Survey Design
Since 2000, CNDLS has conducted online surveys at the request of faculty, departments, and committees interested in investigating student learning and experiences in courses, as majors, and as participants in living-learning communities. CNDLS services include survey design consultation, as well as delivering custom online surveys that meet the needs and goals of the faculty, department or committee.
Why conduct a survey?
Surveys are useful for collecting anonymous feedback from a large group of students on course or curriculum experiences and program design, as well as for gaining a deeper understanding of what students know. As opposed to focus groups, where data take the form of notes or transcripts of structured conversations, surveys can be designed to provide qualitative and/or quantitative data, which can be analyzed statistically.
How do I go about conducting a survey with CNDLS?
- Faculty members (or a department team) meet with CNDLS staff for a brainstorming session around the ideas, questions and topics to explore in the survey.
- CNDLS staff members use the results of the brainstorming session to shape, rephrase, and reorder the questions to create an intentional mix of open- and closed-ended questions.
- The faculty members or department team review the new questions, and together with CNDLS staff finalize the survey questions.
- CNDLS builds a web-based instrument, makes the survey "live," and then provides the url to the faculty or department, who contact and coordinate participants.
What happens after the data are gathered?
CNDLS provides either the raw data (with all identifiers such as names and IDs removed) to the faculty member or department, or will compile a summary and some initial analysis. In addition, we will arrange a meeting to discuss the summary, analysis, and next steps. To start the survey design process, reach out to CNDLS for a survey consultation.
