5 Essential Elements Of Student Survey Design
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Let’s face it - students do not enjoy filling in surveys. It’s probably right up there with visiting the dentist amongst universally disliked tasks. And who can blame them?
Surveys are often poorly designed. They take up too much time. The questions are redundant and generic. Their responses enter a black hole, never to be heard of again.
The list goes on and on.
Yet, the intention of putting forth a survey is a good one. They’re meant to give a voice to students, to gather insights and ultimately, to deliver quality experiences.
So how do we bridge the gap between good intentions and effective action?
In order to figure this out, we've teamed up with the brilliant minds at Ontario Tech University to pinpoint the essential must-haves when designing a successful student survey. Here’s what we found out.
In today's fast-paced world, time is a precious commodity for both students and educators. Research underscores that shorter questionnaires garner more reliable responses and completion rates than their lengthy counterparts (Kost et al, 2018; Sharma, 2022). Instructors also prioritise class time for content delivery and are unlikely to support tools that detracts from this focus (Halat et al, 2023).
Practical Tips To Keep Your Surveys Concise
1. Limit the Number of Questions: From our experience, surveys should ideally contain fewer than 10 questions. On average, a 7-question student survey achieves a 92% completion rate. Adding more questions is likely to significantly reduce this rate.
2. Ask a Primary and Contextual Question: Start with a primary question and then follow up with a related contextual question. This approach avoids redundancy and keeps the survey focused.
3. Evaluate Question Clarity: Regularly check if your questions are clear and concise by asking:
Accessibility is the cornerstone of survey design, ensuring that all students, not just a select few, can easily participate. This inclusivity is essential for promoting engagement and gaining a comprehensive understanding of student experiences.
Additionally, given the escalating concerns regarding mental health issues among university students, accessibility is more crucial than ever (Baik et al, 2017; Jones et al, 2020).
Practical Tips To Ensure Your Surveys Are Inclusive and Accessible
1. Use A Person-First Language and Non-Stigmatising Approach. Emphasise the person before any condition and avoid language that could be perceived as judgmental, negative, or discriminatory. For example:
2. Address Demographic Variances. Check if:
Providing prompt feedback and an immediate list of support not only encourages student participation but also facilitates completion of assessment. This is partly due to the developmental characteristics of the teenage brain, where youth tend to prioritise immediate results over long-term outcomes (Hartley & Somerville, 2015).
Studies have also shown that immediate support for mental health issues can lead to reduced symptom severity, enhanced coping mechanisms, and increased likelihood of recovery (Colizzi et al, 2020; Dixon et al, 2016). Furthermore, immediate feedback also offers students a sense of control over their responses (Csikszentmihalyi et al, 2014).
Providing students with questions to self-reflect is a key aspect of effective student survey design. Self-reflection plays a vital role in empowering students to better understand and manage their psychological well-being, including heightening self-awareness, improving emotional regulation, and enhancing problem-solving abilities (Ardent & Grunwald, 2018; Padykula, 2017; Zimmerman, 2012).
Furthermore, self-reflection also promotes meta-learning skills, allowing students to identify their learning patterns, strengths, and areas for improvement, thus facilitating academic success (CPA, 2022; Osborn et al., 2022).
By encouraging students to acknowledge and reflect on positive emotions such as optimism and gratitude, surveys can serve as a powerful tool for promoting well-being. Research demonstrates that fostering positive emotions acts as a protective factor against anxiety, depression, and aggression (Garland et al, 2010; Kobau et al, 2011).
By assessing concepts such as purpose, meaning, and positive emotions, student surveys facilitate personal growth and resilience, which are integral to the learning process.
At StudentPulse, we are passionate about supporting educators to ensure that students' voices are heard and that their needs are met, through a range of innovative features on our survey platform including check-ins, activity tracking, and personalised recommendations.
To learn more or to give the StudentPulse survey platform a test drive, reach out to our friendly team members today!
