Frequently Asked Questions for Listeners

Hello Listeners,

We have compiled this list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for you to review. After running two cycles of the Voices of Our Future program we are ready to answer many questions that we will face as Listeners over the next month. Just like the Applicants, we are on our own learning journey in new media. If you have new questions, please post them as comments here and we will get back to you as soon as possible!

Someone has already commented and reviewed the assignment. Should I still leave a comment?
Yes, you should! We have made sure that each assignment receives three reviews to better help us assess each Applicant's assignment. The more comments, the better!

Do we offer praise and constructive criticism in the comment, or elsewhere?
Please provide your feedback in the comment under each assignment. Here are some suggestions, or prompts, to get you started in forming your comments...remember though, there is no one right way, only learning along the way!

• \"I really loved the way you...\"


• \"I was inspired by...\"


• \"I was moved when...\"


• \"One thing that I would have liked to have seen was...\"


• \"The assignment asked you to speak to _____, and I felt...\"


• \"I would love to know more about _____...\"


• \"One thing that I really liked about your assignment was...\"

In general, keep a supportive, encouraging tone. Most importantly, use your authentic voice. If you feel uncomfortable leaving a critique, it is fine to leave only positive comments. However, feeling uncomfortable can be a good part of the learning journey. Relax, share your voice, and communicate directly. The Applicants will appreciate it.

We do ask that you not tell the Applicants you are evaluating what their score is. As the assignment scores are only part of our review process, this might cause confusion.

I am noticing a lot of punctuation and grammar mistakes in my assignments. Is this important?
We joyfully say \"no!\" At this stage of the journey, we ask Listeners to focus on drawing out the VOICE of individual Applicants, and not worry too much about punctuation and grammar.

This does not imply that you should rate every assignment a \"5\" just to be nice. We encourage you to gently point out when an Applicant strayed from the rules or instructions, to ask clarifying questions, and let the Applicant know how you felt after reading their assignment.

Since applicants come from such a wide variety of backgrounds, levels of education and English-language abilities, it is most important to reflect back to the Applicant how a post engaged you. It has taken courage to post their words in such a public forum, and we want to build on that courage in the next four weeks.

The assignment is in a language that I can't read. What do I do?
We have asked the Applicants to submit their assignments in English. We have suggested that they use the Google translation tool if they need assistance with this. If you come across a submission that is not in English, please notify rachael@worldpulse.com and we will see what we can do to support their application.

How do I know which Applicants I am going to Listen to?
Over the next four weeks you will receive a link via email to our Weekly Assignment document where you will find links to the assignments you will read and review. When you are ready, simply open this spreadsheet and follow the instructions. Each Listener will be reviewing a different set of Applicants each week. A link to this document is also in your welcome manual. Email scott@worldpulse.com if you have any questions or issues accessing this document.

How do I count the number of words in an assignment?
Highlight and copy the text of the assignment. Paste into the box on WordCountTool.com for an instant number!

What is a good method for reading through and reviewing the weekly set of assignments?
There is in general no one right way to complete your weekly set of reviews. However, some previous Listeners have told us that they like to use these methods:

• First, read through all of the assignments once before evaluating. Then, re-visit each one with the Review Form.


• If you read better on paper, you can copy and paste each assignment into a Word document to read.


• If you want, you can copy and paste your row of assignments into a separate spreadsheet for later reference. This is instead of coming back to the table we have created for you.


• We highly recommend that you copy and paste the full text of each assignment into the WordCountTool in order to get the word-count.


• Ask other Listeners in this group for their tips and tricks!

How many Applicants will I be Listening to each week?
We anticipate that each Listener will be reviewing between 7-10 assignments per week, depending on the number of applications we receive. If you anticipate being unable to meet your deadline for any reason, contact Scott as soon as possible.

How do I review the assignment?
To review the assignment, simply follow the link to our Evaluation Form, powered by GoogleDocs. In the spirit of Web 2.0, we are harnessing this technology to compile all of our Listeners' hard work. You will simply answer the questions on that form and hit \"Submit\" for each assignment you are reviewing. We will receive the information immediately.

Can I finish an Evaluation that I started earlier?
If you walk away from an evaluation form in progress, we recommend that you leave the browser window open. Unfortunately, if you close the window or navigate away before hitting \"Submit\" we will not receive your information and the assignment will not be evaluated.

Who do I contact if I have questions about the form, if I made a mistake, or if I am unsure of something?
If you accidentally submit information on the form that is wrong, incomplete or needs to be changed, or if you encounter technical issues, contact Scott at scott@worldpulse.com

For all other questions, please feel free to review the Voices of Our Future Listeners Group journal for more information. Post your question, or contact Scott at scott@worldpulse.com or Emily at emily@worldpulse.com

When are my evaluations due?
Your evaluations for the week (read the entry, submit evaluation form, post your comment) are expected to be finished by the dates noted on the landing page of this group. This gives you about one full week to complete them, on your own schedule.

What if I can't get to all of the Applicants that I've been assigned to review?
If you for some reason are unable to complete your assignment evaluations, please contact scott@worldpulse.com as soon as possible.

Why is World Pulse so great?
We are powered by women from 185 countries, including amazing volunteers like you! Thank you!