Increasingly in the design and delivery of university courses, faculty and students share expectations that there will be a sense of connection between the course material and practice. In the case of courses on survey design and analysis, one of the key components involves a focus on the design of surveys that facilitate participation. In this paper we discuss the development of comparative cases supported by YouTube videos to assist in engaging students in elements of survey design. The first case explores atempts to engage students and increase response rates in a university student survey, and the second case examines elements related to the participation of members of the diaspora in national population censuse in their countries of residence. The issues raised through the cases in the design and administration of these and similar surveys are discussed.