Kobo Toolbox and ODK Basics

Name: Kobo Toolbox and ODK Basics
Rating: 4.4 (76 reviews)

From Zero to Hero in ODK and Kobo Toolbox for mobile data collection

Created byKithinji Charles

Last updated 9/2025

English

What you'll learn

Open and Setting up Kobo Toolbox Account
Create Mobile data collection Form using Kobo Toolbox
Using Mobile phone to collect data
Store collected data on a server and extract it in useful formats for analysis

Course content

3 sections • 32 lectures • 1h 58m total length

Creating Kobo toolbox Account5:41
Learn to create a Kobo toolbox account by choosing between humanitarian organization and researchers options, fill the sign-up form with username, email, password, and activate via email.
How to login into Kobo Toolbox account2:18
Log into Kobo Toolbox by selecting the humanitarian organization option during sign up. Enter your username and password to access your first project and account settings.
Quick Tour of Kobo Toolbox Interface4:39
Explore the Kobo toolbox interface, switching between the project and library modules, create and deploy questionnaires, manage archived projects, and use library templates to streamline form design.
Creating a new Project in Kobo toolbox6:34

Minimum columns required for each sheet in XLSForm6:27
Explore the minimum columns for xlsform sheets, including form id and unique question names with type and label. See how the choices section uses columns—name, label, list_name—for options like gender.
Introduction to XLSForm Authorin3:17
Learn to build advanced, well-structured forms in Excel for Kobo Toolbox and ODK using XLSForm authoring. Create survey, choices, and settings sheets with gender options.
Question types in Kobo toolbox XLSForm11:02
Explore Kobo toolbox XLSForm question types, including integer, decimal, text, select one or multiple, date, time, image, audio, video, barcode, and calculate features for mobile surveys.
Authoring first simple XLSForm5:37
Author a first simple XLSForm in Kobo Toolbox, defining text questions for respondent names and a select-one gender option, with unique variable and form IDs for ODK.
Deploying XLSForm in Kobo Toolbox system5:04
Learn to create, upload, and deploy XLSForm projects in Kobo Toolbox, convert drafts to deployed forms, and preview data collection in mobile environments.
Downloading Kobo Toolbox android application in mobile device1:31
Download the Kobo Toolbox Android application on a mobile device, install it, and open to view forms. Configure general settings and QR code, then connect to the online server.
Connecting android kobo collect mobile application to online server3:00
Connect the Kobo toolbox Android app to an online server by accessing server settings, selecting the appropriate account, entering username and password, then deploying forms to access them.
Filling XLSForm in android Kobo toolbox mobile phone Application4:58
Fill xlsform on the android Kobo Toolbox app by creating, deploying a project, then open blank forms, enter name, gender, date, save, and send.
Delete Saved Forms in Kobo collect mobile application2:24
Delete saved and blank forms in the Kobo collect app by selecting forms and tapping delete. Refresh to sync with the online server and update available forms.
Downloading submitted data from kobo toolbox online server2:07
View submission details on the Kobo Toolbox online server and download data in CSV or Excel formats, selecting options and opening the downloaded file for analysis.

Question type -note2:03
Explore the note question type in advanced Kobo Toolbox and ODK, using metadata to display on-screen notes with instructions and warnings, and follow naming rules for underscores, numbers, and periods.
Question type-date4:52
Explore how to set up the date question type in Kobo Toolbox and ODK, using appearance to capture exact dates or month-year only on mobile forms.
Question type-date with no-calendar appearance1:46
Explore using the date question with no-calendar appearance in Kobo Toolbox and ODK, allowing direct date selection without scrolling and easier navigation through past and future years.
Question type-time2:39
The question type time records the exact time when an event occurs by letting respondents select a specific time on a mobile screen, such as reporting to work at 8:00.
Question type-text5:17
Question type-integer1:36
Learn the integer question type in advanced Kobo Toolbox and ODK, forcing whole numbers with no fractions and using the numeric keypad for household member counts on Android.
Question type-decimal3:17
Learn how the decimal question type in Kobo Toolbox and ODK enables entering fractions, such as 1.5 or 0.5, and how to specify currency in USD for data collection.
Question type-select_one5:00
Learn the select one question type in Kobo Toolbox and ODK, defining a single-choice list and reusing grouped options like gender or district across questions.
Question type-select_multiple2:47
Configure a select-multiple question in Kobo Toolbox and ODK to capture respondent livelihoods by allowing multiple economic activities from a predefined list.
Question type-audio, video and image3:20
Discover audio, video, and image question types in Kobo Toolbox and ODK. Learn to record audio during interviews, capture video with a mobile camera, and take images for rapid assessments.
Question type image with signature and draw appearance3:03
Question type-rank3:00
Explore the rank question type in Kobo Toolbox and ODK, learn to present a list of items, drag to reorder, and capture respondent rankings on mobile.
Question type-range2:34
Define a range from start to end, zero to 17, using integers and decimals, with a step, and configure the excel form to enforce the range in Android app.
Question type- range with rating appearance1:49
Explore the range question type with rating appearance, showing how a five-star rating can be configured and displayed in a mobile application by starting from one to five.
Question type-geopoint1:39
Learn the geopoint question type to record precise location data, including latitude, longitude, altitude, and 10-meter accuracy, using Google Maps prompts and saving the geo point in Android devices.
Hidden questions3:17
Explore how hidden questions in Kobo Toolbox and ODK record in the background, capture metadata and coordinates, and support transcription and quality monitoring without respondent notice.
Question type-trigger and acknowledge1:36
Explore the trigger and acknowledge question types in Kobo Toolbox and ODK, explaining how confirmations are used to proceed, triggered by conditions and stored as text in the data.
Improving data quality with required4:03
Learn to boost survey data quality in Kobo Toolbox and ODK by making questions required, preventing skips, and applying constraints to ensure responses are provided before advancing.

Requirements

Basic Excel knowledge and adroid phone

Description

Mobile data collection is a method of compiling qualitative and quantitative information with the help of a mobile device (e.g. mobile phone, tablet, etc.).

This approach has been proven to increase the speed and accuracy of data collection, service delivery effectiveness, and program staff performance. Features of mobile data collection, such as decision support, form logic, and checklists, improve the quality of the data collected, while also ensuring adherence to data collection and care protocols.

This course is a hands-on, step by step guide that will teach learners how to setup, administer and manage a mobile based data collection platform using KoBoToolbox. What can you do with KoBoToolbox

· Build complex forms with skip logic and validation using KoBoToolbox Form Builder or XLSForm (XLSForm is recommended for larger forms)

· Collect data offline on a mobile device and send it to a cloud server

· Map data

· Visualize, manage and analyze data

· Store collected data on a server and extract it in useful formats for analysis

Learning Outcomes: At the end of the course, learners will be able to:

· Setup an account in KoBoToolbox

· Digitize any complex questionnaire to a digital form that can be used for data collection on mobile devices and on browsers

· Visualize, manage and analyze data in KoBoToolbox

· Map data in KoBoToolbox

· Collect data on mobile devices and browsers

· Extract data from KoBoToolbox for analysis

Enroll and gain the required skills

Who this course is for:

Researchers, data analyst, programme team, monitoring and evaluation, Students and other individuals who want to collect data

Kobo Toolbox and ODK Basics

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction4 lectures • 19min

Basics of XLSForm Authoring10 lectures • 45min

Detailed XLSForm Authoring18 lectures • 54min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: