EDUCAUSE DIY Survey Kit: Remote Work and Learning Experiences

As institutions rapidly adopt fully remote teaching, learning, and working in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they might want to begin evaluating student, faculty, and staff experiences. Short online surveys of end users can be useful tools for gathering quick and constructive feedback.

To save time for our community, the EDUCAUSE team of researchers and data experts has compiled short lists of survey questions IT professionals can adapt and deploy to students, faculty, and staff at their institution to begin gathering feedback on their remote services and identify areas of success and growth for the road ahead. Using the links below, anyone can download these questions and access a Google Forms template to begin disseminating these questions and gathering feedback at your institution today.

To help serve all of higher education, we encourage institutions using these templates to submit summaries of their results to EDUCAUSE, though this is not required. EDUCAUSE research staff might use the data, in aggregated form across all participating institutions, to develop resources that inform and benefit the general EDUCAUSE membership. If you’d like to contribute your results, email us for instructions on how to share your data securely.

Student-Centered Questions

1. Which of the following technological issues have been a challenge for you since the transition to remote learning? (Check all that apply.)
• Instructor discomfort or lack of familiarity with required technologies or applications
• My own discomfort or lack of familiarity with required technologies or applications
• Unclear expectations around which technologies and applications I am required to use
• My access to reliable communication software/tools (e.g., Zoom, Skype, Google)
• My access to reliable internet/service
• My access to a reliable digital device (e.g., laptop, mobile device)
• My access to specialized software (e.g., Adobe products, statistical packages)
• My access to library resources
• Adequate digital replacements for face-to-face collaboration tools (e.g., whiteboards)
• Other (please specify): ______________________
2. Which of the following learning/educational issues have been a challenge for you since the transition to remote learning? (Check all that apply.)
• Finding time to participate in synchronous classes (e.g., live-streaming lectures or video conferencing at a set time)
• Unclear expectations around course/assignment requirements
• Competing class meetings and schedules
• Personal preference for face-to-face learning
• Course lessons or activities that haven’t translated well to a remote environment
• Difficulty focusing or paying attention to remote instruction or activities
• Instructor availability/responsiveness
• Personal motivation/desire to complete coursework 
• Other (please specify): ______________________
3. Which of the following student support services have been challenging to access since the transition to remote learning? (Check all that apply.)
• Internships or practicum placements
• Health services
• Mental health services
• Emergency financial aid
• Housing/food services
• Career services
• Financial services
• Advising services
4. What are your biggest concerns with the transition to remote learning so far? (Check all that apply.)
• Grades/performing well in class
• Completing my internship or practicum requirements
• Changes to grading structures (e.g., pass/fail, credit/no-credit)
• Not being able to see classmates
• Not being able to communicate with instructors
• Possible delays in graduating/completing my program
• Missing out on extracurricular/on-campus activities
• Online privacy, protection of my personal data
• Security/privacy in taking online exams
• Housing security
• Food security
• Other (please specify): __________________________
5. Which of the following technical accessibility issues have been challenging for you since the transition to remote learning? (Check all that apply.)
• I do not require accessibility accommodations.
• Availability of live captioning on video conferencing
• Availability of closed captioning
• Access to ASL interpreters
• Integrating captioning into Zoom
• Availability of Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services 
• Test proctoring
• Time on tests
• File converting
• Access to assistive technology hardware
• Other (please specify): ________________________
6. Which of the following teaching-related accessibility issues have been challenging for you since the transition to remote learning? (Check all that apply.) 
• I do not require accessibility accommodations.
• Instructors only holding synchronous classes (e.g., live-streaming lectures or video conferencing at a set time)
• Timed tests
• Instructors not using LMS
• Instructors not using a tool that is supported by the institution
• Instructors using a tool that is not supported by the institution
• Other (please specify): _____________________________

Faculty-Centered Questions

1. Which of the following technological issues have been a challenge for you since the transition to remote learning? (Check all that apply.)
• Student discomfort or lack of familiarity with required technologies or applications
• My own discomfort or lack of familiarity with required technologies or applications
• My access to reliable communication software/tools (e.g., Zoom, Skype, Google)
• My access to reliable internet/service
• My access to a reliable digital device (e.g., laptop, mobile device)
• My access to specialized software (e.g., Adobe products, statistical packages)
• My access to library resources
• Adequate digital replacements for face-to-face collaboration tools (e.g., whiteboards)
2. How would you say your students have adapted to remote learning, from your experiences and observations as an instructor?
• My students seem to be struggling a great deal with adapting to remote learning.
• My students seem to be struggling somewhat with adapting to remote learning.
• My students seem to be adapting reasonably well to remote learning.
• My students seem to be adapting extremely well to remote learning.
3. Which of the following have been challenging for you in adapting course design and/or assignments to remote learning? (Check all that apply.)
• I am not familiar or comfortable with online applications/tools.
• I have limited knowledge of options for online course delivery.
• I have limited personal time or energy to effectively adapt.
• My personal preference is for face-to-face learning.
• Course lessons or activities haven’t translated well to a remote environment.
• I am uncertain about how to best assess student learning in this environment.
• Students have not been adequately available/responsive.
• Other (please specify): _____________________________
4. What are your biggest concerns with the transition to remote learning so far? (Check all that apply.)
• Diminished student learning
• Changes to grading structures (e.g., pass/fail, credit/no-credit)
• Not being able to communicate with my students
• Online privacy, protection of student data
• Online privacy, protection of my personal data
• Evaluations of my teaching effectiveness
• Impacts to tenure eligibility
• Security/privacy in proctoring online exams
• Other (please specify): __________________________

Staff-Centered Questions

1. What supplies or services do you need your institution to provide to allow you to carry out your work remotely? (Check all that apply.)
• Laptop/desktop
• Copier/scanner/printer
• Communication equipment (headset, microphone, camera)
• Access to a meeting/communication application (e.g., Zoom, Skype)
• Access to or reimbursement for internet/hotspot
• Additional monitors
• Other (please specify): _____________________________
2. What information from leadership (e.g., system office, departmental, central administration) would be most helpful to you in carrying out your work? (Check all that apply.)
• Expectations for remote work hours and schedules
• Flexible work schedules to accommodate needs for dependent care
• Changes to paid sick time for staff who are ill
• Necessary adjustments to work goals and timelines
• Regular updates on status and plans for COVID-19 responses
• Other (please specify): _____________________________
3. Which of the following technological issues have been a challenge for you since the transition to remote work? (Check all that apply.)
• Access to reliable internet service
• Access to reliable telephone service
• Access to a reliable device (laptop, mobile device)
• Downloading/running my normal work-related software or application(s) 
• Lack of familiarity or comfort using remote technologies/applications (e.g., Zoom, Skype, Google)
• Other (please specify): _____________________________
4. Are you able to maintain necessary connections with colleagues? 
• Yes
• No
• If not, what would help? [open-ended response]

For All Audiences (Faculty, Staff, Students)

1. If we could solve one problem for you, what would that be? [open-ended response]

Links to Survey Resources

• Access a Google Form of these survey questions. To use the Google Form template, sign into Google, click the link to the form, and choose the "Make a copy" option to save a copy of the form to your own Google Drive. Use as is, or edit and distribute the form to meet your particular institutional needs.
• Download a Word file of these survey questions.