Creating a Survey with the Feedback Activity

The Feedback activity allows you to create and conduct surveys to collect feedback. Unlike the Survey activity, it allows instructors to create their own questions, rather than choose from a list of pre-written questions and unlike the Quiz tool, instructors can create non-graded questions.

The Feedback activity is ideal for course or teacher evaluations. There is a Feedback block that provides quick access to Feedback surveys in the course.

Setting up a Dependency question which can change the path of the Feedback activity is detailed at the end of this document. 

1. On your course, click on the Turn editing on button. 

2. In the appropriate Topic, click on the Add an activity or resource link.

Note: This is usually in the Zero or top Topic. 

3. In the pop-up menu that appears, click on the Feedback icon. 

4. In the General section, add a Feedback survey title and then type a Description of the survey.

5. To display this introduction on the course main page, check the Display description on course page box under the Description box.

6. In the Availability section, set boundaries on the Feedback survey's access timings. 

7. In the Question and submission settings section, the Record user names setting allows instructors to set feedback to Anonymous.

8. Instructors can allow participants to have unlimited attempts by setting the Allow multiple submission drop-down to Yes. If the Record user names is set to Anonymous, the learners automatically have unlimited number of attempts.

9. Instructors choose Yes in the Enable notification of submissions drop-down, if they want Avenue notifications of student submissions. 

10. If the instructor wants automated numbering of the Feedback survey questions, they select Yes in the Auto number questions drop-down.

11. In the After submission section, set Yes to show students the analysis page or No to show it only to instructors.

12. The Completion message text box, allows instructors to type a personalised message for students to read after completing the Feedback survey.

13. The Link to next activity defaults to the course main page, unless a web link is provided in the Link to next activity text box. 

14. Expand the Common module settings section.

Note: Settings in the Common module settings section are common to many Avenue activities and resources.

15. The Availability setting is used to Show/Hide the activity. This is identical to using the Show/Hide icons when the Turn editing on function is enabled on a course home page.

16. The ID Number setting sets an ID number for advanced use of the grade book. (This is not used in the LINC courseware.)

17. The Group mode setting enables the use of groups. (More information is available in Organizing Learners Using Groups.)

18. The Grouping option enables the use of groupings (a collection of groups).

Settings in the Restrict access section can be used to limit access to the activity. (More information is available in Setting up and Using Restrict Access Settings.)

19. Click on the Add restriction... button to display the Add restriction pop-up.

20. Settings in the Activity completion section are used to set completion tracking, grading options and the expected completion date. (More information is available in Setting up and Using Completion Tracking.)

21. The Tags sections can be used to add keywords to the assignment. 

Note: At the time of this publication the Feedback activity does not automatically upload to the Binder (ePortfolio).

22. Click on the Save and display button to continue creating questions for the Feedback survey.

Note: The Feedback editor appears. 

1. In the Feedback editor, click on the Edit questions tab.

2. There are nine options in the Add question drop-down. Details are provided along with an example Feedback activity below. 

Common features of most of the Add question options are Label, Position and Dependence item.

The Position number orders the Add question elements using the lowest numbers at the top and the highest number at the bottom of the Feedback survey.

The Label is a short name that learners see in the Feedback report.

The Dependence item option can direct the user to specific questions depending on a previous answer. 

Note: An example of setting the Dependence item option is in the last section of this article.

Add a page break inserts a page break between Feedback activity elements.

Captcha inserts a type of challenge–response test to determine whether or not the user is human.

Note: Do not use this feature as it is not functional in Avenue.

Information allows you to choose to display either the course or category name where the feedback is located or the feedback response time.

1. In the Question field, type a title, prompt or message that suits the survey.

Label allows you to add text, media or images between questions allowing for extra explanation or to divide the Feedback visually into sections.

1. In the Contents field, type text or add media.

The image below demonstrates that labels can enhance a Feedback activity. 

Longer text answer is for creating a response text box, specified in number of lines and characters. 

1. Check or uncheck the Required checkbox.

Multiple choice offers you three kinds of multiple choice questions:

i. Multiple choice - single answer. This will give you a series of radio buttons, which starts on 'Not selected' and then has your options afterwards. Only one can be chosen and 'Not selected' is a valid answer if the question is not set to 'required'.

ii. Multiple choice - multiple answers. This type displays options with a checkbox. Students can choose multiple checkboxes.

iii. Multiple choice - single answer allowed (drop-down menu). This type will give you a dropdown list from which only one answer can be selected.

