Best questions for parent survey about technology access

Here are some of the best questions for a parent survey about technology access, plus tips to create surveys that get real answers. If you want to build a smart, conversational survey nearly instantly, you can generate one with Specific in seconds.

Best open-ended questions for a parent survey about technology access

Open-ended questions let parents share details in their own words—you get real stories instead of just numbers. They're best for uncovering experiences, challenges, or opinions you might miss with multiple choice. Especially with something like technology access, where situations vary a lot by income, education, and location, open-ended questions can surface inequalities and practical realities that numbers alone can't explain [1].

1. Can you describe the types of devices your family uses for schoolwork or learning at home?

2. What challenges, if any, do you face when ensuring all your children have the technology they need?

3. How do you support your child's use of technology for educational purposes?

4. Are there times when your child cannot complete assignments due to lack of technology or internet access?

5. How has your child's learning experience changed as technology use in education has increased?

6. What concerns do you have about your child’s technology use at home or school?

7. Can you share a positive experience your family has had with digital learning or devices?

8. What would help make technology access easier or better for your household?

9. Do you notice any differences in technology needs or challenges compared to other families you know?

10. What resources or information do you wish your school or community provided about technology access?

Best single-select multiple-choice questions for a parent survey about technology access

Single-select multiple-choice questions are great when you want to quickly quantify responses, compare trends, or set up a conversation. They're less demanding for parents to answer and often get more consistent results. It’s especially helpful as a warmup before you ask open-ended questions—or if you want clean stats for reporting.

Here are three examples, including one with the important "Other" choice:

Question: What type of internet connection does your household primarily use?

• Broadband (cable or fiber)

• Mobile data only

• No internet at home

• Other

Question: How many internet-enabled devices does your household have?

• One device

• Two to three devices

• Four or more devices

Question: Does every child in your household have exclusive access to a learning device for homework?

• Yes, every child has their own device

• Children share devices

• No, we do not have enough devices

When to follow up with "why?" Using a "why" follow-up is perfect if someone selects an answer that hints at a problem or a strong opinion. Example: If a parent selects "Children share devices," a smart follow-up would be: "Why do your children need to share devices? How does sharing impact their learning or schedule?"

When and why to add the "Other" choice? "Other" is essential when you can’t predict every response, or when families might have unique situations. Following up on "Other" always uncovers surprises—a parent might mention using devices at a library, relying on neighbors, or a unique setup not considered by the survey designer.

NPS question for parent survey about technology access

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a proven method for measuring overall satisfaction or advocacy. In the context of parent surveys about technology access, NPS helps you see at a glance which parents feel empowered with their tech situation, and which feel left out. By asking parents, "On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend your child's school or district’s technology resources to another parent?" you spot promoters, passives, and detractors quickly. This is especially relevant when digital divides persist—NPS summary scores reveal if families feel well-supported, or if issues like device shortages or poor internet are causing frustration. Want to try it? You can generate a parent technology access NPS survey instantly.

The power of follow-up questions

Automated follow-up questions turn surveys from flat forms into live, meaningful conversations. When you combine open-ended input with smart, relevant follow-ups, you avoid misunderstandings and capture the full context behind each response. Specific’s automatic follow-up questions use AI to dig deeper in real time—like having an expert researcher interview every parent, without endless back-and-forth emails.

• Parent: "Sometimes my kids have to use my phone for assignments."

• AI follow-up: "How does sharing your phone impact your children’s ability to finish their schoolwork on time?"

How many follow-ups to ask? Generally, two or three targeted follow-ups get you all the necessary detail, while still respecting your respondent's time. Specific lets you adjust this setting—and you can program it so the conversation moves on once you have the insights you need.

This makes it a conversational survey: Instead of a lonely checklist, the survey feels like a genuine dialogue. People are far more likely to share the real story.

AI survey response analysis, open-ended responses, unstructured data: Don’t worry if you collect lots of free-text answers—Specific's analysis tools (here's how to analyze with AI) make sense of it all instantly, distilling key themes without human bias or days of manual work.

Curious to see this in action? Try generating a survey and experience firsthand how smart follow-ups reveal the truth behind each answer.

How to compose prompts for GPT to create great parent survey questions about technology access

Getting the most from AI survey builders like ChatGPT starts with your prompt. You can keep it simple, or add layers of context to tailor the questions to your exact needs. Here’s a basic starting point:

Suggest 10 open-ended questions for a parent survey about technology access.

But adding more context gets you better results. Try this:

I'm a school administrator designing a parent survey to understand technology access challenges and opportunities in our community. Our families have diverse socio-economic backgrounds, and I want questions covering device availability, internet connection, digital skills, and support needs. Please suggest 10 open-ended questions.

Once you have a list of questions, ask AI to help organize them:

Look at the questions and categorize them. Output categories with the questions under them.

Focus on the categories that matter most, then drill further:

Generate 10 questions about device availability and digital skills for parents, focusing on equity between different income levels.

What is a conversational survey?

A conversational survey adapts in real-time just like a live interview—it responds to parents’ answers, asks clarifying questions, and feels more like chat than a static form. Traditional/manual surveys are rigid: you set the questions, parents respond, and that’s it. With an AI survey generator like Specific, you can create dynamic surveys that listen, probe, and uncover nuance instantly.

Why use AI for parent surveys? It’s faster, easier, and gives you richer insights—especially when you need to capture the diversity and details of technology access in a way that a generic Google Form simply can’t. If you want an AI survey example or inspiration, here’s how to create a great parent survey about technology access.

Specific sets the bar for conversational surveys, making every step smooth and engaging for both survey creators and parents who respond.

See this technology access survey example now

See firsthand how a few well-crafted questions, smart follow-ups, and automated insights can give you a true understanding of technology access in your community—start building better surveys today with tools that make every response count.