These are the results of the survey I conducted on fellow Metro State students concerning their online classes and how they feel about their online educational experience. Overall the grades were above C’s in every category with most students being satisfied with the educational value of online classes. There are still some issues to address with distance learning but it seems that the experiences are getting better and people are satisfied.
What year of school are you in?
The large majority of survey responders were in their sophomore year and two were in their junior year. This is in part to the majority of online classes being either entry level or second year classes.
How many online courses have you taken?
Fifty six percent of the people surveyed have taken under 5 online courses while 33% have taken between 6 and 10 courses and 11% have taken between 11 and 20 online courses. I myself fall into the 11 to 20 category and again, I feel that this is because most of the classes offered at Metro State are either entry or mid-level classes.
Have the majority of your online courses been for?
One hundred percent of respondents said that online courses were for required classes, no one takes electives online (probably because those are the classes you actually want to be in) and no one said they were taking any of their certificate classes online.
Will you take online courses in the future?
An overwhelming majority of people surveyed (78%) said that they would take another online class, one was unsure and one was definitely not.
Would you recommend online courses to other students?
Sixty eight percent of students said that they would recommend online courses to their fellow students, there was also a 22% maybe answer and one no answer. It seems to me that more people are not only taking online courses but they are comfortable enough with them that they would recommend them to other students. Obviously some students have a bad experience with online education and most of the complaints have related to online math classes because they provide less teacher interaction when you have a question.
Overall grade of online education
Everyone polled rated the overall of online education with at least a B but most ( 6 of 8) gave it an A. I think that student satisfaction with online education is important as we are the driving factor in the expansion of distance education. If students aren’t happy with online courses then they won’t take them and enrollment numbers would indicate that online education is not yet up to par with our traditional education system.
Overall quality of evaluations and grading
Most students rated the grading with a B or better but this time there were a few C’s in the mix with indications of teachers not really giving enough feedback or students not really being sure why points were deducted.
Overall quality of materials
A rating of all B’s and higher, most people said that the materials were the same for online as in the traditional classroom. The same books are required along with the reading so most feel that they are getting the same type of education.
Overall quality of faculty commitment
Most respondents are satisfied ( B or better) with the commitment of the staff to our education, yet there are still some who believe that there should be more interaction and feedback from the staff. This used to be one of the Achilles heels of online learning yet it seems that the majority (about 80%) believe that their needs are being met by the instructors.
Overall grade of student support
Student support got a little bit lower than average grade but most was above a B. It seems the main complaint was about student responses on the discussion boards and people not checking into blackboard often enough. We all know it sucks to wait on a peer review till the last minute when you have a paper due.
Responsiveness and timeless of teachers
Ninety percent were A’s and one B in the teachers timeliness of responses. This has always been one of the major detractors of online education because when you need a response, you want it now! Although all the respondents are obviously very pleased with the response times from the faculty and with the advent of IM coming into play in the future, things can only get better!
Student to faculty ratio
With one exception, everyone else rated the student to faculty ratio as being just fine, all A’s and above. Most people believe that the ratios are the same as in the traditional classroom.
Overall experience
Six out of nine people rated an A for an overall online experience; there were also a B and two C’s. It seems that even people who had a somewhat troublesome time still rated a C or higher. I find it interesting that even people without a lot of computer experience were still happy with their online classes, it shows that the user friendliness is good and still improving.
Did distance learning fit your needs?
All answered A except for two C’s and the most common complaint was that online classes seem to take more time than the traditional one’s. Ironically most people take online classes because of their tight schedules and I agree that online classes take a bit more time due to the fact that most of it is writing either discussions or journals which are a bit time consuming.
Are the grades in your online courses____ than your traditional classes?
Fifty six percent of students polled said that their grades online were the same as their grades in the traditional classroom. Some were better and some were worse but the majority seem to get the same grades in online courses as they do in the traditional classroom. To me this signifies that the myth of online classes being easier has been broken and online evaluations ( at least in this case) seem to be just as hard as the tests that we take in the classroom.
Do you think you received the same quality of education online as in your traditional classes?
Most students polled said that they feel they are getting the same quality of education as in the traditional classes but only for certain courses, math and science classes such as chemistry seem to be the stopping point for online classes. Like most students, I too feel that online courses are better suited to core courses and that math and science, courses where you need more teacher and peer interaction, should be pursued in the traditional classroom where interaction takes less time.
Pros and cons
Many of the pros relate to scheduling and the fact that we don’t have to pay to park or ride the light rail, some point out that with working full-time and raising a family there just isn’t enough time to drive to campus to attend lectures and online classes let you schedule around life’s events because you can do your work whenever you get a spare minute.
The cons listed include the time needed to learn new software and programs, the fact that most classes online require quite a bit more writing which equals more time, and the sometimes necessary face to face communication between student and teacher.
How many hours per week do you work?
Except for one full time student, everyone else works 40 or more hours a week, including myself. I believe that the online classes fit work/school schedules better. Most respondents say that the online classes allow them more freedom with their schedules and that sometimes it is impossible to do a traditional class, especially if you are a full-time student, because of their work schedules.
