Do millennial undergraduates views of writing differ when surveyed online versus on paper?
The purpose of this study was to test whether different survey delivery conditions made a difference in assessing college students practices, affect, and conceptions of academic and nonacademic writing. The delivery conditions represented combinations of three underlying factors: survey format (online versus paper-and-pencil), location (classroom, lab, home), and supervision (proctored or not). Participants (N=268) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) a paper version of the survey administered in classrooms at scheduled proctored sessions; (2) an online version administered in scheduled proctored sessions in a computer lab; (3) an online version at a location and time of the students choice. The survey had 103 closed-ended and three open-response questions. Results showed different participation rates across conditions and more variability in time spent for the home online group. However, there were few differences by condition to substantive questions regarding the students practices, conceptions, and affective responses associated with writing. The only place where responses differed by condition was in response to the optional open-ended evaluation of the survey.
survey delivery survey formats online survey electronic medium writing experiences of millennial undergraduates