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Frequently Asked Questions

Our school has had an end-of-course evaluation instrument in place for some time, why should we consider using SmarterSurveys?

1. Cost – Even though your school may not be paying a third party to manage the surveys now, there are very real costs associated with a “do it yourself” model.  These costs include expensive personnel time and costs associated with what ever technology you are using.  By using SmarterSurveys schools no longer have to go to the trouble of printing, distributing, collecting, analyzing and reporting from paper surveys.
2. Speed – Many schools which use systems which they have created report a delay of days, weeks, or even months after the survey is completed to have access to the data.  With SmarterSurveys appropriate persons can generate reports in real time as the data is coming in.  After the survey period has ended all reports are archived for immediate access. 
3. Efficiency – Some schools report that instructional or assessment time is taken during a class session if surveys are administered locally.  SmarterSurveys allows students to complete the survey at a time and place convenient for them.
4. Convenience – The Internet is an integral part of the American culture.  Even if students do not have Internet access at home, they do have access at the school’s library or other public locations.  SmarterSurveys requires no special software to be downloaded and any computer with an Internet browser can be used to submit the surveys.
5. Depth and clarity of feedback – Many students have reported that they can type faster than they can write.  Schools have reported that they frequently can not read the hand writing of comments submitted by students using pencil and paper models.  With the easy to complete web-based forms students can easily submit richer feedback about their course experiences. 
6. Scalability - SmarterSurveys is a strong solution for schools that operate many campuses or are a member of a consortium.  If the larger unit has some questions which need to be asked across all campuses or institutions that can be achieved using SmarterSurveys.

What can schools do to increase response rates on end-of-course evaluations?

One of the reasons why schools select SmarterSurveys is because it can increase the response rate on end-of-course evaluations.  We realize that a higher response rate helps schools spot meaningful trends in their data.  Lower response rates often are overly influenced by the outliers of very pleased or very disappointed students.   SmarterSurveys recommends the following actions to increase the response rate:  

1. Promote the end-of-course surveys prior to the end of the term.  Schools can place posters around campus, post announcements on bulletin boards, stuff reminders in student mail boxes.  Faculty can make announcements to students and add instructions to take the survey to their course instructions.
2. Give students a long window of opportunity to submit the surveys.  Students are very busy, especially around the end of the term as they are composing papers and studying for exams.  A common model is that schools open the survey with one week left in the course and then leave it open for two weeks after the course has ended.
3. Regularly remind the students about the survey.  One of the features of SmarterSurveys is that we can send a daily email reminder to students who have not yet submitted their end-of-course surveys.  The email provides clear instructions on how to access the surveys and reminds them of the courses for which they have not submitted the surveys.
4. Provide an incentive for participation.  Schools can provide rewards ranging from free tuition for one course to a $25.00 book store gift certificate.  SmarterSurveys can randomly select a student(s) as the winner of the random drawing.  Each term the schools should promote the fact that these students were the winners.
5. Assure students that their input is anonymous.   One of the benefits of partnering with SmarterSurveys to collect the data is that when students know that the school is collecting the data they fear that their input is not anonymous.  But since SmarterSurveys is a reliable third party, we assure students that their contact information is never reported with their evaluation input. 
6. Inform students of improvements that have been made based on their input.   When a change in policy or practice is made based on a trend indicated in the SmarterSurveys data, this is encouraging to students because they know that their thoughts are making a difference.
7. Require participation.   Schools can require students to participate before their grades can be released for the term.  Caution should be used in considering this method because students who submit the survey just to meet the requirement may not accurately reflect their true perceptions.

Thomas M. Archer of Ohio State University has provided an article titled "Characteristics Associated with Increasing the Response Rates of Web-Based Surveys." Archer made the following recommendations for increasing the response rate on web-based surveys: [1] Increasing the total days a questionnaire is left open, with two reminders, may significantly increase response rates. It may be wise to launch in one week, remind in the next week, and then send the final reminder in the third week; [2] Potential respondents must be convinced of the potential benefit of accessing the questionnaire; and [3] Do not be overly concerned about the length or detail of the questionnaire - getting people to the web site of the questionnaire is more important to increasing response rates.

