Assess teaching

Comparison of paper & electronic surveys

	Paper (Group setting)	Electronic
Strengths	High response rate, if administered in class. Allows for a variety of questions. Respondents can easily modify responses.	Usually less expensive than making paper duplicates of the survey. Research has shown more candid responses with electronic surveys than with paper surveys (those with open ended questions). Time spent on data entry and analysis is reduced. Quicker results.
Weaknesses	Usually requires a time slot common to all respondents. Being in a group setting, respondents may feel uncomfortable providing honest answers to particular questions.	Unless conducted in a group setting, computer access can be restrictive for some of the intended respondents. More difficult to guarantee anonymity. Requires the technical ability to format the survey and related database. Additional instruction/orientation may be necessary before respondents are able to complete the survey. Electronic surveys are more likely to experience “glitches” than written surveys. Respondents cannot easily modify their responses once submitted.

Planning