Conduct needs assessments using online survey or polling tools

Author:
What: Elicit responses to open-ended questions using an anonymous online poll
Use an online survey or polling tool such as Google Forms to have learners complete a needs assessment in class or ahead of time. Share the results so learners can see how the class responded to each question and analyze the data from the assessment.

Why: Simplify Data Collection

Online polling tools automate data collection from your learners and can be administered either synchronously or asynchronously. Results can be sorted, charted, and displayed to provide the rationale for differentiation and to promote learner voice and choice during instruction.

Evidence-Based Strategies

This routine is supported by the following strategies:

Goal Setting & Monitoring Clear Structure & Presentation Learner Choice

How: Google Forms

Create a Google Form with questions that ask learners to self-assess their skills and goals for a given unit or topic of instruction. Share the link to the form with learners via text, in your LMS or send the form by email. Different question types report responses differently, so consider what type of data output will be best suited based on the information students are sharing. (i.e., Multiple choice questions will yield pie charts that make it easy to see which responses are most / least frequent.). When the class has completed the survey, you can screen share charts with the results or on Google Sheets. Note: If sharing Google Sheets, hide any columns that identify the learner.

EdTech Tool Types: Survey + Polling

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CR.2 Understand and Use Data

Provide the survey results as bar or pie charts to help learners better “see” and analyze the data and then draw conclusions. Ask questions such as, “What do you know about our class, based on the number of people who responded ____ to question ____? Does any of the data surprise you? In what areas are your data and your classmates’ data most closely aligned? What areas are you least aligned? Are there any other questions that would give us good data? Based on what you see here, what should we focus on in this unit?”

WO.8 Create Spreadsheets

Show learners the spreadsheet that results from the responses to the Google Form with the date/time column, the name column, and any other personal or sensitive data columns hidden. Help learners familiarize themselves with the basic elements of the spreadsheet by asking them: “What do you notice? What do you wonder about when you look at this document?” For fixed field data such as multiple choice or ratings questions, highlight a column and use the Insert -> Chart tool to demonstrate how charts are generated from data organized in spreadsheets.