Here are some of the best questions for an online course student survey about instructor effectiveness, plus simple tips for crafting your own. You can also instantly build a conversational survey using Specific’s AI survey generator in seconds.
Best open-ended questions for instructor effectiveness feedback
Open-ended questions let online course students share candid feedback in their own words. This unfiltered input is invaluable for surfacing insights you might otherwise miss—perfect for when you want depth and honesty, not just quick ratings.
Despite their value, keep in mind that open-ended questions can have higher nonresponse rates compared to closed-ended ones (open-enders can reach up to 50% nonresponse, while closed-ended sit at 1–2%) [1]. Still, 81% of issues in a recent cross-industry study were uncovered only via open-ended comments [2]. Here are our go-to open-ended questions for online course student surveys about instructor effectiveness:
What aspects of the instructor’s teaching style did you find most helpful for your learning?
How did the instructor make the course material engaging or accessible to you?
Can you describe a specific moment when the instructor significantly helped you understand a difficult concept?
What would you change about the way the instructor managed class discussions or activities?
How does the instructor’s feedback on your assignments or participation contribute to your progress?
If you could suggest one improvement for the instructor, what would it be?
Were there any obstacles to learning that you faced, and how did the instructor address or fail to address them?
What distinguishes this instructor from others you have learned from in online courses?
How easy was it to approach the instructor with questions or concerns?
Any other comments about your experience with this instructor?
Mixing a few of these questions with multiple-choice types can help strike a balance between depth and response rates.
Top single-select multiple-choice questions for instructor effectiveness
Single-select multiple-choice questions are handy when you want to quantify student sentiment or break the ice. This format reduces respondent effort, helps students respond faster, and makes results far easier to analyze. For quick pulse checks—or when you want to start a dialogue before digging deeper—use these:
Question: How clearly did the instructor explain course topics?
Very clearly
Somewhat clearly
Not clearly
Question: How responsive was the instructor to student questions?
Very responsive
Somewhat responsive
Not responsive
Question: Which aspect of the instructor’s teaching needs most improvement?
Communication style
Timeliness of feedback
Ability to motivate students
Other
Single-select questions like these let you spot patterns quickly, though they can sometimes oversimplify or miss nuances. In one study, students performed better on test questions when only one answer was allowed, suggesting these are less cognitively demanding—good for survey completion, but sometimes at the cost of richness [3].
When to followup with "why?" Ask “why?” whenever a student chooses an extreme (positive or negative) or ambiguous answer. For example, if a student selects “Not clearly,” follow with, “Can you share an example of a topic that was not explained clearly?” This uncovers actionable specifics and gives your quantitative result real-world texture.
When and why to add the "Other" choice? Always include “Other” when you think your listed options might not cover every possible response. This opens the door for unique insights not anticipated at survey design, and lets you dig in via follow-up questions.
Should you add an NPS question for instructor effectiveness?
NPS (Net Promoter Score) is a proven, universally recognized way to measure loyalty and advocacy. In the context of online course students, it asks how likely they are to recommend this instructor (or their course) to others. It’s simple and incredibly easy to benchmark—but pairs best with a quick followup to gather reasons why.
An NPS question for instructor effectiveness might look like: “On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend this instructor to another student?” The follow-up—“What is the primary reason for your score?”—is where actionable insights emerge.
You can instantly generate an NPS survey for online course students about instructor effectiveness with Specific, saving you setup time.
The power of follow-up questions
If you’ve ever read a survey response and thought, “What did they actually mean by that?”—you’re not alone. The secret to richer insights is smart follow-up questions. Automatic AI followup questions make all the difference. With Specific, the AI engine asks clarifying, context-aware followups in real time—much like an experienced researcher would in a live interview. This is essential for surveys with open-ended questions or ambiguous multiple-choice answers.
Online course student: “The instructor needs to improve timing.”
AI follow-up: “Can you describe which part of the course you felt was rushed or slow?”
Without this step, you’re left with vague data. Thanks to AI followups, you get deeper insight without ever needing to chase the student for clarification.
How many followups to ask? Generally, 2-3 well-targeted followups are plenty. Specific lets you set this, and can be configured to move on early if you’ve captured enough detail.
This makes it a conversational survey: The respondent isn’t filling a form—they’re having a conversation, making the entire process more natural and engaging.
AI response analysis, insight extraction, zero overwhelm: Even with pages of unstructured text, it’s now easy to analyze responses—just chat with the AI, ask for summaries, and spot trends instantly. No spreadsheets. No sifting.
Try generating a survey and experience AI-driven followups—the next evolution in feedback collection.
How to write prompts for AI to generate better instructor effectiveness survey questions
If you want to brainstorm (or iterate) your own instructor survey, you can instruct ChatGPT or another GPT-based AI to help. Start with clear, focused prompts like:
Suggest 10 open-ended questions for online course student survey about instructor effectiveness.
You’ll get much better results if you give extra context—about your goals, the course level, even your teaching style. Try:
I’m surveying students in an advanced online coding bootcamp to understand how the instructor helps or hinders learning. Please suggest 10 deep, open-ended questions to reveal actionable feedback on instructor effectiveness.
After compiling a list, use this prompt to organize your results:
Look at the questions and categorize them. Output categories with the questions under them.
Once you see the main categories, drill down with a prompt like:
Generate 10 questions for categories “engagement” and “clarity of communication.”
Mix prompts, iterate, and, if you hit writer’s block, you can always use the instructor effectiveness survey preset for a strong starting point.
What makes a survey “conversational”?
A conversational survey isn’t a rigid form—it’s a dynamic exchange, powered by AI, that mimics a real, thoughtful dialogue. Instead of static questions, you get:
Real-time, personalized followups
AI clarifying vague answers instantly
Automated context gathering
Traditional manual surveys lack this adaptability: you either get generic answers or have to chase students later for the details you wish you’d asked. The difference is striking:
Manual survey | AI-generated survey |
|---|---|
One-size-fits-all questions. No follow-ups. | Personalized, in-context follow-up questions. Richer insights. |
Static language. Respondents disengage. | Conversational, chat-like experience. Higher completion & quality. |
Manual sifting through responses. Slow to analyze. | Automated AI analysis and insights in seconds. |
Why use AI for online course student surveys? It makes the feedback process easier for creators and more engaging for students—while capturing richer, more actionable insights. With an AI survey example, you avoid the classic "form fatigue," and can even create surveys effortlessly from a simple prompt.
Specific offers a best-in-class, fully conversational survey experience, whether you start from a template or customize every detail with the AI survey editor. The technology adapts in real time, saving hours while generating deeper feedback.
See this instructor effectiveness survey example now
Get actionable student feedback with conversational AI-driven surveys—no manual setup or forms required. See how Specific gives you deeper insights quickly by making every response count, for students and admins alike.