For Immediate Release:

Monday, October 22, 2018

I am Betsy Olson, Extension Educator at the University of Minnesota Center for Youth Development. I have been working in youth development for very nearly 10 years and yet young people still surprise me every day.
Most recently, I was surprised at the depth of response I received from an open ended online survey question. After watching twenty 3-5 minute training videos we asked high school aged youth to use their own words to describe the videos. In the past when I have asked a similar question on an in-person survey form, the majority of the responses have been an empty space. Meanwhile the responses I received from the 113 young people who took this online survey were filled with interesting feedback and thoughtful responses. The average response was 12 words long. I did a happy dance in my cubicle. Then I asked myself why I rarely get this kind of feedback on surveys from youth in other contexts. In other words, what went right on this survey?
Lessons Learned:
After some thought I identified a few elements I think made this survey work:

1. Each youth respondent had dedicated a significant amount of time to this training. They were invested in the training and therefore were willing to take more time and thought to provide their insights.
2. They could do it on their own time. So the typical rush at the end of a training to get out the door was not a factor.
3. The anonymity of an online survey provided an environment free from concerns about offending staff or the judgement of friends.
4. We had trusted them to complete the training independently, indicating we would trust their feedback.

Hot Tip: When youth are interested in a topic don’t be afraid to include open-ended questions in your formative surveys.
Hot Tip: When engaging youth in online activities or training, gathering qualitative input is much easier than through an in-person survey.
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