Checking Your Compass: OER Assessment
Administering Your Student Survey
Collecting student feedback is an important part of understanding how learners experience an OER, but how a survey is planned, introduced, and administered matters just as much as the questions themselves. This chapter provides practical guidance and reusable templates to support ethical and low-stress survey administration across different course formats. You will find guidance for planning a survey timeline, choosing an in-person or video-based delivery method, creating a survey slide and script, communicating with faculty at key points in the semester, and administering surveys through ungraded LMS activities when appropriate.
Note: All survey administration methods described in this chapter should be reviewed and included in your approved IRB. Ensuring that videos, scripts, emails, and delivery methods are documented supports transparency, informed consent, and care for students throughout the research process.
Before You Begin
Before setting up your survey activity, take some time to create the survey and plan how the survey will be shared, when it will be administered, and how results will be used. A small amount of upfront planning can make the process smoother for both you and your students.
Here are a few things to have in place before you administer the survey:
- Survey creation
- Approved IRB protocol and delivery methods
- Final survey link and consent language
- Survey script
- Survey slide with QR code and direct link
- Faculty/course schedule information
- Selected delivery method
- Communication timeline
- Plan for analyzing and reporting results
As noted at the beginning of this chapter, your scripts, emails, videos, and delivery methods should be reviewed and included in your approved IRB.
Select the arrow to view a Sample Survey Timeline (15-16 Week Semester)
Sample Survey Timeline (15–16 Week Semester)
Planning (Before the Semester)
Create your student survey
Confirm IRB approval (including delivery methods)
Draft and finalize scripts, emails, and video materials
Prepare survey links and test all components
Weeks 1–3: Early Semester Communication
Notify faculty (or collaborators) about the survey
Share purpose, estimated time, and administration approach
Collect course schedules and identify possible administration windows
Weeks 4–7: Scheduling
Confirm survey dates or delivery method (in-class or video)
Send follow-up communication to finalize logistics
Weeks 8–13: Survey Administration
Administer the survey during the second half of the course
Use in-class delivery when possible; use video-based delivery when needed
Weeks 13–16: Wrap-Up
Close survey access
Begin organizing and cleaning data
Post-Semester
Analyze survey results
Share findings with instructors and stakeholders
Use results to inform revisions and future iterations
Creating Your Student Survey
Before choosing or creating a survey tool, take some time to decide exactly what you want to learn from students. Start with the goals of your project or study and make sure each survey question connects to something you actually plan to measure. For example, you might want to know whether students found the OER easy to navigate, felt represented in its examples and perspectives, used its interactive features, or believed it supported their learning.
Your goals should also guide the type of question you ask. Quantifiable questions, such as multiple-choice questions, work well when students need to select from clearly defined options, while rating or Likert-type questions can capture degrees of agreement, satisfaction, or frequency. Qualitative questions, which are usually open-ended questions, give students room to explain their experiences in their own words. For example, asking an initial, multiple-choice question followed by an open-ended question that allows the student to explain why they chose the answer may greatly enhance the understanding of the initial question. Whatever format you choose, questions should be clear, neutral (not leading), and focused on one idea at a time. The Pew Research Center’s Writing Survey Questions guide is a useful, openly available resource for thinking through wording, response choices, question order, and the differences between open- and closed-ended questions.
OERFSJ Student Survey
Use the openly licensed OERFSJ Student Survey as a starting point or source of ideas for your own project. The questions can be adapted to align with the particular features, goals, and research questions connected to your OER.
Access the OERFSJ Student Survey
Choosing a Survey Delivery Method
There are two primary ways to administer the survey: in person or through a video. When possible, in-class administration is recommended because it allows the survey administrator to briefly introduce the study, answer student questions, and troubleshoot technical issues in the moment. It may also support stronger response rates because students are already present and engaged in the course environment.
A video-based approach works better when the course is fully asynchronous, when multiple courses meet at the same time, when the survey administrator cannot attend during the available class session, or when coordinating an in-person visit is not feasible. In this approach, students watch a short video introducing the study, access the survey through a link in the video or LMS activity, and choose whether to complete the survey on their own time. To support consistency, the video can be embedded in a brief, ungraded LMS activity, such as the non-graded quiz described later in this chapter, with clear instructions provided through a shared template.
Case Study: OER for Social Justice
In the OER for Social Justice (OERFSJ) project, survey administration was planned well in advance and coordinated across multiple institutions. IRB approval was secured during the summer prior to implementation, including approval for both in-person and video-based survey administration. Faculty teams were informed early in the grant that a student survey would be part of the project and received reminders throughout the three-year timeline.
