Remote & Distance Learning Survey Questions To Ask

Many education programs nowadays include distance and remote learning as options or part of their curriculum. 

Whether you’re a teacher, an educator, or an administrator in the learning environment, it’s important to consider how it affects your students. It can be especially important to get their feedback on how the current remote learning is working for them.

When creating surveys for remote or distance learning, it can be difficult to know what to ask. We’ve created a guide to know what to ask and why the questions are important. 

Essentially, you want to ask (to find out through feedback) the strengths and weaknesses of your program, and figure out ways to improve your program.

Are Remote Learning Surveys Helpful?

It’s key to ask your students and even employees how the program can be improved. Lots of time, users, in this case students, can give valuable feedback that would otherwise be left unknown. That’s why we recognize how valuable remote learning surveys are and how all types of remote learning programs can use them.

The questions we’ve compiled below are the different ways and types of feedback that you can collect for remote learning. As education market research experts, we’ve written over 1,000 surveys, which is why we know what respondents respond to well on surveys (or not).

Why Focus on Remote-Learning Feedback?

When classrooms go virtual, your usual hallway pulse checks disappear. Purpose-built surveys give you a direct line to students’ day-to-day realities—letting you spot engagement dips early, allocate support staff where they’re needed most, and justify tech investments with hard data rather than hunches.

What You’ll Learn From the Questions Below

• Access & Environment – Pinpoint device gaps, bandwidth problems, and home study conditions that hinder learning.
• Engagement & Connection – Gauge how “seen” and supported students feel by teachers and peers—an early warning system for disengagement.
• Learning Effectiveness – Compare perceived learning gains in virtual vs. physical classrooms to inform curriculum tweaks or hybrid models.
• Well-Being & Stress – Surface mental-health pressure points so counselors and family outreach teams can intervene before issues escalate.

Turning Insights Into Action

1. Segment results by grade level or demographic group to uncover hidden inequities.
2. Prioritize high-impact fixes (e.g., improving tech support or shortening screen-time blocks) that the data shows affect the most students.
3. Close the loop with students and parents—share what you learned and the specific steps you’re taking next to build trust and boost future response rates.

Quick Implementation Tips for Busy Administrators

• Keep surveys under 10 minutes to protect completion rates.
• Deploy immediately after milestone events—end of grading periods, new platform rollouts, or policy changes—for freshest feedback.
• Pair quantitative ratings with one open-ended question so students can voice ideas you haven’t thought of yet.

Use the sample questions that follow to jump-start a data-driven conversation with your students and turn insights into tangible improvements—whether that’s revamping a learning platform or re-imagining your hybrid schedule.

Recommended Reading: 8 Steps to Conducting Distance Learning Surveys

Example Questions For Remote & Distance Learning Surveys For Students

Below are sample questions crafted to surface the everyday realities of remote learning—from technology hurdles to feelings of connection—so you can translate students’ voices into meaningful improvements for your online programs.

1. How easy is it to use [Company A’s] online learning platform? Select one. 
2. What makes it difficult for you to stay focused during online classes? Rank each of the following from 1 “most difficult” to 6 “least difficult”. (Distractions at home, long screen time, etc.) 
3. How connected do you feel to your classmates while learning remotely? Select one. 
4. How frequently can you access a quiet place to do schoolwork at home? Select one. 
5. How well are you able to manage your time when learning remotely? Select one.
6. How well are you able to complete your schoolwork when learning remotely? Select one. 
7. How frequently do you have the opportunity to ask your teachers for help when you need it? Select one. 
8. How much do you agree with the following statement: I am learning as much now as I was in a physical classroom? Select one. 
9. What device do you prefer to use for your online learning? Select one.  (Tablet, laptop, desktop, etc.)
10. How much do you agree with the following statement: Online learning effectively accommodates my learning style. Select one.
11. How helpful has your online learning program’s technical support been when you’ve had problems? Select one. 
12. Of the following, what types of online activities do you find most helpful for your learning? Rank from 1 “most helpful” to 8 “least helpful”. (Live video lessons, pre-recorded videos, etc.)
13. How often do you participate in class discussions in your online classes? Select one. 
14. (How often do you ask questions in your online classes? Select one. 
15. If you could change one thing about remote/distance learning to make it better for you, what would it be? Enter your response below. 
16. Looking ahead, which type of learning do you prefer most? Rank from 1 “most preferred” to 3 “least preferred”.  (In-person, remote, and hybrid)
17. How stressful has remote learning been for you? Select one. 
18.  How much do you agree with the following statement: I have enough support (teachers, family, school counselors, etc.) to help if I feel stressed. Select one. 
19. For each of the following subjects that require hands-on work, how well did remote learning allow you to participate? Select one for each. (Science labs, art, music, etc.)
20. How much do you agree with the following statement: I get enough time for physical activity while remote/distance learning. Select one. 

While these questions are designed to be broadly applicable for students in grades K-12, we highly recommend adapting them to each grade level’s developmental stage. This ensures applicability, which fosters understanding on behalf of the respondent and yields a higher chance of more accurate and useful insights.

Bonus: Example Questions For Distance Learning For Teachers & Parents

1. How much do you agree with the following statement: My child(ren) learned as much in the remote/distance format as they would have in an in-person setting. Select one. 
2. For each of the following strategies, please indicate how often you use it to encourage student participation in your virtual classes. Select one for each. (Using breakout rooms, encouraging camera use, etc.)
3. Which of the following indicators do you use to identify students who may need support in a remote learning environment? Select all that apply. (Infrequent/no camera use, low assignment completion, etc.) 
4. Please indicate how valuable the following types of support would be to you in your distance/remote teaching efforts. Select one for each. (Funding for remote teaching equipment, opportunities for peer collaboration, etc.)
5. Thinking about the curriculum you teach, which of the following aspects could be better adapted for online delivery? Select all that apply. (Assessments, hands-on/experimental component, etc.) 
6. For each of the following, please indicate how frequently you experience the following technology difficulties in a remote learning environment. Select one for each.  (Software glitches, connectivity issues, login issues, etc.)
7. How did remote learning impact your household’s daily schedule/routines? Enter your response below. 
8. Which subject areas/topics did your child struggle with most during remote learning? Select all that apply. (Reading/Language Arts, Math, etc.)
9. When communicating with teachers, which methods did you prefer? Rank from 1 “most preferred” to 5 “least preferred”. (Email, phone calls, video conferencing, etc.)
10. What kind of resources do you believe parents need to effectively support remote learning in the future? Select all that apply. (Training, device setup, etc.) 

Get Expert Help With Your Remote & Distance Learning Surveys

Looking for help with your remote & distance learning programs? Get in touch with us today for expert survey writing, survey programming, and full-service market research help for distance learning.

We’re the experts on remote learning surveys and have helped education industry leaders connect with their audience to get valuable feedback for their programs. Contact us below.