1. Ask 500 - You do need to validate your password before using this tool. I like the mapping idea behind this tool and think students would like to see their questions being answered from all over the world. Click Here to see Poll. There were 90 people online when I posted my question and within 15 minutes I had 4 responses. It would be interesting to compare views from different parts of the world. If you had a twin school in some foreign climes then you could perhaps share several surveys. There is also an option to comment on your survey. When you click on the survey to answer it rather cleverly tells you what % of men or women agreed with you adding another dimension to your debate with students.



2. Survey Monkey - Suitable for a more complex questionnaire/survey. The free version is limited to 100 responses and only 10 questions so will not suit every occasion. On the other hand you may like the additional features such as the ability to download the data in which case paying $19.95 per month may seem worth it.

3. Advanced Survey - I have used this tool myself for several years. There are no restrictions on the number of questions or responses allowed under the free account. It produces a simple graphical output as seen below and surveys are taken by simply typing in the correct code. To see an example survey click here and type 36375 into the 'Take Survey' box in the bottom right hand corner. There is also the ability for participants to add longer textual answers. I use this as a free account but for the month that I am using the survey I upgrade to an advanced account which enables me to download the data for use in excel and other database software. When the month is over it reverts to the free account but the data is never lost. In fact, I have survey results from 5 years ago still on their website.



4. Fotoll - This tool allows you to take simple polls. You upload photos to represent your answer and participants simply click on the photo to vote. The best feature of this tool is the comment box. This enables students to comment on the question with their response being published below the survey. This means students can start a debate around the question by posting comments. Click Here to see an example. The major flaw with this programme is that their is no search function to direct students to your survey, they need to know the address. That said, the address is quite simply http://fotoll.com/ followed by your question. Interestingly after several weeks of being on the website no-one had answered my question compared to Ask 500 where I had got 292 responses after a week. However, if you only want your students (rather than the world) to answer your question then this may be seen as an advantage.




5. Twiggs.com - I didn't really like the look of this site so I didn't spend a great deal of time. However, if you want to judge for yourself click on the link.