Topic chunking
When exploring a topic it is often better to ask a series of small, specific questions, rather than a single, large question.
We refer to this as Topic chunking and makes it easier for responders to provide more insightful answers. It has the added benefit of allowing you to easily direct people to replies for a specific sub-topic, as each question has a dedicated WonderWall.
Example: complex vs simple
Complex single question
- "What are your thoughts on tertiary education – your general impression? What's good? What's bad? Where might we go for ideas on how to improve tertiary education?"
Simple smaller questions
- Overview "What is your general impression of tertiary education? Do you have first-hand experience? How has tertiary education changed recently? For the better or the worse?"
- Good "What are some positive things about tertiary education? What works well? How does tertiary education deliver value? What elements of tertiary education excite you?"
- Bad "What isn't good about tertiary education? What isn't working? What things about tertiary education that frustrate you?"
- Inspiration "If you had the power and resources to improve tertiary education what would you do? Do you have any suggestions for things we should check out for ideas and inspiration - directly or indirectly related to tertiary education?"