Learning and teaching satisfaction since moving online due to COVID

Just recently, I came across an article presenting the results of a survey about learning and teaching satisfaction since moving on-campus education online.  The survey included responses from over 4200 students and about 500 faculty in higher education. Due to the sudden shift to online learning in March of 2020, most of us know students are worried about their learning, and teachers have been worried about their ability to be effective in an online environment. I found some of the results curious and interesting as the data compared student responses to those of teachers.

• Fifty-five percent of students said they were satisfied with online learning, 35% said they were dissatisfied, whereas 77% of teachers said they were satisfied with online teaching and only 21% said dissatisfied.
• Not surprisingly, there was consistency related to how students and teachers responded to learning in an online environment versus in person. Seventy-three percent of the students reported they felt they did not learn as well, and 61% of teachers felt their students weren’t learning as well.
• Of the methods used for learning and teaching, 73% of both students and teachers rated direct one-to-one contact and live video calls or lectures as most effective. Sixty-one percent of teachers felt the use of digital reading materials was an effective teaching method. However, students seem to disagree, with only 32% reporting it as a highly effective method for their learning.
• We all know the importance of feedback for student learning and especially so in an online dynamic. The results showed that while only 60% of students felt they received timely feedback, 86% of the faculty felt they provided timely feedback.
• One of the greatest challenges of online learning is isolation due to a lack of active involvement and connection with the teacher. Sixty-two percent of students felt their teacher was actively involved in their learning, whereas 70% of teachers felt they were engaged in the students learning.
• Clear, well-written instructions and student expectations about what is required of them are paramount for learning success, especially for online courses. One of the greatest disparities of this survey results was that 57% of students felt they knew what was expected of them, but 91% of faculty believed they had set clear expectations.

It is important to point out that this is only one survey. However, the results do show consistency with what we know about some of the challenges of teaching online, which include providing effective and timely feedback, student-teacher connection, and clear instructions and expectations (Bolliger & Martindale, 2004; Easton, 2003; Kennette & Redd, 2015; Roddy et al., 2017). Nonetheless, I believe it has value in helping us look at our teaching practice to illuminate any areas where we can improve.

References

Bolliger, D. U., and Martindale, T. (2004). Key factors for determining student satisfaction in online courses. Int. J. E-Learn. 6, 61–67.

Capranos, D. & Dyers, L. (2020). Pandemic response survey. Orlando, FL: Wiley edu, LLC. Retrieved from https://edservices.wiley.com/emergency-remote-learning-satisfaction-infographic/

Easton, S. S. (2003). Clarifying the instructor’s role in online distance learning. Commun. Educ. 52, 87–105. doi:10.1080/03634520302470

Kennette, L. N., and Redd, B. R. (2015). Instructor presence helps bridge the gap between online and on-campus learning. Coll. Q. 18. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1095942.pdf

 Roddy, C., Amiet, D.L., Chung, J., Holt, C., Shaw, L., McKenzie, S., … Mundy, M. E. (2017) Applying best practice online Learning, teaching, and support to intensive online environments: An integrative review. Front. Educ. 2:59. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2017.00059 Retrieved from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2017.00059/full