The future of higher education is changing quickly. Digital cameras and social media have made it easier than ever to share photos and videos, creating a demand for high-quality digital content. It’s no surprise, then, that the changing landscape of higher education is starting to feel the effects as well. With mounting student loan debt and increasing competition for admission into top universities, students are more aware than ever before of the value they receive from their education. The advent of digital media has created an appetite for video content that can be accessed instantly, rather than via a series of linear videos or podcasts. 

Today’s students expect high-quality video content from institutions that meet certain criteria — even before they apply for admission. Therefore, it is imperative for higher education institutions to adapt their services to better reflect student needs and expectations in order retain the highest quality of student input possible. It is important not only for the students but also for the educational institutions themselves, to keep their writing high and be able to attract more students in the upcoming years.

Things to consider when asking for student opinion

Before you ask students to voice their opinion, you’ll want to consider a few things. First, be sure to clearly state your purpose. What do you hope to learn from the survey? If you want to improve your course offerings, you’ll need to first define your audience and determine what they value. What kind of courses do your students find most valuable?

 If you want to better meet the needs of LGBTQ students, you will need to better define their needs. What areas do they feel are particularly lacking in your course offerings? Next, think about your methodology. What format will students respond in? What types of questions will you ask? Which questions are optional?

Find out what students want in video content

There are a number of factors you’ll want to consider before starting a video creation project. First, your content strategy. 

• What is your overall strategy for creating the video content? 
• What are the goals you hope to achieve with the video? 
• What topics are you planning to cover? 

Next, your audience. 

• What types of students are you creating content for? 
• What experience level are they at?
• Are there certain demographics that are more likely to use certain services? 
• What is the typical usage of different platforms? 
• How often do they use your services? 
• What do they like/dislike?

Using Survey Monkey to ask questions and collect data

Survey Monkey is an easy-to-use tool that allows you to survey students. You can easily create surveys, send them to your students, and collect their feedback. You can also track how often they use your services. You can also import your Google Forms data to Survey Monkey. If you are not sure how to start, you can use our templates or follow our step by step tutorial. You can also edit your surveys to make them more personalized to your needs. 

Survey Monkey can track when your students access your services, how often and what devices they use. You can also track how many times they enter your website from the tracking data you collect. You can also use the data for contextual analysis in your content strategy.

Testing changes with a pilot group

Whether you use Survey Monkey or Google Forms, the first step is to test your survey with a pilot group — that is, a select group of students who will serve as your control group. When you conduct pilot testing, you want to make sure you are getting feedback from actual students. You do not want to get feedback from your instructor, who may think that the changes are fine, or feedback from a student who has not used your services, or who takes the survey differently because they are not a student. 

If using Survey Monkey, select a random set of students and ask them to complete the survey. If you are unsure how to select a random set, an easy way to select a random sample is to use a random number generator. Next, select the students who completed the survey and conduct interviews with them. 

An interview is a more in-depth look into the survey results and can be used to further understand the feedback provided and to confirm that the information provided is accurate. If you are conducting an interview with a class or smaller group, you can use a whiteboard or flip chart to write the questions and answers. If conducting an interview via phone or Skype, you can use the recording to confirm the accuracy of the information provided.

Final Considerations

Asking students for their opinion is a great way to test your offerings and gauge student needs. But remember that students are busy, and you should offer them a quick and easy way to respond to your survey. You will be able avoid a lot of complications if you keep your survey simple and to the point. 

Your survey should be between five and 10 questions, and you should aim to include all of the key aspects of your proposal. Students will respond best when given a short time to complete the survey, and when the survey is easy for them to complete. Be sure to include these key aspects to avoid a low response rate.