SurveyMonkey

=ASSESSMENT TOOLBOX= =UW Stout EDU 762-930 Feb. 2010=

**Carolyn Jenkins**


SurveyMonkey is on the Top 100 Tools for Learning 2009 list. According to the company website, Survey Monkey provides users with an easy way to create survey and provides fast and flexible response and data analysis. The user can choose from survey templates and question types. Survey Monkey has a free unlimited surveys option or a user can pay for upgrades that meet their survey needs. There are many uses for this on-line survey tool including “customer feedback, employee reviews, marketing research, popular opinion, event attendance and guest preferences, course evaluations, thesis research.” The free package includes many features that are described in the chart below comparing two on-line survey tools.
 * SurveyMonkey Introduced**

Strengths: SurveyMonkey is free, quick and easy to use. There is a help Center on the home page to use for instructions. There are video tutorials available if needed. There are a wide range of types of survey questions available in SurveyMonkey.
 * SurveyMonkey- Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats**


 * List of Available Survey Questions in Survey Monkey**

There is also a Smart Survey Design tutorial below downloaded from the SurveyMonkey website Tutorials section that provides suggestions for how to write effective relevant survey questions. The user receives real time results and 24 hour access. Individual responses and aggregate data can be reviewed immediately. With the paid plan, the data can be filtered, cross tabulated and downloaded into a spreadsheet or PDF file. The survey can be linked to a website or in e-mails to potential participants. Responses can be submitted anonymously. The feature of randomized answers can minimize unintentional bias created by the order of answers.

Weaknesses: The free option of SurveyMonkey does not have the option to print your survey questions. The free account is also limited to 10 questions / 100 responses. In a 2005 review of SurveyMonkey, the two account options {Free, PRO} was described as a weakness because only one person had access to the survey and responses. The reviewer suggested improving SurveyMonkey by developing a paid account for multiple users with different access features. This would provide more flexibility for companies where more than one person needed to create surveys and access results. This does not appear to be an option in 2010 but the cost for the paid account is less than $20.00 a month and you can get yearly subscriptions for less.

Threats: SurveyMonkey relies on the user to develop the survey questions. The user needs to have some experience with creating survey questions that are valid, reliable, and provide the information that the user is attempting to gain from the survey. Confidentiality and security with on-line surveys can also be considered a potential threat.

In the education setting, students and teachers have the ability to create free on-line surveys. SurveyMonkey can be used for pre-class assessments to determine demographics, knowledge and experience, and engage in an exploration of what the student would like to achieve in the course. Surveymonkey also can be used for summative assessment to evaluate the course and provide students with an opportunity to offer suggestions for improvement. Students can practice writing survey questions and evaluate their validity and reliability. Free on-line surveys can be used in statistics and research classes as a simulation. SurveyMonkey is also useful for collecting information and opinions from students on a variety of topics. The information collected from the surveys can be compared over time for changes. According to one teacher in the Assessment for E-Learning class, using Survey Monkey for pretests and posttests decreases her students test taking anxiety that occur when using names like Quizbuilder or other on-line quiz / test programs.
 * SurveyMonkey - Opportunities and Possible Uses:**


 * Comparison** of Zoomerang and SurveyMonkey
 * || Zoomerang || SurveyMonkey ||
 * Unlimited surveys || yes || yes ||
 * Templates || yes || yes ||
 * Branching and skipping || yes || yes ||
 * Language support || yes || yes ||
 * Closing Page || yes || yes ||
 * Duplicate survey || yes || yes ||
 * Customization || yes || yes ||
 * Upload email contacts || yes || yes ||
 * publish URL || yes || yes ||
 * Publish by email || yes || yes ||
 * Export to csv || yes || yes ||
 * Free plan || YES || YES ||
 * Starting plan (monthly) || $19.00 || $19.95 ||

Blooms Taxonomy: Assess- **Evaluation** At the beginning and end of the course each student will take an on line survey to **assess** for change in knowledge, awareness, and attitude about current uses and future of simulation in health care education. The collated data from the on-line evaluations will be shared with students and a follow up group discussion will be used to verify validity of questions and used to make changes in the class and evaluation tool for future course offerings.
 * Learning Objective: SurveyMonkey**

=References= Hart, J. (Nov. 5, 2009). //Top 100 Tools for Learning 2009.// Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies. Retrieved Feb. 23, 2010 from [] Listio for Web 2.0. (Jan. 16, 2009). Comparing survey applications: Zoomerang, SurveyMonkey, FluidSurveys, and MySurveyLab. Retrieved on Feb. 20, 2010 from [] SurveyMonkey [] Survey software reviews: Choosing the right survey tool. (March 26, 2009). Surveymonkey.com Review. Retrieved on Feb. 20, 2010 from [] Westin, K. (Aug.22, 2005). //Survey Monkey.// Digital Web Magazine. Retrieved on Feb. 24, 2010 from []