During the early part of the fall semester, the project team developed and tested scripts, email templates, survey slides, and video versions of the survey introduction. Each institution had a liaison responsible for administering the survey. Liaisons received guidance for both in-person facilitation and video recording, and the videos were edited for consistency.
At the start of the semester, typically Weeks 2–3, liaisons contacted faculty using a shared email template. About one week before the selected survey date, liaisons sent a follow-up message confirming the time and process. If a video-based approach was needed, faculty received the survey video link and guidance for embedding the activity in an asynchronous course.
Surveys were administered in the second half of the semester, after students had substantial experience using the OER. After administration, results were analyzed and shared with instructors to support revisions and celebrate successes. Full analyses were also included in reports to the U.S. Department of Education as part of grant requirements.
Script
This script is provided as a reusable template that you can adapt for either a video recording or an in-person introduction to the survey. Using consistent wording across courses helps reduce confusion for students and supports thoughtful, ethical survey administration.
Select the arrow to view the following:
Script Template
Script Template
Hello, my name is [your name]. I am [your title] here at [name of your institution]. I have [state how this the OER came about]. As part of this work, you are invited to take part in a short research survey as part of [name of study]. This project aims to [project goals] You will be answering questions about the textbook used in this course.
First, you will be asked to review a short consent form, and then, if you consent, you will be taken to the survey. It should take about ten (10) minutes to complete.
Please use the QR code or the short URL to access the survey.
Your participation in this study is completely voluntary and will not affect your grade. If you complete the survey, your name will be entered into a drawing for [state incentive]. Your responses will be anonymized, so your name will not be associated with your responses. Thank you for considering participation in our study and for helping us [restate the goal].
Script Example
Script Example Used for OER for Social Justice Student Survey Administration
Hello, my name is Nataly Blas. I am the Collections Librarian here at Loyola Marymount University. I have worked with your professors to create the free textbook you have used this term. As part of this work, you are invited to take part in a short research survey as part of a grant-funded project called OER for Social Justice. This project aims to create free textbooks that are representative of diverse perspectives. You will be answering questions about the textbook used in this course.
First, you will be asked to review a short consent form, and then, if you consent, you will be taken to the survey; it should take about ten (10) minutes to complete.
Please use the QR code or the short URL to access the survey.
Your participation in this study is completely voluntary and will not affect your grade. If you complete the survey, your name will be entered into a drawing for $50 Amazon gift cards. Your responses will be anonymized, so your name will not be associated with your responses. Thank you for considering participation in our study and for helping us improve access to inclusive, high-quality, free learning materials.
Creating the Survey Slide
If you are administering the survey using a video or in-class presentation, you will need a simple slide to display while introducing the survey. This slide serves as a visual anchor for students and provides a clear way to access the survey. The goal is not to create a polished presentation, but to provide clear, readable access to the survey.
What to Include
Your slide should include:
Slide Design Tips
Keep the slide simple and easy to read by using a large font size for the survey link or instructions and ensuring strong contrast between the text and background. Avoid clutter or unnecessary elements so students can focus quickly on what they need to do, and keep the slide centered on one clear purpose: providing access to the survey.
Survey Administration Directions
Select the arrow to view directions.
Video Recording Survey Directions.
If you plan to administer the survey by video, the person named in the IRB as the survey administrator may need guidance for recording the video. The following steps explain how to create a short survey introduction using Zoom and a single PowerPoint or Google Slide with the Pressbooks cover and survey link. This simple format helps keep the video clear and consistent for students.
- Open the slide with the Pressbook cover, QR code, and link and make it full-screen.
- Start a Zoom meeting.
- Share your screen with the slide.
- Start recording.
- Read the script slowly and clearly.
- When you have finished reading the script, end the recording and the Zoom meeting.
- Once the Zoom recording has processed, you will receive an email notification. Download the Zoom recording for final editing.
If someone else will edit the video after it is recorded, be sure to include a date by which the recording should be emailed to the editor.
In-person Survey Directions
For surveys administered in-person, the administrator may need guidance for introducing and administering the student survey for consistency and IRB adherence. Using a shared slide and a brief script helps ensure students understand the purpose of the survey and how to access it, while allowing time for questions before responses are submitted. Here is a sample guide for an in-person survey administrator:
- Open and share the slide with Pressbook cover, QR code, and link on it, and project it on the classroom overhead screen.
- Read the script.
- When you have finished reading the script, make certain students
- Are able to access the survey.
