Description
This paper explores issues of engagement, response rates, access, confidentiality and security in relation to the Canberra Institute of Technology's move from a paper-based student experience survey to an online survey. It discusses a variety of theories and strategies which will inform the future development and implementation of online student experience surveys, including benefits such as lower costs, ease of administration, fewer errors and quicker data entry. The paper does show, however, that online surveys can have drawbacks such as lower response rates, and require effective promotion and enthusiastic teachers to encourage students to take part.Summary
About the research
One of NCVER's research objectives is to build the research capacity of the vocational education and training (VET) sector. To this end, NCVER sponsored seven new researchers to attend NCVER's 2007 No Frills conference. One of these awards went to Sarah Sutcliffe. This paper is based on her presentation at the conference.
Student experience surveys are an important tool for vocational education providers to measure their performance and meet quality and reporting demands. Surveying students online is a cost-effective way to collect students' feedback; however, using an online survey tool is not always a simple matter of moving from a mail-out survey to an online instrument. In particular, motivating students to engage with an online survey can be difficult, which can mean lower response rates.
This paper explores the issues which the Canberra Institute of Technology came across in their move from a paper-based student experience survey to an online survey.
Key messages
- The benefits of surveying students online include lower costs, ease of administration, fewer data-entry errors and quicker data processing; however, surveying online can also have drawbacks, such as lower response rates.
- Successfully engaging students is essential to achieving good response rates. This can be done through effective promotion of student surveys which can include monetary rewards or prizes, and emphasising the intrinsic rewards students can obtain from having a voice in opinion surveys.
- Teachers play an important role in encouraging students to complete student experience surveys.
Tom Karmel
Managing Director, NCVER