160 likes | 239 Views
Developing Surveys. John C. Ory Chris Migotsky Center for Teaching Excellence 249 Armory 3-3370 ory@uiuc.edu. Know your…. Topic Respondents Costs Time Purpose. Survey Examples Annual Campus Senior Survey Proposed General Education Survey. From 40 Suggestions …..
E N D
Developing Surveys John C. Ory Chris Migotsky Center for Teaching Excellence 249 Armory 3-3370 ory@uiuc.edu
Know your…. Topic Respondents Costs Time Purpose
Survey Examples Annual Campus Senior Survey Proposed General Education Survey
From 40 Suggestions ….. About questions • “Is this question worth asking?” • Keep items short as possible • Avoid double-barreled wording Rate the quality and value of the capstone course • Focus response choices “Rate the quality of …” Use P-F-G-VG-EX rather than “The capstone was excellent.” SD-D-A-SA
• Balance your scales m m m m m Poor Fair Good VG Excellent • Decide on number of scale points 4 or 5 or 6? • Should you use “Neutral category” or “Don’t know” • Place positive responses to right Poor=1, Fair=2, etc…
About survey • Make the questionnaire “eye-appealing” professional with plenty of white space • Group items into logically coherent sections • Avoid putting important items at the end • Do you need demographics?
GETTING RESPONSES Phase I: Getting their attention • If your survey arrives in style, it may not get tossed in trash • If your survey appears seductive, the respondent may be attracted • If your survey appeals to a basic value,, it may get read. • If your survey arrives at the right time, it has a chance of being completed
Phase II: Keeping their attention • If the students know what it is for and why it is important, they may want to respond • If you give them something for their effort, they may expend the effort to respond • If it is easy to complete, it might get completed • If you ask questions that “grab” students, you might get responses
Phase III: Getting their feedback • If you keep it confidential, they may feel “safe” to respond • If you make it easy to return, you might get it back • If you follow-up, you even can get a better return rate
E-mails and Cover Letters • Date letter or e-mail of the day it actually goes out • Use letterhead when possible • Personalize salutation • Explain purpose • Describe who is sponsoring • Provide name and phone for further info • Consider sending advance e-mail or letter • Consider other methods to publicize survey
Explain how respondents were chosen • Explain how and when to return survey • Describe incentives • Provide a realistic time required to complete survey • Explain how the confidentiality of the respondent and data will be protected • Identify deadline for returning
How to get 75% Return 4 mailings 2 weeks apart = 40+20+10+5 Send complete package on 1st and 3rd mailings (cover letter, questionnaire, envelope with stamp) Send reminder cards on 2nd and 4th mailings E-mails or Cover letters are different: 1st thorough content 2nd gentle and friendly reminder 3rd emphasize confidentiality and stress importance 4th set a final deadline
A handy campus tool for developing electronic surveys - Public Affairs’ Web Services Toolbox Presented by Chris Migotsky
Web Surveys in the Toolboxhttp://www.webservices.uiuc.edu Info
Let’s Create a Survey! Web Services Toolbox http://www.webservices.uiuc.edu/ Other web survey tools • Survey Monkey • Snap Surveys • Zoomerang