Beyond surveys – Get a real glimpse of students’ lives through creative methods
Engaging university students isn’t always easy. From our work with students’ unions and universities, we know that many students are tired of surveys and feedback forms that don’t seem to lead to any real change. “Another survey” doesn’t cut it – not in terms of engagement, and not in terms of the depth of insight we can gain.
While quantitative data and short survey responses have an important role in providing an overview or snapshot, they often fall short when it comes to understanding the student experience in depth. Questions around belonging, community and support – so central to student satisfaction – require more meaningful engagement.
Creative qualitative methods offer richer data, but they also do something else: they help students feel heard and valued. Taking part in a research process that reflects how students actually live can signal that you’re not just collecting data points, but genuinely trying to understand their lives.
So what are some of the methods you can use?
Photo journals
Students engage with visual content constantly. They’re used to scrolling on social media, communicating through images and memes, and many already document their lives through photos. A photo journal asks students to take images – either as an ongoing diary or in response to a specific prompt or theme – and to caption them with reflections or interpretations.
Images act as powerful prompts, triggering memories and associations that might not emerge in a survey or interview. They help students explore issues like belonging from different angles, while giving researchers concrete stories and examples to work with. The result is insight that is firmly grounded in students’ everyday experiences.
Peer research
Qualitative research often relies on small samples, which may not fully reflect the wider student cohort. One way to broaden perspectives is to invite students to carry out peer research within their own social circles.
This might involve a longer project with training and regular reporting, or a single informal conversation with someone they know. Either way, it can surface insights researchers would otherwise miss. What students share with peers is often different from what they tell researchers or university staff. Peer research allows students to open up, compare experiences and reflect together.
There’s value beyond the data too. Student researchers build skills and confidence, and the process shows that the institution genuinely values student voices enough to invest in them.
Voice note diaries
Students send voice notes all the time – so why not use them in research? Depending on the prompt, students record short voice notes capturing the highs and lows of their day or responding to specific questions.
The informality and immediacy of voice notes encourage authenticity. Without a visible audience, students are often more candid. Hesitation, humour and frustration come through – the texture of experience that can be lost in written responses.
A few practical considerations are worth keeping in mind. Building trust before data collection makes a real difference. An early face-to-face conversation or informal interview can help students understand what you’re trying to do and why. Providing a stimulus or example – such as a sample photo, prompt or diary entry – also helps participants get started. It’s important to ensure you have the time and resources to analyse the data you collect. Creative methods can generate large volumes of rich material, which take longer to work through. Don’t ask for depth unless you’re able to use it meaningfully. Finally, incentives matter. Students are giving their time, and particularly in the context of cost-of-living pressures, receiving something in return can significantly increase participation.
The richest insights into student experience rarely come from multiple-choice questions. Sometimes, you need to create the conditions for students to show you what their lives really look like.
