Can we improve participation in university course surveys using mobile tools? A practical experiment

Student course surveys provide an important feedback mechanism for universities. However the quality of this feedback depends largely on the level of participation. New technologies have enabled course surveys to evolve from written paper-based tools to web-based and mobile channels, but using these channels does not necessarily lead to better response rates. This paper discusses the results of a survey designed and administered at Massey University, New Zealand, to gain insights into students’ attitudes towards course surveys and factors that might impact on their participation. The survey also explored the potential interest in mobile channels for providing course feedback. The responses to this survey informed a pilot study that tested a mobile course survey tool. The results of our experiment suggest that, whilst a mobile channel may lead to improved participation, more significant results would depend on its integration into a broader set of strategies and tools for student engagement