Qualtrics

Description

Qualtrics is a web-based software program that enables you to create surveys to collect and analyze feedback from participants. The surveys can be administered fully anonymously. Qualtrics surveys can be used as both a formative and summative assessment tool. It enables you to export raw data for robust statistic analysis to common file types: csv. and spss. You can generate reports based on the data you collected and export reports to the following file types: docx. pptx, pdf or csv.

Features

Projects can be shared with collaborators before or after it is deployed. Editing and viewing rights of collaborators can be customized.
You can reuse an entire survey and specific survey items (i.e. Question Block, messages, etc.) by adding them to the library.
You can create customize messages for specific participants/audiences and add them to the library to use at a later date.
Qualtrics has a wide range of questions types, including using images as answer options, to meet the diverse needs of faculty/staff/administrator license holders.
The ability to customize a survey for participants using logic and branching.
The ability to visualize survey flow based on logic and branching condition settings.
The ability to require answers for selected questions or to remind participants if a question was missed.
The software includes a robust list of answer choices for likert-scale questions that makes survey building more efficient.
The ability to generate individual survey URLs for each invited participant.
The ability to generate one reusable survey URL for a group of invited participants.
The ability to generate a random test data set.
The ability to preview the survey on smart phones.
The ability to schedule e-mail reminders and thank you messages.
The ability to customize opening and confirmation message before and after the survey.
The ability to export raw data into a variety of files for further analysis.
Thea ability to export individual responses to PDF files.
The ability to export report into multiple file types with easy-to-read visuals.
The scoring option which enables users to auto assign values to answer choices or variables. The scoring is retained when the raw data is exported to Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS).

Pros

The software is intuitive to use for the most part.
Easy to organize: survey instruments are called projects which can be organized in folders.
The help menu is informative and includes detailed step-by-step directions.

Cons

Costly. Depending on which college you work for at Penn State, the number of licenses may be limited.
Qualtrics is very powerful but the many features available can make it overwhelming.
Individual responses can be exported to PDF files but it must be done one by one.
The pipe text feature that is embedded in multiple choice questions is clunky to use and doesn’t always function as expected.
The ‘Add elements here’ feature built into the Survey flow option is not very intuitive.

Best Uses

For collecting pertinent data from participants through an online survey.
For administering surveys that needs to keep participant information confidential or anonymous.
For conducting research to support and facilitate scholarly academic needs.
For collaborative research projects across different locations.

Pedagogical Goal

Support scholarly research
Obtain mid-semester student feedback regarding teaching and learning
Support campus research and development

Getting Started

https://pennstate.qualtrics.com/
Penn State users can create surveys after logging on, but will need to obtain a license code to activate a survey.
- Licenses should be obtained from each academic college.
- The Commonwealth Campuses share one license sponsored by http://www.campuses.psu.edu/. You can log on to https://pennstate.service-now.com/ to create a new request for the license code.
- There is no limit on the number of surveys deployed by faculty/staff/administrator license holders.
- Students can receive free license upgrade strictly for use in their own personal academic studies. Currently student accounts are limited to 3 active surveys at one time. This can be adjusted on a case-by case-basis.

Training Available

Training from IT Learning and Development
Qualtrics also provides trainings on:
- Learn the Research Core: https://www.qualtrics.com/support/survey-platform/getting-started/survey-platform-overview/
- Webinars on demand: https://www.qualtrics.com/support/trainings-and-webinars/on-demand-webinars/
Resources:
- Qualtrics Users Yammer group at Penn State
- Qualtrics Support – https://www.qualtrics.com/support/

Local Contact for More Information

Instructional Designer’s Contact List

Delivery Mode

Web-based

Individual or Group?

Both

Shareable with Others?

Shareable with selected individuals/group to edit the survey or analyzing data.

Confidentiality of Data

Surveys can be administered either anonymously or confidentially.
Users can administer or distribute surveys to participants using an anonymous survey link. This will remove respondents’ Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and location data from survey results.