SurveyMonkey

=**Survey Monkey**=


 * 1 - [|Survey Monkey]**


 * 2 - Survey Monkey

Introduction of Tools and its Benefits** Survey Monkey (http://www.surveymonkey.com/ ) is a user-friendly tool for creating online surveys. Survey Monkey's motto is  “to enable **anyone** to create professional online surveys quickly and easily. ” It is simple to use, and even a person with limited computer skills will be able to use this tool. Survey Monkey has several different levels of service, ranging from basic to professional. You can use the tool for free and you are allowed store up to 100 responses. The Professional version is $19.95 a month. In Survey monkey, the user creates questions and then selects a response system (e.g. multiple choice, rating scales, text boxes). You can use multiple response systems in the same survey. After you choose your response system, you write in the responses (if needed) and then continue on to send out your survey.


 * Benefits**
 * You can use the service for free.
 * Survey Monkey allows the users to send out invitations to your respondents. You can send out individual e-mails with a link, or set up a link in your blog or website.
 * Survey Monkey will send out reminders to those who have not yet responded to your survey.
 * Survey Monkey allows the user set deadlines and limit number of responses.
 * Survey Monkey allows the user evaluate respondents’ answers.
 * Survey Monkey will make graphs and charts on your collected responses, which is very useful for reports and presentations.
 * There are not any pop-ups or advertisements.
 * The options for designing the layout of your survey is limited, but the tool will allow you to upload a logo, use several different themes and change the style of your font.

**Weaknesses and Challenges** > > > Instructors are able to acquire relevant information to use when making changes in the curriculum and instruction in their respective program and/or courses.
 * The basic version is adequate, but the professional version gives the user more options, including the ability to analyze your data.
 * Printing out reports and other data in the basic edition is limited.
 * If one were to use the interpretation tools in the professional version, it helpful to have a background in analyzing data.
 * Example of Application of Tool in the Classroom**
 * Create pre-surveys and post-surveys to evaluate individual courses and programs.
 * Create student surveys to evaluate effectiveness of instruction.
 * Create student surveys to evaluate peer projects.
 * Learning Objective**
 * Provides instructors with a web-based venue to assess the effectiveness of programs and courses (what we did well and what areas needed improvement).


 * 1) 2 - SurveyMonkey

Introduction; uses & benefits:
This online tool comes in a free or fee based format. It is available to anyone with online access.

The user can set up questions in a variety of formats - multiple choice, open-ended, and multiple selections included. The questions can be randomized. If respondents are taking the survey as an assessment, if enough questions are written, each participant will receive a different list of questions to respond to resulting in less likelihood of cheating.

In an online environment, having students from different language backgrounds is not uncommon. SurveyMonkey allows the designer to set up the survey in a variety of different languages that will meet the needs of the participants. The user of SurveyMonkey can set up cut off dates, maximum number of participants, or require a password to take the survey.

SurveyMonkey is also 508 compliant meaning that it has met standards set by the U.S. government to allow users with disabilities to participate in surveys created in SurveyMonkey.

When analyzing the results, SurveyMonkey offers a variety of options: 1. If the survey is completed as a large group activity, it can post results in graphical and numerical form in real-time. Immediate remediation can take place if there is an obvious area that many are making incorrect responses to. 2. The responses of individuals can be mined. This allows easier assessment. 3. Results can be filtered based on responses to individual questions. This may allow the instructor the opportunity to see which groups of respondents responded in a particular manner to a certain response. It can lead to improved teaching and evaluation of grouping of students. 4. Results can be downloaded into spreadsheet or database format allowing for greater manipulation of the statistics. This would also allow the user to more easily user a program such as Excel as a grading tool.

Weaknesses & challenges:
Pricing is relatively inexpensive at $19.95 per month for the monthly pro option r $200 per year for the annual pricing. There is also a free basic membership that has a more limited feature menu.

SurveyMonkey's free package would likely meet many of the requirements of the educator. However, it allows only 100 respondents per survey. In a situation like a teacher who teaches the same subject to multiple classes or in a large introductory class in a university, this could very well limit the usefulness of the free option.

Also, there is a limit of only 10 questions per survey for the free package. This option also does not allow the user to create surveys that will skip to the next question if enough correct or incorrect responses have been met. It will not download results into database or spreadsheet format. Responses cannot be filtered using custom criteria set by the developer in the free format.

Example of application in online classroom:

A sample survey is available here. The links on the page are not active.

Learning objective:

Surveys are very useful in that it allows respondents the opportunity to post at their leisure. While there is a time frame, the respondent can thoughtfully reflect on the items.

In the area of compiling results, SurveyMonkey is a very powerful tool. It will do the "heavy lifting" for you. Finally, there is no special software or hardware needed by either the creator or participants of the survey making it very user friendly.

References:
SurveyMonkey.com - Powerful tool for creating web surveys. Online survey software made easy! (2008). Retrieved July 15, 2008. http://www.surveymonkey.com/Home_Pricing.aspx. SurveyMonkey.com - Powerful tool for creating web surveys. Online survey software made easy! (2008). Retrieved July 15, 2008. http://www.surveymonkey.com/Home_FeaturesDesign.aspx. How do I access cheap online surveys? Lopez-Pacheo, A. July 7, 2008. The Financial Post (Canada). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.lib.uwstout.edu:2066/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true& risb=21_T4155880992&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_ T4155880997&cisb=22_T4155880996&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=10882&docNo=2.