eLearningIndustry_Logo
Sign In
  • Join Newsletter
  • eBooks
  • Webinars
  • Find Top LMS Software
  • Find Top Authoring Tools
  • Find Top Content Providers
  • Advertise
  • Articles
    All Articles Publish an Article Learning Management Systems Authoring Tools Trends Design and Development Instructional Design Best Practices Free Resources
  • Directory
    Pick The Right eLearning Partner Content Providers Learning Management Systems Free LMS Consulting Review an LMS Promote Your LMS Authoring Tools Review an Authoring Tool Promote Your Authoring Tool Web Conferencing Software Project Management Software Course Marketplaces Language Providers Translation Providers Voice Actors Top eLearning Companies Registration
  • Events
    Webinars Promote Your Event All Events Conferences Congresses Events Seminars Symposiums Workshops Promoting Your Event Guide Free eBook
  • Press Releases
    Promote Your Press Release Press Releases Archive Press Release Guidelines Press Releases Guide Free eBook
  • Jobs
    Find Jobs Promote Your Job
  • Post Here

How can we help you?

Loading...
Oups. Something Has Gone Terribly Wrong. Please Try Later

Sign In

By signing in with LinkedIn, you're agreeing to create an account at elearningindustry.com and accept our terms of use and privacy policy.
Learn more about how we use LinkedIn.

How we use LinkedIn

We use LinkedIn to ensure that our users are real professionals who contribute and share reliable content.

When you sign in with LinkedIn, you are granting elearningindustry.com access to your LinkedIn account, which is used to authenticate you without you having to enter a different user name and password. We also use this access to retrieve the following information:

  • Your full name.
  • Your primary email address.

You can revoke this access at any time through your LinkedIn account.

Sign In with LinkedIn

Already have an account? Login here
  1. Home
  2. eLearning Design and Development
  3. 9 Tips To Design An Effective Online Questionnaire For eLearning Course Evaluation
Photo of Christopher Pappas
By Christopher Pappas
November 26, 2016
4 minutes to read
Comments
eLearning Design and Development

9 Tips To Design An Effective Online Questionnaire For eLearning Course Evaluation

Do you need quantifiable data that can help you improve your eLearning course? Questionnaires may be the ideal solution, especially if you’re pressed for time and resources. In this article, I'll share 9 tips for designing an effective online questionnaire to evaluate your eLearning course.
9 Tips To Design An Effective Online Questionnaire For eLearning Course Evaluation
Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com

How To Design An Effective Online Questionnaire For eLearning Course Evaluation

The marketing industry has been using online questionnaires for years to collect valuable feedback from consumers. And for good reason. A well-written questionnaire helps you step inside the mind of your target audience. You can learn about their preferences, backgrounds, and personal interests. All of this data gives you the power to create amazing eLearning experiences. Here are 9 tips to develop online questionnaires for your eLearning course.

1. Know The Desired Outcome In Advance

Learning objectives and desired outcomes serve as a guide for your online questionnaires. They allow you to focus your efforts on key aspects of your eLearning course, such as learning pain points. Meet with your eLearning team to discuss the overall goals. What do you hope to achieve by conducting the online questionnaire? What data do you need and why? Every question you include hinges on these all-important factors.

2. Make It Short And To-The-Point

The data your online questionnaire yields may be crucial for your organization. However, it usually isn't high on the list of priorities for your online learners. Not to mention, they don't have a lot of time to complete the online questionnaire. For this reason, you should keep your online questionnaire short and succinct. If there's a lot of ground to cover, you may need to create separate online questionnaires for each objective. As an example, your customer service staff may receive a different version than your sales team. This is due to the fact that their online training involves different skills, objectives, and desired outcomes.

3. Jettison The Jargon

Online learners shouldn't have to refer to a dictionary in order to complete the online questionnaire. As such, you should leave out the technical jargon and keep your wording simple and straightforward. This involves audience research, as you must know the backgrounds and experience levels of your online learners. Learners who have been in the industry for years are already familiar with industry lingo. Therefore, you can use more complex vocabulary in your online questionnaire for the sake of clarity.