Arher, Thomas M. (2007) Characteristics Associated with Increasing the Response Rates of Web-Based Surveys. Practical Assessment & Evaluation, 12(12). Available online: http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=12&n=12

Why not build it ourselves?

Schools who have attempted to build their own end-of-course survey system have learned that it is a high-risk approach for the following reasons:

1. Most software developers within an information technology department at a college do not understand the nuances and dynamics of gathering student perception data. This often results in low response rates and marginally useful reports.
2. Most school officials and information technology staff do not have the time nor the resources to dedicate to designing and building the system. We have hundreds of hours of time and thousands of dollars of resources already invested in building our system. We leverage that investment cost across many clients which reduces the cost for each client.
3. The budgetary implications of a home-grown system carry on each year. This includes software updates, report customization, and security management. Simply running the locally developed system requires a substantial, continual investment on the part of the institution. Thousands of dollars and hours spent on a home-grown system may still fall short of the functionality we can make available to you now.
4. Schools should consider how responsive the information technology staff will be to requests for technical support from students and customization requests from faculty and staff. We have full time staff to support all of your users.

How soon can our school get started using SmarterSurveys?

Schools are advised to begin the initial process of using SmarterSurveys at least one month prior to the first survey administration.  The process for setting up surveys after that is largely automated and takes much less time.  One person at each institution should be designated as the primary SmarterSurveys point of contact.  The psychometricians and data engineers at SmarterSurveys will collaborate with this person to identify their survey needs.  Schools preparing to use SmarterSurveys should consider the following elements:

1. What are the questions that need to be asked?  For assistance with this schools have access to our databank of over 300 vetted end-of-course assessment items.
2. What are the levels of access that are needed?  For example consortium, college, department, faculty.
3. What questions should be asked across all levels?
4. What questions should be asked at the course or department levels?
5. What types of reporting and data access are needed at these various levels?
6. What are the opening and closing dates for the survey?
7. Create the data files which the school submits to SmarterSurveys which includes variables such as student, faculty and course elements. 

How soon are survey results available?

Persons with appropriate levels of administrative access can log into SmarterSurveys and view incoming data and reports in real time.  Schools are able to monitor results as they are being submitted.  If schools are doing more detailed analysis of returns they typically wait until after the survey has closed to complete more advanced computations such as comparisons to previous terms.

Who can view the survey results?

Each school identifies one person as the SmarterSurveys primary administrator.  This person then assigns other persons at the school with the appropriate level of access to data and reports.  Generally faculty are only able to see the results from their own courses and administrators such as department chairs can only view reports from within the scope of their authority.

What results do students see?

Immediately after submission of data students receive a confirmation message.  If schools desire for students to see some form of generalized summary report of other student’s entries this could be done.  However, this practice is not typical. 

What types of questions can be asked on the survey?

Schools determine the types of questions that are asked.  Any objective question type can be asked.  Subjective questions such as open ended answers can also be asked, but no calculation is done from the input, just reporting of the input from the students.  Common objective question types include multiple choice, true/false, Likert-type scales, checkboxes, radio buttons, and drop down boxes.

How are student’s responses anonymous if reminder emails can be sent to non-participating students?

SmarterSurveys uses an advanced process through which the student first authenticates into the system.  Once our system determines that the student is one of the students included in the data file we received from the school, then we provide the appropriate survey to the student.  The process for authentication and data submission are totally separated in our database.  We are technically not able to match up student entries with student contact information. 

How does SmarterSurveys prevent students from submitting more than one response per course?

Using the data file provided from the school to SmarterSurveys, we create a single  “digital ticket” to each survey per course and per student.  Once that “ticket” has been used by a student for that course the student can not access the survey for that course again.  They can access surveys for other courses for which they have not yet completed the survey.

Can students submit surveys for more than one course at a time?

SmarterSurveys is designed for students to submit their perceptions about a single course.  However, immediately after the student submits their input for one course, they are asked if they would like to submit feedback for another course.  The student is shown a list of the courses for which they have not yet submitted a survey.

How often can schools use SmarterSurveys?

Schools can use SmarterSurveys as often as they would like.  While the name of this solution is SmarterSurveys, it could also be used for mid-course evaluations or for any other type of survey that the school would like to administer. 

