Learning centers commonly survey students in two ways - post-session surveys and end-of-term surveys. This article discusses tips and tricks for maximizing response rates in both.
Drop-in: Dual-Screen Solution Increases Immediate Feedback
A California community college transformed their feedback collection by implementing a split-screen kiosk system. The first screen handles check-ins while the second presents a feedback form with quick reaction options for students to click upon check-out - they used a service called Happy or Not. This method generated 44 responses in one week - matching what they previously collected in an entire semester.
Optimal Timing for Feedback Collection
Data from the University of Central Florida and Macomb Community College shows that feedback collection is most effective within an 8-10 day window after sessions. Response rates drop significantly when feedback requests extend beyond this period.
Measuring Impact of Tutoring
Centers successfully correlating tutoring impact with student success shared a few tips:
- Automate a standardized daily export to Institutional Research that enables them to study this question for you
- Ensure data across all service types is in a consistent format
- Measure student confidence levels pre/post session, providing and alternative to complicated GPA or retention analysis
- Maintain consistent collection methods over time, as changes make it hard to study multi-year data
Mobile-First Collection Increases Completion
The University of Central Florida implemented QR codes linking to feedback forms, resulting in nearly double the feedback responses they'd previosuly received. This method succeeds by meeting students where they are - on their phones.
Implementation requires:
- Generated QR codes
- Mobile-responsive forms
- Clear placement in tutoring spaces
- Regular code testing
End-of-Term Surveys: Survey Length Directly Affects Response Rates
CU Boulder's learning center ASAP Tutoring provides evidence of how survey length impacts completion. Their data shows that with 18-20 questions, only 30-40 students out of 400 completed the end-of-semester survey. The center reduced questions to focus on three areas: tutoring experience, tutor effectiveness, and service accessibility. This change led to increased completion rates.
Starting Your Feedback Improvement Process
Begin with these concrete steps:
- Calculate current weekly response rates (what percent of sessions get feedback?)
- Choose one new collection method
- Test for 2-3 weeks, analyze data to see if an uptick in responses was generated
- Expand successful methods
- Rinse and repeat
Centers report the most success when starting small and expanding based on data. Each change requires measurement and adjustment before scaling. Like everything else, progress is usually iterative and somewhat slow, so keep at it!
