Here are some of the best questions for an online workshop attendee survey about discussion topics—plus tips on how to write them. If you want to build a survey like this effortlessly, you can use Specific to generate one instantly, tailored to your needs.
Best open-ended questions for discussion topic feedback
Open-ended questions are your best friend for getting beyond surface-level feedback. They invite online workshop attendees to share honest thoughts, detailed reactions, and creative suggestions—the kind of nuance you just don’t get from yes/no or checkbox questions. When you want depth and context (what people really think and why), lean on these questions.
They reveal how attendees interpret topics, what stood out, and why.
They surface unexpected ideas, letting you improve future workshops in ways you may not have thought of.
However, expect higher item nonresponse rates (some people leave these blank), so balance them with simpler questions. On average, open-ended questions see about 18% nonresponse, while closed-ended ones are just 1-2% [2].
10 best open-ended questions for Online Workshop Attendee survey about Discussion Topics:
What did you find most engaging about today’s discussion topics?
Was there a topic you wished we’d spent more time exploring? Please elaborate.
Which discussion topic did you find least relevant to your work or interests? Why?
Did any topic spark new questions or ideas for you? Tell us about them.
How did the pacing of the discussion topics feel to you?
Can you share one thing you learned from any of the discussion topics?
Was there a discussion topic you felt was missing? What would you suggest for next time?
How well did the discussion topics connect with your expectations?
How might we improve the way we introduce or moderate discussion topics in future workshops?
In your own words, describe the biggest takeaway from the workshop discussions.
These open-ended questions have been shown to deliver real value: in a study of over 75,000 survey respondents, 76% added comments to open-ended questions, and 80.7% of management considered these responses ‘very useful’ or ‘useful’ for action planning [1].
Best single-select multiple-choice questions for online workshop attendees
Sometimes, you need to quantify: to spot trends, prioritize improvements, or just break the ice with something quick. Single-select multiple-choice questions are perfect for this—they’re easy for attendees to answer and you can analyze data at a glance. These questions are especially useful when you need structured input, but don’t want to overwhelm with too much open text [3].
Question: Which discussion topic did you find most valuable?
Collaboration Strategies
Technical Deep Dive
Project Management
Innovation Trends
Other
Question: How relevant were the discussion topics to your learning goals?
Extremely relevant
Somewhat relevant
Not very relevant
Not relevant at all
Question: How would you rate the depth of coverage of discussion topics?
Too detailed
About right
Too basic
When to follow up with "why?" The best time to use a follow-up “why” is when someone picks a strong opinion (like “Not very relevant”). For example: if a respondent says a topic was “Not relevant at all,” ask, “Why did you feel the topic didn’t connect with your goals?” This is where the insights really emerge.
When and why to add the "Other" choice? “Other” opens the door for new ideas you hadn’t predicted and makes people feel heard. Follow up the “Other” choice with an open-ended question—sometimes the best improvements come from those unexpected answers.
NPS question for workshop topic evaluation
The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a quick way to check overall satisfaction and word-of-mouth potential—classic for products and services, but just as insightful for online workshop discussion topics. By asking, “How likely are you to recommend this workshop (based on today’s discussion topics) to a friend or colleague?” you get a pulse on how well the content resonated. It’s a simple, proven way to benchmark quality and identify advocates, passives, and detractors in your community. Set up a tailored NPS survey for discussion topics here if you want to try it out.
The power of follow-up questions
The secret to meaningful feedback is context—and that comes from smart, real-time follow-up questions. By following up on incomplete or vague answers, you surface new details and keep the survey feeling like a real conversation. In the world of AI-powered surveys, especially with tools like Specific, you can automate these follow-ups so that respondents are gently prompted to elaborate when needed. Learn more about automatic AI follow-up questions and why they’re so effective.
Online Workshop Attendee: “The innovation topic was too basic.”
AI follow-up: “Could you share which aspects felt too basic, or what you hoped to learn instead?”
If you didn't ask a follow-up, you’d be left guessing what the actual issue was—a missed opportunity.
How many followups to ask? Generally, 2-3 targeted follow-ups are enough to clarify or dig deeper, while letting respondents skip when they’ve provided enough context. Specific makes this customizable with its settings, so you always control the depth of conversation.
This makes it a conversational survey—not just a form, but an interactive experience that adapts in real time to the respondent. It feels natural and keeps attention high.
AI-driven analysis, text insights, and theme detection—no matter how much unstructured text you collect, tools like Specific’s AI survey response analysis make it easy to see trends, summarize main points, and chat with the data until you know what really matters. Here’s how to analyze responses from your discussion topic surveys using AI.
These powerful, automated follow-up questions are a new approach—try generating your own survey and experience how much richer the feedback can be.
How to get great questions from ChatGPT or other AI tools
If you want to draft survey questions using ChatGPT or another AI, prompts are your key. Start simple—then add detail for even better suggestions:
Ask for a basic list:
Suggest 10 open-ended questions for Online Workshop Attendee survey about Discussion Topics.
But more context gets you better output. Try explaining your goals and context:
I’m organizing a virtual workshop on new technologies for a group of professionals with varied backgrounds. Suggest 10 open-ended questions for my attendee survey about discussion topics, aiming to improve future sessions and get actionable feedback.
Then, have the AI organize and expand:
Look at the questions and categorize them. Output categories with the questions under them.
Once you see the categories, pick the ones you want to dive deeper into and prompt:
Generate 10 questions for categories Workshop Relevance and Actionable Takeaways.
This layered approach works for any AI survey builder, and gives you tailored lists in no time!
What is a conversational survey?
Traditional surveys are rigid—fixed forms sent by email or web with limited interaction. A conversational survey, like those you can build in Specific, feels like chatting with a human. The survey adapts to each answer, asks smart follow-ups, and keeps engagement high. You can see the evolution below:
Manual Survey | AI Survey (Conversational, with Specific) |
|---|---|
Static, pre-set questions | Dynamically adapts based on responses |
No real-time follow-ups | Smart, context-sensitive follow-ups |
Hard to analyze open text | AI summarizes and detects themes instantly |
Can feel tedious for user | Engaging, feels like a friendly chat |
Manual setup required | Auto-generation from plain-language prompts |
Why use AI for online workshop attendee surveys? You get richer insights, less manual work, and a much better experience for attendees. Using an AI survey generator or AI survey builder lets you move fast, auto-analyze responses, and adjust on the fly—no technical expertise required. For inspiration, see this AI survey example for discussion topics or learn step-by-step how to create a survey for workshop attendees in minutes.
Specific leads the way in conversational surveys—feedback collection feels effortless for creators and engaging for respondents.
See this discussion topics survey example now
Experience how easy it is to capture meaningful feedback—see real survey questions, instant follow-ups, and effortless analysis with Specific’s conversational surveys. Give it a try and unlock deeper insight from every workshop attendee.