How do students access SmarterSurveys?

SmarterSurveys works with each school to provide a process which is best for their students.  SmarterSurveys provides multiple options for access including:

1. SmarterSurveys sends emails to the students providing instructions and a unique link to the evaluation.
2. A link to the SmarterSurveys site for the school is embedded into each online course.  Students click the link to access the surveys.
3. In either of the above models the students can be automatically logged into the appropriate surveys or they can use a user name/password to authenticate into the system.

Can SmarterSurveys be integrated with existing user authentication systems?

Yes, SmarterSurveys can be integrated with existing user authentication systems such as LDAP, NTLM, MS AD, and others.

How long can the SmarterSurveys survey be active?

Schools determine the dates of availability for all surveys.  Typical times range from one week to three weeks.  A common model is that the survey opens with one week left in the course and is left open for two weeks afterward.  It is conceivable that a school might have some sort of survey, such as a student services survey, which remains open at all times. 

Can students ask questions back to the school?

Yes, we have learned that not only do schools have questions they would like to ask the student, but students often have questions they would like to ask and have not had the opportunity or have not known to whom to ask the questions.  After the student has submitted their feedback for the course, they can be asked if they would like to ask a question to the school.  If so, they are provided with a text book for their question.  At this point the student does provide an email address to which the answer to the question should be sent.  This question is kept totally separate from their course feedback.  The primary SmarterSurveys administrator for the school is the recipient of these questions submitted by the school.

Do students have to complete the survey or do they have to complete the entire survey?

Schools set the policy on whether or not students are required to complete the survey.  Most schools strongly encourage students to participate but do not require it.  Schools can determine which, if any, of the questions on the survey are required. 

How long is the data available?

All data is automatically archived for up to ten years if the school takes no action to delete it.  The primary SmarterSurveys administrator at the school can choose to delete data from the system,   At this point the data is truly deleted and can not be recalled.  Deletion of data should carefully be performed. 

Can results be printed or linked from other websites?

Yes, all score reports are available in PDF format so that users can print them and/or link to them from another website. 

Is technical support available to faculty and students using SmarterSurveys?

Yes, during normal business hours (central time) technical support is available via a support ticket system, email and/or toll free phone. After hours support is available via a support ticket system, email or voice mail. After hours support requests are responded to either before or shortly after the start of the next business day.

How long has the company which provides SmarterSurveys been in business?

The parent company which owns SmarterSurveys is SmarterServices, LLC. SmarterServices's mission is to organize and analyze data that empowers people to make smarter decisions. We help you obtain data about your students, faculty, teachers, employees, and courses. Data-driven decisions create strong strategic plans, maximize efficiency, and foster an environment of learning. Learning from our mistakes, learning about best practices, and discovering how to do things better.

SmarterServices, formerly eLearningToolBox & DECADE Consulting was incorporated in 2001. Since then it has served over 500 educational institutions including K-12, technical colleges, career colleges, community colleges, private colleges, universities, and corporations. Hundreds of thousands of students use web-based resources provided by SmarterServices, LLC each year. View some of the other products that SmarterServices, LLC offers.

What is the SmarterSurveys pricing based on?

Pricing for PostCource is based on the number of students that the school estimates will be using the tool in a given calendar year.

Does it matter how many surveys any given student takes, because our students have to take a sruvey for each class they complete?

No, pricing IS NOT based on how many surveys, but how many students use SmarterSurveys. 

Example: Sample University has 1000 students, and will purchase login access for those 1000 students.  It does not matter how many terms, nor how many surveys a given students uses, only how many students login. 

Our students have to use the SmarterSurveys program each semester, and in a given year that means they have access to SmarterSurveys 4 times (Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer), do we have to purchase access each semester?

No, a school will only need to purchase once in a given calendar year per student.  If the school purchases 1000 logins for 1000 students, then those students can access as many times as they may need in a given academic year. 

EX: Think of it as the login access being based on the student’s student ID.  The login recognizes that student ID as one login access, and therefore that student can login as many times as needed in that given academic year and use the SmarterSurveys tool with no limitations.  This is a value added benefit of SmarterSurveys over other survey tools which charge per survey. 

