What Do Distance Learners Want from their Colleges?
A new survey from SurveyMonkey provides answers
For years, high-end polling firms like Gallup, Nielsen and Pew have been researching trends in American higher education.
Now a new entrant has appeared in the world of educational research – SurveyMonkey. Actually, this company has been gaining importance as a polling company over the last few years. It only makes sense that this company would start conducting research of its own. After all, SurveyMonkey already has all the technology to conduct surveys and analyze the results.
Most recently, SurveyMonkey’s Erin Pinkus deployed her firm’s technology to ask nearly 1,000 American colleges how well their colleges are managing the Covid-19 pandemic. Her survey, “distance learning for college students during the coronavirus outbreak,” delivers important insights about how well colleges are meeting their students’ needs and expectations during the pandemic.
Some Findings of the SurveyMonkey Poll
On communicating with colleges . . .
- 32% of students say they would like to get crisis updates from their colleges whenever new information becomes available
- 29% would like to get updates every 2-3 days
- 25% would like to get information daily
On communicating with faculty members . . .
- 57% of students connect with instructors at least a few times a week
- 53% say they would find virtual office hours “somewhat beneficial”
On the overall experience of remote learning . . .
- 86% of students say they are finding the change to distance learning “disruptive”
- 71% of students say their college experience has been “disrupted” by the shift to distance learning
- 37% say they have felt “prepared” to shift to online learning
- Only 47% of students who are learning from home keep a regular daily schedule
Top Concerns Associated with the Shift from In-Person Classes to Distance Learning . . .
- 45% of students said they find it hard to keep up with coursework
- 33% say they are losing contact with professors/instructors
- 31% report they feel physically isolated from classmates
- 30% say they are juggling other priorities, like child care or family care, with their schoolwork
We Invite You to Explore Your Students’ College & Career Options with Us. . .
Students who participate in the National Career & College Pathway Study will gain new insights about making educational decisions that align with their interests, passions, and aptitudes. Participants will receive information on college and career opportunities that match their interests.
Related Posts
Study Finds the Pandemic Has Caused More Students to Question the Value of College
Why Just Getting Students Back into Classrooms Is Not Enough
Great Ways to Integrate Career Planning into Your Classroom
Is It Time to Create a Career Research Center in Your Classroom?
America’s Teachers Face Harder Decisions about Returning to School
What Kind of Coronavirus Testing Will Your College Be Giving Returning Students in the Fall?
Which College Majors and Careers Should You Consider if Most of Your Classes Will Be Taken Online?
With the transition to distance learning, I really feel isolated from the rest of the students and faculty and I can’t get the feedback I need in the right way. This is not the level of interaction that I would like to get from the faculty. I consider myself quite independent and diligent, but when it comes to writing coursework or doing other coursework assignments, that independence is rather detrimental to me – I often have to redo all my work twice or three times simply because I can’t get comments and corrections from the instructor in time. It’s exhausting and probably the thing I don’t like the most!