out at the
end of the school were tabulated.  Below is the form with the average
response entered as well as some of the comments.  The evaluation
forms themselves are available for perusal in my office.  Thanks to
all those (62/139) who took the time to fill out these forms and thus
provide the feedback that should make for an even better school in
2001.
                                                      - Greg


              Synthesis 1998 School Evaluation Form

Instructions: Your feedback is important to help us improve future
summer schools on synthesis imaging.  Please provide a ranking to the
following questions using the numbers 1-10, with 1 indicating the
lowest score, and 10 the highest.

1) Overall quality of the lectures covering the fundamentals (W-F):__8___

1b) Were these lectures comprehensible (1=terrible; 10=excellent): __8___

1c) Were these lectures well organized (1=terrible; 10=excellent): __8___

1d) Were the extended question/answer sessions useful (1=no; 10=yes): __7___

2) Overall quality of the lectures covering more advanced topics (M-T): ___8___

2b) Were these lectures comprehensible (1=terrible; 10=excellent): __7___

2c) Were these lectures well organized (1=terrible; 10=excellent): __8___

2d) Were the question/answer sessions useful (1=no; 10=yes): __8___

3) Name the 3 best lectures (provide approximate title+lecturer):

   i) __Fundamentals of Interferometry by Rick Perley (32 votes)
   ii) __Error Recognition by Ron Ekers (27 votes)
   iii) __Spectral Line Observing I by Dave Westpfahl (15 votes)

   What made these the best?__enthusiasm, good pace, clear presentation,

   organized, simple, good illustrations, upbeat, informal, humorous...

4) What was the worst lecture (provide approximate title+lecturer): ___________

   ____________________________________________________________________________

   What made this the worst?___________________________________________________

   ____________________________________________________________________________

5) How useful was the data reduction tutorial on Saturday?
    (1=terrible; 10=excellent): __7___

6) How informative was the VLA tour on Sunday?
    (1=terrible; 10=excellent): __9___

7) How do you rate the overall organization of the school?
    (1=terrible; 10=excellent): __9___

8) What did you like most about the summer school: (in no particular order)

   good survey of the field, Saturday tutorial, meeting all the fellow
   students and the lecturers, the VLA tour, free beer, early lecture 
   notes, weekend break, well organized, the school dinner, school
   web page, ...
   
9) What improvements could we make in future summer schools: (random
   order, and in general I've only included suggestions that were made
   by two or more people)

   easier hike, break after every lecture, more details on the 
   fundamentals, more data reduction tutorials, better AIPS cookbook, 
   lecture on available software, more advanced tutorial groups,
   more social events, shuttle to The Cap, more examples from non-NRAO
   instruments, hold it somewhere besides Socorro, get better food
   for the dinner (especially for vegitarians), school was too long,
   school was too short, provide copies of overheads before-hand,
   increase Q&A time, organize school lunches and dinners, too many
   lectures on the last 2 days, ask lecturers to improve overheads
   (use large fonts, color, avoid handwritten), remove redundacy from
   lectures, eliminate some of the advanced lectures, shorter lecture
   days, add discusion group sessions.

Please place in box indicated at Workman 101 or return to Greg Taylor
NRAO Box 0, Socorro, NM 87801 USA.