What if the purchased 1000 logins, but due to strong enrollment we had 2000 students?

If your school purchased 1000 logins, but ended up having 2000 enroll, that will ultimately use the SmarterSurveys tool, then you will need to contact the account manager for your school and purchase the additional 1000 login access.

Will the SmarterSurveys system cut off at 1000 logins if that is all we have purchased.

Yes, the system will only allow access up to the number of logins your school purchased.  If your school purchased access for 500 students, then the system will not allow any other students to login after the access for 500 logins has been used up.  Additional login access can then be purchased by contacting the account manager for your school.

Example: If in the Fall 2010 Sample University purchases 1000 logins, and then in the Spring 2011 they have 1500 student enroll, then Sample University will need to purchase 500 more logins by contacting the account manager for their school.

Can my school use SmarterSurveys for surveys other than end of course surveys?

Yes, one of the advantages of our per student unlimited access pricing model is that your school can use SmarterSurveys for many types of surveys.

According to the research literature, what factors impact a student’s end-of-course evaluations?

Studies have shown that the students’ ratings are affected by characteristics of the course, the instructor and the student (Dukes & Victoria, 1989). Conventional wisdom among university professors seems to be that instructor evaluations are heavily influenced by the grades the instructor gives (Winer, 1999). Sonner and DeLoach (2003) noted in their study that 28% of non-traditional university students believe that evaluations are influenced by grades. In order to ensure valid and accurate evaluations from students, a proposed evaluation process should be sensitive to the "difficulty of the first test" (Hewett, 1988) and final grades for the term. Other characteristics of interest that affect ratings of the instructor include:

• Students' Interest: "...students' self-reported sleepiness in the class was negatively correlated with the ratings of instructor's ability to explain material clearly and understandably". (Tang, 1987)
• Student Participation: "Participation in classroom discussions was significantly related to the students’ ratings of the professor’s ability to stimulate students’ interest in the subject matter, willingness to talk with students outside of class, and knowledge in this class". (Tang, 1987)
• Purpose of Student Evaluation: "...the mean rating was higher when the student was told the purpose [of the evaluation] … The results of this study agree with the findings of Driscoll and Goodwin, Aleamoni and Hexner, Sharon and Bartlett, and Taylor and Wherry which show that certain types of information tend to elevate or increase average student ratings". (Douglas & Carroll, 1987)
• Socialization with Instructor Outside of Class: "Socializing with students outside of class improved a female Instructor’s [ratings], but social contact did not affect the ratings given to male Instructors". (Kierstead, D’Agostino & Dill, 1988)
• Perceived Friendliness of Instructor: "Smiling slightly depressed ratings given to male instructors, but it elevated those given to female Instructors". (Kierstead, D’Agostino & Dill, 1988)
• Grades Received: "The biasing effect of grades on evaluations has been clearly demonstrated in a variety of experimental studies”. (Cahn, 1987) “Generally class evaluations are higher in classes with higher student grades". (Shapiro, 1990) "In other words, students satisfied with their grades took credit for it; students dissatisfied with their grades blamed the Instructor". (Benz & Blatt, 1996)
• Story telling: "If it is the case that story-telling is what it means to be ‘interesting,’ as we concluded in this study, then faculty may want to apply this understanding to their teaching, i.e., tell stories." (Benz & Blatt, 1996)
• Use of Textbook: "The present study showed that reading the textbook before coming to the class was positively associated with their ratings of the instructor’s knowledge of the subject matter and students’ knowledge in this class..." (Tang, 1987)
• Teacher Behaviors: "...male and female instructors will earn equal [ratings] for equal professional work only if the women also display stereotypically feminine behavior". (Kierstead, D’Agostino & Dill, 1988)
• Teacher Delivery: "For two semesters at Cornell University, Stephen J. Ceci taught his developmental psychology course in exactly the same way – with one exception. The second time, he spoke more enthusiastically, varied his pitch, and used more gestures. The result was a major improvement in student ratings of his course.” Researchers “were stunned to find that Dr. Ceci had earned much better scores in the second semester for his level of knowledge, organization, fairness, and even quality of the textbook. Yet student performance on the tests was about the same in both courses." (Chronicle, 1997)