1. Check or uncheck the Required checkbox.

1. Check or uncheck the Required checkbox.

1. Check or uncheck the Required checkbox.

Multiple choice (rated) is similar to the drop-down list option, except that each option has a numerical value associated with it. The results are used to calculate averages for comparison across class cohorts or terms.

1. Check or uncheck the Required checkbox.

2. Type a question or prompt in the Question text box.

3. Type an optional Label.

4. Choose either the Multiple choice - single answer or the Multiple choice - single answer allowed (drop-down menu) option.

5. Set the Adjustment to either Horizontal or Vertical.

6. Choose Yes or No in the Do not analyse empty submits drop-down.

7. Type answer choices on separate lines in the Multiple choice values text box.

Note: The value of the response is entered in digit format, followed by a forward slash and the choice text. (Example: 5/I love it)

8. Set a Position.

9. Click on the Save question button.

Numeric answer allows you to ask a question which must have a number as an answer and specify the acceptable range. It helps if you specify the acceptable range in the question text.

1. Check or uncheck the Required checkbox.

2. Type a question or prompt in the Question text box.

3. Type an optional Label.

4. Type a low range number in the Range from text box.

5. Type a low range number in the Range to text box.

6. Set a Position.

7. Click on the Save question button.

Short text answer allows you to specify a single line answer, with an input box which is a set number of characters long (you choose). You also specify the maximum number of characters you will accept, so that the answer is not too long and/or does not run over the length of the box on screen.

1. Check or uncheck the Required checkbox.

2. Type a question or prompt in the Question text box.

3. Type an optional Label.

4. Choose a number in the Width drop-down to set the width of the text box.

5. Type a number in the Maximum characters accepted text box.

6. Set a Position.

7. Click on the Save question button.

It is possible to direct the user to specific questions depending on a previous answer. For example, if they answer Yes to the question "Do you have additional comments?", they will be directed to a Long text answer question. If they answer No, they may continue to the end of the Feedback activity. 

Note: Dependence items must be placed on a separate page. 

1. In the Edit questions tab, choose Multiple choice in the Add question drop-down.

2. Check or uncheck the Required checkbox.

3. Type a question or prompt in the Question text box.

4. Type an optional Label.

5. Choose the Multiple choice - single answer option.

6. Set the Adjustment to either Horizontal or Vertical.

7. Choose Yes or No in the Hide the "Not selected" option.

8. Choose Yes or No in the Do not analyse empty submits drop-down.

9. Type answer choices on separate lines in the Multiple choice values text box.

10. In the Dependence item drop-down, do not select anything. (It should display Choose).

11. Set a Position.

12. Click on the Save question button.

1. In the Edit questions tab, choose Add a page break in the Add question drop-down. 

Note: The Page break appears as below.

1. In the Edit questions tab, choose Longer text answer in the Add question drop-down.

2. Uncheck the Required checkbox.

3. Type a question or prompt in the Question text box.

4. Type an optional Label.

5. Choose a number in the Width drop-down to set the width of the text box.

6. Type a number in the Number of lines drop-down.

7. In the Dependence item, select the question in Step 1.

8. In the Dependence value, enter the value that triggers the connection between the Feedback questions. In this case, the answer Yes. 

9. Set a Position.

10. Click on the Save question button.

11. Use the move icon to reposition the Multiple Choice question above the Longer text answer.

The result should be

1. The Multiple Choice question (Step 1)
2. The Page break (Step 2)
3. The Longer text answer (Step 3)

Return to the course. 

1. Students click on the Feedback activity icon on the course page.

2. The Feedback activity introduction screen appears.

3. Click on the Answer the questions button.

4. The Feedback activity appears. 

Note: In this example, students are informed that their information will be shown along with the answers in the feedback. The title of the Feedback activity is displayed and an image label is visible. 

5. The first question is a Longer text answer. It is tagged as required.

6. The next question is a Multiple choice - single answer. 

Note: The Not selected option is available as a possible response. 

7. The next question is a Multiple choice – multiple answers. 

8. The following question is a Multiple choice - single answer allowed (drop-down menu).

9. The next question is a Multiple choice (rated). 

10. The next question is a Numeric answer. 

11. The next question is a Short text answer. 

12. At this point the students encounter a Multiple choice question with a dependence item.

13. The student clicks on one of the options (Yes, No).

14. The student clicks on the Next page button.

15. If the student chose the option Yes, the next page appears and the student is invited to add comments in the Longer text answer question. 

16. The student clicks on the Submit your answers button.

17. The student can see the Feedback results by clicking on the Submitted answers link.

18. If the student chose the option No, the next page appears and the student is invited leave the Feedback activity.

19. The student can see the Feedback results by clicking on the Submitted answers link.

Moodle documents: Feedback Activity