Moderator Essentials 03-09-2026
Andrea:
The instructos did a great job of packing the essentials of moderating into a two-day course. It gave me some fundamentals as well as validated how I currently moderated and approached my qual work. There was opportunity to dig deeger beyond the basics and I enjoyed having a critique of my current style.
Serena:
Very helpful! The instructors are very encouraging and great at offering actionable constructive feedback. I really enjoyed the opportunity to practice moderating with a live group and put what we’ve learned into action.
Mike:
I really enjoyed the course. It was very informative and full of great tips, do’s & don’t. I think the real-world experience followed by a constructivve debrief made a great deal of difference in easily growing from here.
If you are an aspiring – or relatively new – moderator looking to acquire the essential skills needed for moderating in-person qualitative focus groups and interviews this course is for you!
The course:
- Is hands-on – delivered in-person over 2 days.
- Offers generous opportunities to practice moderating skills – you will moderate a real focus group!
- Will prepare you in both theoretical and real-life contexts.
What you will take away:
- A skillset for powerful questioning and effective listening.
- Learn how to ask the right questions, get the tools to confidently run in-group exercises, and understand how to manage basic group dynamics.
- Valuable skills that are transferrable to user experience (UX) research.
- You will design a discussion guide for and moderate a focus group with real participants, putting what you have learned into practice.
Come prepared to engage, have fun and learn all about the essentials of in-person moderation!
Objectives
We will primarily focus our learning and practice on:
- Setting yourself up for success before fieldwork
- Understanding the elements of good Discussion Guide design
- How to introduce a group and build rapport
- Asking effective questions and probes
- Maintaining the flow of the discussion and keeping it on track
- Managing group dynamics, including challenging respondents
- Tips for specialized questioning techniques and exercises to elicit deeper responses
Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this Moderating Essentials Course, participants will have:
- A new skillset that will enable them to understand how, and when, to ask effective questions and probes
- A good understanding of some specialized tools and exercises that can enhance in-person qualitative discussions
- An understanding of group dynamics and some techniques to overcome typical challenges of in person qualitative discussions
Who is this course intended for?
This course would be well-suited for those with education in market research or at least 1 year experience working in the market research field who are also aspiring moderators (or relatively new moderators) looking to acquire a skillset for moderating in person focus groups qualitative discussions. Participants will ideally have at least observed focus groups in the past.
Instructors
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Deborah Klotz, CAIP has over 15 years experience as an accomplished qualitative research consultant. Her curiosity drives her to explore people’s motivations and behaviours, to understand client businesses and to dig for deep insights.
Deborah has experience managing a qualitative practice for two full-service research firms and working with a broad range of clients in industries including (but not limited to) Travel & Tourism, Fast-moving Consumer Goods, Financial Services, Professional Services, Technology, Education, Media and Crown Corporations/Government Agencies. |
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Bronwen Ward believes every person has a unique and interesting story to tell. She values human perspectives and is always seeking to understand underlying motivations that drive human decision making and behaviour. She is an expert at forging connections, allowing people to feel comfortable and relaxed while facilitating deep meaningful discussions.
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Deborah and Bronwen are both passionate about sharing their learning and expertise with others. They both currently work at Upwords, a boutique, qual-focused research consultancy, where they help brands make human connections.
Important Details
Delivery: In-person across 2 full day sessions (please arrive by 8:45am on each day).
Size of class: Maximum 8 participants
| Rates: | $2800 plus HST for CAIPs and CRIC corporate members $3000 plus HST for non-members |
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED FOR THE SPRING SESSION.
Join the waitlist below to gain priority access for the next session. *Please note that joining the waiting list does not obligate you to register for the upcoming session.