AQR’s online moderating session exceeded my expectations and
I found the whole experience thoroughly enjoyable. I was nervous
beforehand given my lack of moderating experience, although I
was also excited to get stuck in and learn from my peers within
the industry. I had expected it to be a lot more ‘teacher-pupil’ led,
with someone dictating to us. I was pleasantly surprised, though,
to find that it was much more collaborative and hands-on, which
was fantastic!
I was impressed by the level of support received from AQR and
the training team at every stage of the process. This ranged from
the introductory information provided, the fun pre-task, through to
the training day itself and the ability to ask follow-up questions
online afterwards. The number of tutors per attendee allowed us
to break into small discussion groups. This made the training
more discussion-based and interactive, ensuring our individual
needs and questions were met with ease.
We also got to put theory into practice with some hands-on
moderating experience, which was very rewarding. It was done
in such a way that it didn’t feel like a "test" or intimidating;
everyone helped each other, and it felt like we were all on the
journey together.
Coming from a fieldwork agency, I undertook this training to help
with advising clients about online qual and I certainly feel more
capable in this area as a result. I have a greater knowledge of the
different methodologies available, and the benefits and potential
drawbacks of using each for different research projects. It’s also
sparked a thirst to educate myself further, both within the area of
online qual but also on other topics related to my day-to-day work
so as to continue to increase my industry expertise.
Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and cannot recommend
AQR courses and events enough.
