How to design an effective survey?

As an Instructional designer, I believe creating effective survey questions to measure and evaluate engagement and satisfaction with a learning course is crucial. The questions we include in our survey should delve into emotions and experiences, offering insights beyond simple metrics.

Here are some tips to craft meaningful questions to design surveys that reveal learners' thoughts and enhance your learning experiences.

• Open-ended Questions: Instead of asking yes/no questions, use open-ended questions that encourage respondents to provide detailed feedback. For example:

"What aspects of this course did you find most engaging?"

"Please share your thoughts on how this course could be improved."

• Scale Questions: Use Likert scale questions to measure satisfaction levels. Keep the scale consistent throughout the survey, such as:

"On a scale of 1-5, how satisfied are you with the course content?"

"Rate your overall engagement with this course from 1 (low) to 5 (high)."

• Behavioral Questions: Ask questions that assess participants' behavior and actions as a result of the course:

"Have you applied the knowledge and skills learned in this course to your work or daily life? (Yes/No)"

"If yes, please describe a specific instance where you applied what you learned."

• Net Promoter Score (NPS): Consider using the NPS question to gauge how likely participants are to recommend the course to others:

"On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend this course to a colleague or friend?"

• Specific Feedback: Request specific examples or instances that stood out:

"Can you share a memorable moment or activity from the course that enhanced your learning experience?"

• Emotional Response Questions: Probe participants' emotional responses to the course:

"Think back to the part of the course that you found most engaging. Can you describe any emotions or sensations you experienced during that part? For example, did you feel excited, curious, motivated, or inspired? Please share any specific thoughts or reactions you had."

"Describe any challenges or frustrations you experienced during the course."

• Goal Achievement: Assess if participants' learning objectives were met:

"Did this course help you achieve your learning goals? (Yes/No)"

"If yes, please explain how this course contributed to your goals."

• Suggestions for Improvement: Always include a section for participants to offer suggestions for improvement:

"What suggestions do you have to enhance the engagement and satisfaction of future learners in this course?"

• Demographic Questions: Gather demographic data to segment responses, but ensure anonymity:

"What is your role/job title?" or "In which department do you work?"

"How many years of experience do you have in this field?"

Remember to pilot-test your survey with a small group to ensure clarity and effectiveness. Also, keep the survey concise and easy to complete to maximize response rates.