Nicola Ritter, M.Ed. Data Analyst, Student Life Studies @nicolalritter #naspatech8

1. Designing Surveys to Determine Impact of Online Social Networks on Student’s Social and Academic Interactions Nicola Ritter, M.Ed. Data Analyst, Student Life Studies @nicolalritter #naspatech8

2. Take Away Points • Outline the facets of survey development • Pose areas to explore in online social networks (OSN) • Engage in the survey construction process

3. I. Tailored DesignDillman, Smyth, & Christian (2009) • Reduces Survey Error • Develops procedures that are respondent-centered • Includes variety of features that build positive social exchange

4. 1. Reducing Survey Error Dillman, Smyth, & Christian (2009) • Coverage Error – when some members of the population are excluded AND those excluded are different from those included (e.g. students with text messaging vs. students without text messaging) • Sampling Error – surveying only a portion of the population (e.g. full time vs. part-time students) (ie. Ravert, Calix, & Sullivan (2010)

5. 1. Reducing Survey Error Dillman, Smyth, & Christian (2009) • Non-response Error – respondents different from non-respondents (e.g. missing data) • Measurement Error – inaccurate or imprecise responses (e.g. item construction) (ie. Ravert, Calix, & Sullivan (2010))

6. 2. Develops procedures that are respondent-centered Dillman, Smyth, & Christian (2009) • Increase the Benefits of Participation • Decrease Cost of Participation • Establish Trust

7. Increase the Benefits of Participation • Provide information about the survey • Ask for help or advise • Show positive regard • Say thank you • Support group values • Give tangible rewards • Make the questionnaire interesting • Provide social validation • Inform people that opportunities to respond are limited

8. Decrease Cost of Participation • Make it convenient to respond • Avoid subordinating language • Make the questionnaire short and easy to complete • Minimize requests to obtain personal or sensitive information • Emphasize similarity to other requests or task to which a person has already responded

9. Establish Trust • Obtain sponsorship by legitimate authority • Provide a token of appreciation in advance • Make the task appear important • Ensure confidentiality and security of information

10. 3. Includes variety of features that build positive social exchangeDillman, Smyth, & Christian (2009) Outside the Survey • Invitations • Reminder s • Thank yous • Follow-up that offers results Inside the Survey • Clickable graphics • Analog Scales

11. II. Research Questions: Beyond Usage(Ritter, in review) • Insight to student perspectives (Martinez Aleman & Wartman, 2009) • Social and Academic Interactions • Student/Student, Student/Faculty-Staff Interactions (Kord & Wolf-Wendel, 2009; Teclehaimanot & Hickman, 2011) • Student/Organization Interactions • Impact of New Features (ie. Groups/Circles, geo-location tools) • Privacy (Eberhardt, 2005; Eberhardt, 2006; Koleck & Saunders, 2008; Kirschner & Karpinski, 2010) • Student Affair Professionals Usage • Students • Organization • Other

12. Brainstorm Topic/subtopics

13. Overall Survey Construction • What survey mode(s) will be used to ask the questions? • Is this question being repeated from another survey, and/or will answers be compared to previously collected data? • Will respondents be willing and motivated to answer accurately? • What type of information is the question asking for?

14. Guidelines for Word Choice & Question Format (Dillman, et. al. (2009) • Make sure the question applies to the respondent. • Make sure the question is technically accurate. • Ask one question at a time. • Use similar and familiar words • Use specific and concrete words to specify the concepts clearly.

15. Guidelines for Word Choice & Question Format (Dillman, et. al. (2009) • Use as few words as possible to pose the question. • Use complete sentences with simple sentence structures. • Make sure “yes” means yes and “no” means no. • Be sure the question specifies the response task.

16. 1. Make sure the question applies to the respondent. A question that does not require an answer from every respondent If you have a Facebook profile, about how many hours per day do you spend on Facebook? hours per day

17. 1. Make sure the question applies to the respondent. A question that uses a filter Do you have a Facebook profile? Yes No About how many hours per day do you spend on Facebook? hours per day

18. 2. Make sure the question is technically accurate. Which Facebook features/activities listed below do you use? (Check all that apply) Mini-feed News feed Check-in Posting on other people’s walls Searching for people

19. 2. Make sure the question is technically accurate. Which Facebook features listed below do you use? (Check all that apply) News feed Check-in on Places Wall-to-Wall Search bar

