Designing Surveys and Questionnaires: Principles and Methods

EDU BS010B Subject & Catalog Number

Description

***ONLY OFFERED FOR OEL STUDENTS. THIS COURSE IS NOT OPEN TO RESIDENTIAL STUDENTS. RESIDENTIAL STUDENTS MAY ENROLL IN S-010B*** Questionnaires are among the most common data collection methods that educational researchers and other social scientists employ. Thus, surveys wield tremendous impact on the data based decision making that increasingly permeates our educational system and in society more broadly. Yet producing high-quality survey measures is not a straightforward task. Survey designers must choose between open ended, ranking, or rating items; between asking questions or posing statements for respondents to agree/disagree with; how many response options to offer; and the organizational logic of their survey. Empirical studies exist to guide each of these choices and maximize the quality of the data collected. This course will familiarize students with the steps and procedures that are essential to developing high quality surveys. The major topics of the course include defining constructs; creating items and item wording; response anchors; organizing, ordering, and formatting surveys; and bolstering response rates. The course is not designed to cover sampling procedures, analysis of survey data, or interviewing. As a final project, students will design a short questionnaire.