What is a survey?

In this article we cover:

• What is a survey and how does it work?
• Points to remember when setting up a survey
• How to maximize the value of your data
• Three survey questions  for effective end-of-meeting feedback

What is a survey and how does it work?

Vevox's survey feature allows you to ask your audience, participants or students multiple questions that they can answer in their own time at their own pace and on their devices. This is ideal for asynchronous polls also called self paced polls and even hyflex learning.  Participants completing a survey can see how many questions they have answered and continue to edit or change their answers until the session host closes & unpublish the survey. This will remove the survey from the app. 

The Surveys feature operates in what we refer to as an ‘offline’ mode. It does not require a live session for interaction and can be scheduled to remain available for a specific period. Participants or students can complete the questions at their own pace—either during or after a session. All individual responses are automatically captured and stored within the survey.

Surveys can be anonymous, allowing you to get maximum feedback that is genuine and uninhibited. Alternatively, your participants can be identified.  An added feature enables you to shuffle the order of the survey questions for each participant, whether a survey or a self-paced quiz. Multiple surveys and self-paced quizzes can run simultaneously in the same session.

All survey results and data are captured and made available in the reporting section afterward. 

You have the option to create your own customized survey or use one of our pre-made templates. Vevox also allows for the import and export of surveys between sessions, ensuring efficient utilization of survey content without the need to recreate questions from scratch. Additionally, individual questions can be reused through the questions library feature.

In a survey, participants have the option to submit their responses incrementally even if they haven't answered all questions. However, they can revisit the survey while it remains open to add more answers or edit their existing ones as desired.

Self-paced quizzes are a loved and widely used feature within the Surveys tool. These quizzes operate as surveys that include correct answers, making them highly effective for formative assessment and monitoring students’ progress in specific subject areas. Instructors can schedule self-paced quizzes to open and close on set dates and times and can also apply a time limit for completion. Once students submit their responses, they receive immediate feedback and view a customized summary screen displaying their scores, performance insights, correct answers, and explanations.

Survey type questions also include the following polling types: 

• Multichoice
• Text response
• Ranking
• Star Rating
• Numeric
• LaTex in polls
• Using images in polls (including Pin on image as well as Pin on Choice image.)

(Word cloud & XY plot polling is unavailable as it needs a live environment to function.) 

Points to remember when setting up a survey: 

1. Participants will answer the surveys self-paced and in their own time. 
2. To ensure optimal engagement, it's crucial to keep surveys concise and straightforward. While you can add unlimited questions, it's advisable to avoid overwhelming participants, as lengthy surveys may lead to decreased interest and incomplete responses.
3. Before creating your survey, determine the specific insights you aim to gather and tailor your questions accordingly. Consider how you plan to analyze the survey data, including whether demographic or profiling questions will be useful for cross-referencing.
4. To streamline survey setup, consider duplicating questions with the same scale. This simplifies the process and ensures consistency throughout the survey.
5. For quizzes requiring participants to see correct answers, set up a self-paced quiz within the survey. Utilize the data reporting analyze quiz scores, especially for assessing comprehension post-lecture or post online class.
6. After a meeting, class, or session concludes, you can leave the survey open to collect feedback over several days to allow for post class or session analysis.
7. Remember, the purpose of asking survey questions is to act upon the responses. Be prepared to take action based on the feedback received.
8. A survey can stay open for as long as you need it. But see the information box below.
9. Live polling and surveys can be asked in the same session.
10. You can view session data while the survey is still open, but keep in mind that the results may continue to change. The final report will only be available once the survey is closed and no new responses can be submitted.

How to maximize the value of your data: 

1. Vevox’s reporting tools let you dig into your data your way—either by customizing reports or by using Excel for more detailed insights.
2. Use the sharable infographics as well as the ‘Session analytics overview’ for your feedback.
3. Use cross-tabulation if asked profile or demographic responses. Don’t ask too narrow profile questions.
4. Keep your surveys consistent. Use the ‘import surveys’ functionality or your question library so you don’t need to re-create the survey from start.
5. React quickly – while the data is still valuable.
6. Timing – request participants to fill in the survey towards the end of the meeting, session or class, to ensure relevant feedback. 

Example of what a survey in the Vevox app will look like in a participant browser:

Example of three survey questions to ask at the end of your meeting