Evaluate & Reflect

At the end of every learning circle, learners and facilitators automatically receive an email with a survey asking them to reflect upon the goal they first set, feedback about the learning circle (what worked well vs. what could be improved), and what their next steps will be. (See Evaluation Surveys)

The survey responses are used to generate a “learning circle insights” summary (example) that is shared with the facilitator, team organizers, and learners as well as on the public facilitator dashboard for others to learn from.

Survey Notifications

Facilitators can check their learning circle's management page to see which participants have completed the survey. P2PU only sends out one email to participants about filling out the closing survey (see Messages), so many facilitators like to send a small nudge to remind learners to give feedback:

Example email template:

Hi there,

Can you take a few minutes to let me know how your learning circle went? Your feedback - the good and the bad - will improve the learning circle program for learners and facilitators around the world.

Share your feedback here: <survey link>

Thank you!

For additional insights, facilitators can consider distributing their own survey using a free tool like Google Forms.

Sébastien in Boston collected brief but informative responses via a simplified plus/delta survey that he sent to his participants to get short, weekly feedback and also gather interest for new learning circles. See it here.

Certificates & Accreditation

P2PU does not officially issue any kind of accreditation or formal education certificates for participation in learning circles. Some courses offer various types of endorsement though learners often have to pay the course provider for a copy.

A number of facilitators like to give certificates at the end of a learning circle to help connote a sense of achievement and stronger connection between the library/learning center and learner. If you want to recognize and celebrate learners’ achievements, you can use or customize our certificate template.

A blank P2PU Certificate of Achievement template (click to edit)

More on the blog: How we evaluate our work

Next Steps

Once the learning circle ends, the surveys are completed, and the facilitator has some time to digest... what's next?

• Run another learning circle: Every foray into facilitation informs the next. Consider running the learning circle again and experimenting with new techniques. Or try a new topic altogether!

• Improve the course: Every course added to the P2PU library gets an automatically-generated forum thread where facilitators can share their feedback and ideas on using the materials in learning circles. These discussions also appear on the course's page in the library and help inform future facilitators on how to best bring that material to their community. Experienced facilitators are encouraged to offer advice and thoughts in these threads!

• Write about the experience: Many people are forging their own paths through this unfamiliar territory, and a very common request is for more case studies and insights from experienced facilitators. Every facilitator's stories are welcome and encouraged in our community forum or on personal blogs/social media.

• Join a community call or working group: P2PU hosts monthly community calls and occasional working groups that bring facilitators together to discuss ideas and offer support. See all upcoming events.