4. Leave No Room For Ambiguity

Speaking of clarity. Your questions should be clear and concise. There's no room for ambiguity. You don't want to create any confusion, as this can lead to frustration. And frustration decreases your participation rates. Not to mention, you don't get accurate results. As an example, online learners who don't understand what is being asked aren't able to give an honest answer. This also applies to questions with multiple parts. Stick to the golden rule of questionnaire design: one topic per question.

5. Persuasion Has No Place In Online Questionnaires

You're passionate about your eLearning course. It's only natural. You’ve worked hard to create the perfect conditions for your online learners. This makes it difficult to stay neutral and not have a bias. But you have to resist the urge when creating your eLearning questionnaire. Avoid persuasive or leading questions that steer online learners in a certain direction. Remember, the purpose of your questionnaire is to collect their honest feedback. This means you have to omit your personal biases, opinions, and beliefs so that online learners can openly share their ideas.

6. Measurability Is Essential

One of the benefits of eLearning questionnaires is that they provide quantifiable data. However, this requires measurable questions that are based on common criteria. For instance, a number scale that asks online learners to rate their responses from 1 to 10, or on the good, fair, or poor spectrum. This allows you to track the results through your Learning Management System. As such, you can view charts and graphs to visualize the data and see emerging patterns. Big Data is only useful if it offers valuable insight. Trends and patterns help you determine what's working, what's not, and how you can remedy the issue.

7. Avoid Emotionally Charged Questions

Try to steer clear of controversial questions or those that are emotionally charged. The goal is not to pull at their heartstrings. Instead, you need to collect their feedback and use it to enrich the eLearning experience. You should also avoid questions that contain assumptions. For example, "what was most enjoyable about the eLearning course?" This implies that the online learner found the eLearning course enjoyable, which may not be their honest opinion.

8. Omit Open-Ended Questions

There's a time and place for open-ended questions. Such as qualitative assessments that gauge how well an online learner knows the topic and if they can apply their knowledge. However, questionnaires call for closed-ended questions that are easy to answer. For example, true/false questions or sliding scale inquiries. You can always leave room at the end of the questionnaire for more detailed explanations. Online learners who have the time to provide additional feedback can do so.

9. Include Instructions

You shouldn't automatically assume that eLearning course participants know how to fill out the online questionnaire. Those who aren't tech-savvy may need help using the platform. While others might not know what's expected of them. Therefore, it's wise to include explicit instructions for participants and offer additional assistance. This may be in the form of FAQs, online forums, or email contacts.

Online questionnaires can help you identify weak points in your eLearning course and enhance the benefits for your audience. These valuable online feedback tools also allow you to allocate your resources more effectively. As such, you have the opportunity to maximize your ROI and achieve the desired outcomes.

Online questionnaires may be an effective feedback method, but it's just one of many. Read the article 7 Tips To Create An Effective Constructive Feedback System For eLearning to discover some useful tips to create a successful constructive feedback system for eLearning.

eLearning Course Evaluation eLearning Evaluation eLearning Questions
  • Write or read Comments
Close
Subscribe to the newsletter Subscribe to the newsletter
eLearningIndustry_Logo
The best collection of eLearning articles, eLearning concepts, eLearning software, and eLearning resources.
  • Articles

    • Post Here
    • Top eLearning Authors
    • How To Publish An eLearning Article
    • How to View your Stats
    • Archive
  • Press Releases

    • Promote Your Press Release
    • Press Releases Guide eBook
    • How To Post A Press Release
    • Guidelines
    • Archive
  • Events

    • Promote Your Event
    • Promoting Your Event eBook
    • How To Post An Event
    • Archive
  • Directory

    • Get Listed
    • Top LMS Software
    • Free LMS Consulting
    • Top Authoring Tools
    • Top eLearning Content Providers
    • How to Create a Business Listing
    • How to Create a Product Listing
  • Jobs

    • Promote Your Job
    • How To Post And Manage A Job Listing
    • Job Openings
    • About
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    • Support
    • Advertise
  • French flag ELEARNING INDUSTRY IN FRENCH
© 2011–2019 eLearning Industry.