- Choose the correct course/faculty/section in the survey that corresponds with their course (or other particulars depending on how your student survey is set up).
- Have any outstanding questions answered.
- Leave the room once students appear to have completed the survey.
Email Templates
The email templates below are designed to support clear and respectful communication about the student survey administration with faculty who are teaching with the OER. One template is intended for early outreach to identify possible survey dates, while the other serves as a brief follow-up closer to the administration window. Together, these messages help establish shared expectations and support faculty planning during the study.
Select the arrow to view the templates.
Early Semester Outreach Email Template
Early Semester Outreach Email
This email is intended to be sent as early as possible in the semester to faculty teaching with the OER. Its purpose is to invite participation in the study and to gather possible dates for administering the student survey in a way that fits each course’s schedule. Sending this message early supports advance planning and helps set a collaborative tone for the semester.
Subject: Scheduling the OERFSJ Student Survey for [OER Title]
Dear [Faculty Name],
As part of the [name of project], we are scheduling the student survey for your course that uses [OER Title], created by [Faculty Author(s)]. This short [length of time to complete] survey will gather student feedback about their experiences with the textbook.
We’d like to administer the survey during one of the following times:
- [Date & Time Option 1]
- [Date & Time Option 2]
- [Date & Time Option 3]
To administer the survey, we will either be presenting in person or via a shared video. If we administer in person, we will need to share a slide with a QR code on your classroom projector for the students to access the survey while administering the survey. If not administered in person, we will provide a video for you to present that will include the instructions and the QR code for students to access the survey.
Please let us know which option works best for your class. If none of these fit, please let us know, and we will try to accommodate another time.
Thank you again for your collaboration in this project. We truly appreciate your support in making sure student voices are heard.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Title/Role]
[Your Contact Information]
One-Week and Confirmation Email Template
One-Week Reminder and Confirmation Email Template
This email is designed to be sent approximately one week before the survey is administered. It serves as a gentle reminder of the upcoming survey window and confirms that the selected timing still works for the course. This message also signals that final materials will be shared soon so faculty know what to expect.
Subject: Confirmation of OERFSJ Student Survey for [OER Title]
Dear [Faculty Name],
Thank you for confirming the time for the [Name of project] student survey on [OER Title], created by [Faculty Author(s)]. We have scheduled the survey for:
- Date/Time: [Insert Date & Time]
- Delivery Method: [In-person / Online Video]
[If in person] We will need the ability to display a short slide on the overhead projector at the start of class.
[If via video] Here is the link that students will use: [Insert Link].
The survey itself will take about [length of time]. Please let me know if you have any questions or if there’s anything else we should be aware of before the scheduled time.
Thank you again for supporting this important part of the [Name of project].
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Title/Role]
[Your Contact Information]
Guidance for Asynchronous Courses
For asynchronous courses, faculty may introduce the study through a brief, ungraded quiz that includes the study video and survey information. This activity is used only to make the study visible within the normal course flow. It should not be connected to survey participation, survey completion, grades, bonus credit, or course penalties.
Select the arrows to view the guidance.
LMS setup directions
- Create a non-graded quiz in your LMS.
This format allows students to submit a simple acknowledgment response without requiring text entry, uploads, or disclosure of survey participation. - Embed the study video provided by your liaison directly within the quiz instructions or content area.
- Confirm the quiz is ungraded.
- Assign no points
- Do not enable completion scores, bonus credit, or grading schemes
- Add a single acknowledgment question with the following response text: “Yes, I watched the video and may or may not have completed the survey.”
- If your LMS requires more than one answer option (e.g., for a multiple-choice question), duplicate this exact statement so all answer choices are identical.
- Do not include alternative responses (such as “No,” “I completed the survey,” or similar).
- Paste the provided student-facing submission instructions into the quiz instructions so students understand the purpose of the activity.
- Place the quiz in the appropriate weekly module so it appears on students’ to-do list and in the gradebook, increasing visibility in an asynchronous course.
Important Requirements
- No grade, points, or bonus credit should be attached to this activity.
- Completion of the survey is not required to submit the activity.
- Students should not be asked to indicate whether they completed the survey.
- The activity should not be framed as mandatory participation in research.
Student-facing “Submission” Instructions
This activity is not graded and does not affect your course grade.
Please watch the short video embedded above. The video includes information about an optional research study and a link to a voluntary survey.
What to Do
- Watch the video.
- If you choose, you may complete the survey linked in the video. Taking the survey is completely optional.
- To complete this activity, submit by selecting “Yes, I watched the video and may or may not have completed the survey.”
