DEF Workshop Evaluations

Since its inception, DEF has gathered observations and reports from teachers and students regarding the impact of its programs. Anecdotal evidence highlights the positive effects of decision education on students as well as teachers.

Following training courses and workshops, participants evaluate their experiences, the skills they have gained, and their interest in teaching the content presented. These evaluations indicate that DEF's professional development sessions (1) improve teachers' decision-making knowledge and skills, (2) motivate teachers to incorporate decision skills into their existing programs, and (3) prepare them to teach decision skills to students.

Additional key measures of the effectiveness of DEF programs include teacher and administrator referrals, growing attendance at our public courses, and increasing demand for DEF’s services.

Pre- and Post-Teacher Training Surveys

In summer 2009, DEF began assessing attendees’ pre-and post-training perceptions of their decision-making skills and their ability to teach the introductory principles of decision quality. The scores for the attendees at our 2009 summer public workshop at Stanford indicated an average positive change of 60 percent between pre- and post-assessments. ranked on a five-point Likert Scale (Strongly Disagree – Strongly Agree). Selected questions include:

•      I know the essential elements of a good decision

•      I cannot judge the quality of a decision by its outcome

•      I know the most common decision traps

•      I can explain what it means to be decision fit

•      I am able to teach introductory principles of decision quality

Read more about DEF's ongoing evaluation projects on page 9 of our 2009 annual report.