Discuss ways to determine the content and format of survey questions

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: To determine the content of your survey questions, use your broader research questions as a guide. For example, if you want to determine which LMS would be most effective, you might ask your survey population how satisfied they were with systems they used in the past. Once you know what you want to ask, the next step is to determine how to write questions so that you get the information you need. Avoid ambiguous questions that can be interpreted in multiple ways. For instance, don't ask, "How would you rate the learning management system?" because you will have no way of knowing what criteria the respondent is using for the rating. To fix this problem, identify the criteria for their response such as, "how would you rate the effectiveness of the online training you have taken compared to traditional face-to-face training?" To ensure your survey questions are effective, you can pilot test them with a focus group before distributing the survey. Examples include questions that require respondents to select a specific response (yes or no), rate or rank the listed options, or assign a value to a statement. Your survey may include a variety of question formats, or you might find that one format, such as multiple choice, works well to gather data that answer your research questions.