Tips & Tricks

• A fundamental stage in conducting a Delphi study is formulating the problem. The importance of precisely defining the field of investigation cannot be overstated.
• Set objectives in advance. Plus, set the approach to the subject/problem you want to gather information about.
• Establish a warm, supportive environment for students to feel confident when coming out with new ideas that may lay on the common ground.[1]  Make sure participants or students’ answers are anonymous, so all opinions are valid and will be taken into account.

On the other hand, it is worth mentioning here some cons on behalf the Delphi Technique to bear in mind, such as:

• It does not allow participant/students’ discussion on the topic, as there is no opportunity for them to share their views and elaborate their ideas until the collected data has been already processed and published. As far as this technique avoids group effects, it may not be the best option for a class session activity.
  • The presence of agreement or agreement over an opinion or ideas does not necessarily imply that you have found the correct answers, agreement, or solution. There is no proof of dependability (i.e. if two panels received the same question they may not come to the same consensus).
  • The Delphi Technique may be quite time consuming, as different rounds should be carried out and it asks for both teachers and students commitment through the process as a whole, and it happens that the current curricula in some subjects does not allow VET teachers to introduce this kind of activities in their teaching.

A cons section with an example could help