LINCS Community Discussion Group Survey

LINCS Community of Practice Survey
Welcome!
In order to provide LINCS community members with opportunities for timely and
engaging discussions and activities, we are asking for feedback on what makes the
community valuable to you and how you think LINCS can improve. The survey should
only take 10 minutes to complete. Many thanks in advance for participating!

Public Burden Statement:
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to
respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB
control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is
estimated to average 10 minutes per response, including time for reviewing
instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data
needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The
obligation to respond to this collection is voluntary. Send comments regarding the
burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including
suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Education, 400
Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20210-4537 or email ICDocketMgr@ed.gov
and reference the OMB Control Number 1880-0542.

LINCS Community of Practice Survey
About you
To learn more about how your experience as a member of the LINCS community has
evolved, the questions in this section ask whether the reasons that you joined LINCS
are the same reasons that you continue to be a member of the LINCS community.
* 1. What are the primary reasons that you first joined the LINCS Community? Please
choose up to three.
To be a part of a broader community working in adult education
To have access to evidence-based and expert-reviewed adult education resources
To find and connect with peers and experts who are working on specific issues within adult
education, for example, Correctional and Reentry Education, or English Language
Acquisition
To collaborate with other members of the adult education community on specific projects or
documents
To learn about best practices and innovations in the field of adult education
To advance my own professional development
Participation in the LINCS Community was required as part of a course or event
Other (please specify)

2. As you continue to visit the LINCS community, how valuable are each of the
following to you?
Not at all
valuable

Being a part of a broader community working in
adult education
Having access to evidence-based and expertreviewed adult education resources
Finding and connect with peers and experts
who are working on specific issues within adult
education, for example, Correctional and
Reentry Education, or English Language
Acquisition
Collaborating with other members of the adult
education community on specific projects or
documents
Learning about best practices and innovations
in the field of adult education
Advancing my own professional development
Participating in LINCS courses or events

Not very
valuable

Valuable

Very
valuable

LINCS Community of Practice Survey
About LINCS
3. What LINCS community experience or interaction has had the most impact on your
work and why?

4. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about LINCS:
Disagree

Somewhat
agree

Agree

Strongly
agree

Group moderators generate high quality and
engaging discussions and activities
LINCS provides accurate, timely and useful
information
LINCS resources, discussions and activities
are responsive to my needs
LINCS provides high-quality, interactive training
and courses
As a state or local partner, I feel supported by
LINCS

5. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the
impact that LINCS has had on your work:
Disagree

Participating in
discussions and
groups has
improved my
work

Somewhat agree

Agree

Strongly agree

Disagree

Even if I don’t
participate,
seeing
discussions
between LINCS
community
members helps
to improve my
work
Having access to
accurate, timely
and useful
information has
improved my
work
As a result of
what I have
learned on
LINCS, I have
seen improved
outcomes for my
students
As a result of
being a LINCS
member, I am
more
knowledgeable
about best
practices in adult
education
As a result of
being a LINCS
member, I am
more confident in
my skills and
abilities as an
adult educator

Somewhat agree

Agree

Strongly agree

LINCS Community of Practice Survey
Connecting to your peers through LINCS
6. Has connecting to other LINCS members helped you do any of the following?
Please choose all that apply.

Consider a new approach or solution to a problem
Consider a problem in adult education work from a different perspective
Have access to adult education leaders or experts that you would not have had otherwise
Access new information
Find new collaboration partners
Gain support for a policy, program or process
Find a solution to a problem more rapidly
Develop a new solution to an issue you face in your adult education work
Make a change in a policy, program or process
Avoid a problem or pitfall faced by others
Other (Please specify.)

7. What features of LINCS have most facilitated connection or collaboration?
Public groups (e.g. Career Pathways, Correctional and Reentry Education, English
Language Acquisition)
Micro-groups (e.g. Diversity and Literacy, Minority Serving Community Colleges and
Affiliates; Assessment)
Private groups (e.g. Invitation-only groups established by LINCS or other agencies)
Events
Courses
Private messaging
Other (Please specify.)

8. How important is it to you to establish stronger connections to each of the following?
Not at all
important

LINCS moderators
LINCS users that have similar issue-area
interests
LINCS users from my local community
LINCS users from my state
LINCS users from a similar type of organization
or sector
LINCS users who have a similar role in their
organization
Experts in adult education
Experts in the specific issue-areas that I am
interested in
Other (Please specify.)

Somewhat
important

Important

Very
important

9. If you have collaborated with people whom you connected to through the LINCS
platform offline or in other settings , what was the result of that collaboration? Please
check all that apply.
A solution to a challenge in adult education work
The creation of a new resource for adult educators
The coordination of work on a particular issue
A joint presentation at a conference or event
A change to a policy, program or process
I have not collaborated with people whom I connected to through the LINCS platform offline
or in other settings
Other (Please specify.)

LINCS Community of Practice Survey
Opportunities and challenges
* 10. There are numerous stakeholders that adult educators work with on an ongoing
basis who could benefit from being part of the LINCS community or having access to
LINCS resources. Which of the following stakeholders do you think that LINCS
community members would benefit from including the most? Please choose your top
three.
Public policy makers at federal, state, and local levels
Employers
Labor unions
Immigration-related organizations
Prisoner re-entry and education groups
Special needs organizations
Libraries
Environmental organizations
Other (Please specify.)

* 11. What would you change about the LINCS platform to make it more responsive to
your needs? (Please choose your top two.)
Increase the ease of navigation on the platform so that I can find things better
Have better opportunities to give feedback on my priorities
Better integrate LINCS with my state’s professional development efforts
Grow the LINCS community by reaching out to audiences in my interest areas
Other (Please specify.)

12. What additional topics or issues would like to see LINCS address?

Public Burden Statement:
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to
respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB
control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is
estimated to average 10 minutes per response, including time for reviewing
instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data
needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The
obligation to respond to this collection is voluntary. Send comments regarding the
burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including
suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Education, 400
Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20210-4537 or email ICDocketMgr@ed.gov
and reference the OMB Control Number 1880-0542.