20. 3. Ask one question at a time. Two questions in one From which one of these sources did you first learn about A&M moving to the SEC? University website Facebook Twitter Someone at work While traveling to campus

21. 3. Ask one question at a time. From which one of these sources did you first learn about A&M moving to the SEC? University website Facebook Twitter Radio TexAgs Another person Where were you when you first heard about it? At work At home Traveling to work Somewhere else:

22. 4. Use similar and familiar words From which one of these sources did you first learn about A&M moving to the SEC? University website Facebook Twitter Radio TexAgs Another person

23. 4. Use similar and familiar words From which one of these sources did you first learn about Texas A&M moving to the Southeastern Conference? University website Facebook Twitter Radio TexAgs Another person

24. 5. Use specific and concrete words to specify the concepts clearly. How many times did you log on to Facebook as a student affairs professional last week? # of times

25. 5. Use specific and concrete words to specify the concepts clearly. How many times did you log on to Facebook as a student affairs professional last week? # of times To work with students

26. 5. Use specific and concrete words to specify the concepts clearly. How many times did you log on to Facebook as a student affairs professional to connect with students last week? # of times

27. 6. Use as few words as possible to pose the question. According to Strauss and Howe (1992), the United States is made up of different generations. Based on their definitions, which generation do you belong to? Silent Generation (born in years 1924 through 1942) Boom Generation (born in years 1943 through 1960) Generation X (born in years 1961 through 1981) Millennial Generation (born in years 1982 through 2002)

28. 6. Use as few words as possible to pose the question. Which age range were you born? 1924 - 1942 1943 -1960 1961 - 1981 1982 - 2002 What year were you born?

29. 7. Use complete sentences with simple sentence structures. Number of years lived in Texas Years Your city or town City or Town

30. 7. Use complete sentences with simple sentence structures. Number of years lived in Texas Years Your city or town City or Town About 25% of respondents listed the # of years they lived in the city or town

31. 7. Use complete sentences with simple sentence structures. How many years have you lived in Texas? Years In what city or town do you live? Name of City or Town

32. 8. Make sure “yes” means yes and “no” means no. A question with a double negative Do you favor or oppose not allowing Texas A&M to use information from Facebook and Twitter during proceedings? Favor Oppose

33. 8. Make sure “yes” means yes and “no” means no. Revision with no double negative Do you favor or oppose allowing Texas A&M to use information from Facebook and Twitter during proceedings? Favor Oppose

34. 8. Make sure “yes” means yes and “no” means no. Revision with that preserves important wording In the upcoming student elections, you will be asked to vote on this referendum: “[Insert referendum]” If the election were held today, would you vote for or against approval? For Against

35. 9. Be sure the question specifies the response task. A question specifying different tasks How many days a week do you log in to Facebook? More than once a day Once a day A few times a week Once every other week Once a month Less than once a month

36. 9. Be sure the question specifies the response task. Revision How many days per week do you log in to Facebook? days per week

37. References Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J.D., & Christian, L. M., (2009). Internet, Mail, and Mixed-Mode Surveys: The Tailored Design Method (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Eberhardt, D. (2005). Should institutions respect students’ on-line privacy of facebook?. Journal of College and Character, 6(7). Eberhardt, D. (2006). The facebook/myspace era: A help or hinderance to college students and administrators?. Journal of College and Character, 7(7). Kirschner, P. A., and Karpinski, A. C. (2010). Facebook and academic performance, Computers in Human Behavior, 26(6), 1237-1245. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2010.03.024 Kolek, E. A. & Saunders, D. (2008). Online disclosure: An empirical examination of undergraduate facebook profiles. NASPA Journal, 45 (1), 1-25. Kord, J., & Wolf-Wendel, L. (2009). The relationship between online social networking and academic and social integration. College Student Affairs Journal, 28(1), 103. Martinez-Aleman, A. M. and Wartman, K. L. Online Social Networking on Campus: Understanding What Matters in Student Culture, Routledge, New York, NY, 2009. Ravert, R. D., Calix, S. I., Sullivan, M. J. (2010). Research in brief: Using mobile phones to collect daily experience data from college undergraduates. Journal of College Student Development, 51 (3) 343-352. Ritter, N. (in review). Journal sponsored by Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Teclehaimanot, B., & Hickman, T. (2011). Student-teacher interaction on facebook: What students find appropriate.TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning, 55(3), 19-30.