More analysis, by popular demand! On the discussion page, Lucas Cioffi requested some analysis of how years of experience in the field might influence survey responses. Using the data on U.S. practitioners, we have crossed a dichotomous variable for experience in the field (split at the median, 12 years, so that each group is roughly equal in size) with variables on background experience, methods, and common topics of facilitation. Some of the charts are difficult to read, but you can click on the image for a larger version.

Practitioners with less experience in D&D were more likely to report backgrounds in community organizing and social activism, as well as public relations, communications, and media.

The biggest differences by years of experience were in the area of methods, where larger percentages of practitioners with more experience reported using a wider variety of methods across the board, but both groups were about equal in their use of online methods. Practitioners with less experience in the field were much less likely to report using panels and task forces or visioning workshops.

The reverse was true in the case of topics, where larger percentages of the practitioners with less experience reported work on more topics– but the differences between the two groups on topics tended to be smaller than they were for background or methods. Practitioners with more experience were more likely to report work on the subject of organizational development and public services, while practitioners with less experience were more likely to report work on equity and justice issues and local economies.

Having trouble reading this chart? Click on the image for a larger version.

Do any of these findings surprise you? Join the discussion here. Return to the top of this page here.