The effect of incentives and other instructor-driven strategies to increase online student evaluation response rates

Course evaluations (often termed student evaluations of teaching or SETs) are pervasive in higher education. As SETs increasingly shift from pencil-and-paper to online, concerns grow over the lower response rates that typically accompany online SETs. This study of online SET response rates examined data from 678 faculty respondents and student response rates from an entire semester. The analysis focused on those tactics that faculty employ to raise response rates for their courses, and explored instructor and course characteristics as contributing factors. A comprehensive regression model was evaluated to determine the most effective tactics and characteristics. Using incentives had the most impact on response rates. Other effective tactics that increase response rates include reminding students to take the evaluation, explaining how the evaluations would be used to improve instruction, sending personal emails and posting reminders on Blackboard^®. Incentives are not widely used; however, findings suggest that non-point incentives work as well as point-based ones, as do simple-to-administer minimum class-wide response rate expectations (compared to individual completion).     

Preparing Preservice Teachers in a Virtual Space: A Case Study of a Literacy Methods Course

This article describes a case study of an online literacy methods course offered at a small, midwestern university. Formal and informal instruments were used to assess students' backgrounds, interests, and dispositions. Archival course data were analyzed to examine interactions among content, course design, and student characteristics. Despite variations in self-directedness, dispositions toward the content, and prior experience with online/hybrid learning, 19 of 20 students who originally enrolled in the course were able to complete a compacted, fully online version of this introductory methods course. However, course evaluations indicated that for approximately one fourth of the students, there was a perceived mismatch between course objectives and online delivery. Findings suggest the need for design experiments that address immediacy in online courses and grapple with the issue of whether or not methods courses can be successfully delivered in a fully online format.     

Does blended instruction enhance English language learning in developing countries? Evidence from Mexico

Despite steady investment in English language education made by developing countries over the past few decades, results continue to be constrained by lack of high-quality instructors and language learning resources. Thus, using technology in language instruction has increasingly been recognized as a potential approach for addressing these constraints. This study uses administrative data from a large public university in Mexico to examine the impact of a technology-enhanced blended program on students' English course grades and course completion rates. Specifically, we focus on a campus-wide policy change in all compulsory English language courses that replaces half of the traditional face-to-face class time with an interactive online learning environment developed by a leading technology-mediated English language learning and assessment provider. Our results suggest that, compared to traditional face-to-face instruction, blended learning had a significant, positive impact on students' course grades and course completion rates. In addition, the enrollment-teacher ratio increased after replacing half of the face-to-face instructional time with online learning, suggesting that blended learning environments hold promise for providing high-quality and cost-effective language instruction.     

Learning style,sense of community and learning effectiveness in hybrid learning environment

The purpose of this study is to investigate how hybrid learning instruction affects undergraduate students' learning outcome, satisfaction and sense of community. The other aim of the present study is to examine the relationship between students' learning style and learning conditions in mixed online and face-to-face courses. A quasi-experimental design was used and 140 sophomores were recruited in this study. Students' learning outcomes, satisfaction, sense of community and learning styles were measured. Results showed that students in a hybrid course had significantly higher learning scores and satisfaction than did students of the face-to-face courses. The result also indicated that students of hybrid learning classrooms felt a stronger sense of community than did students in a traditional classroom setting. Analysis of learning style indicated that learning style had significant effect on learning outcome in the study group. Accommodator learners had higher e-learning effectiveness than other style learners. Possible reasons of results were discussed.     

The effect of switching to mandatory online course assessments on response rates and course ratings

Increasingly, student assessments of courses are being conducted online as opposed to administered in class. A growing body of research compares response rates and course ratings of courses evaluated online versus on paper. The present study extends this research by comparing student course assessments before and after the University of South Florida made online evaluations mandatory for all courses. This change only directly affected courses taught on-campus, as online courses were already being assessed online. However, we examine the effect of this change on courses taught on-campus and online, because we expect this change in policy to have differential effects. We hypothesise that by making online assessments mandatory for all courses, online assessments went from a novel method of evaluation to the norm; and, therefore, increased response rates for online courses, but had the opposite effect for on-campus courses. We find mixed support for our hypothesis.     

Exploring the effects of online team-based learning and co-regulated learning on students' development of computing skills

As more and more educational institutions are providing online courses, it is necessary to design effective teaching methods integrated with technologies to benefit both teachers and students. The researcher in this study designed innovative online teaching methods of team-based learning (TBL) and co-regulated learning (CRL) to improve students' computing skills. The participants in this study were 124 undergraduates from three classes taking a compulsory course titled “Applied Information Technology: Data Processing.” There were three blended classes involved in this empirical study. The first group (EG1), which received the treatment of online TBL and CRL, and the second group (EG2), which received the treatment of online TBL only, were the experimental groups. The last group, which received the traditional teaching method, served as the control group. Before the experiment started, the author conducted a pretest to confirm that the differences of students' computing skills among the three groups were not significant at the beginning of the course. Based on the analysis of the post-test, the results indicate that students who received the intervention of online CRL had significantly better computing skills for using Excel by semester-end than those without. However, the intervention of online TBL did not contribute to better learning effects in this study. Based on the findings in this study, the author points out implications for teachers, schools, and educators, particularly for those responsible for courses focusing on solving ill-structured problems and those students who have typically received traditional didactic pedagogy for many years.     

Student Responsible Learning: Getting Students to Read Online Discussions

Designing courses for optimal level student learning is dependent upon student participation. This study examined one way to encourage further student participation in online discussions. Of specific importance was how to encourage students to read their student-colleagues' online discussion responses: not just a minimum number of responses but the majority of the responses. Results illustrate that the method utilized, Thematic Analysis, is effective in increasing reading rates among students. But possibly even more interesting are the students' reports that the use of this learning tool encouraged them to think critically and that their learning occurred primarily through many of the tenets of social constructivist theory. Furthermore, students reported enjoying this process of learning.     

Toward deep learning for adult students in online courses

Adult students have become the new majority in online distance education. Research in online distance education, however, is still predominantly based on the historical perspective of the traditional student profile. This study examines adult students' learning engagement in online courses and explores the impact of online course design models and the type of online discussion on adult students' self-perceived and observable learning performance. The study findings inform that age itself does not predict adult students' learning satisfaction and performance. Instead, an integrated course model promotes learning satisfaction, while a Content + Support course model reinforces knowledge–constructive online interactions. The study findings also indicate disadvantages of close-ended discussion tasks in supporting students' online learning success.     

Preparing future teachers for diverse schools in an online learning community: Perceptions and practice

This study provides an example of one institution's efforts to design coursework that meets the simultaneous challenges of supporting the aims of increasing access to online courses and simultaneously better preparing teachers to work in diverse classrooms. Based on online pre- and post-surveys and monthly open-ended writing prompts administered to students in an introductory teacher preparation course, the study sought to discover students' motivation to select online or blended courses, student perspectives on the benefits and challenges to taking this course online, characteristics of the learning environment that promoted or interfered with students' learning, instructor's perspective of learners' reaction to topics addressing K-12 classroom diversity, and the impact of an online format on students' discussions of issues related to learner diversity. Findings suggest that online courses should include a classroom placement component in which students experience a diverse classroom in order to best prepare students for diverse teaching assignments. Thus, the best online teacher preparation courses maybe those that blend virtual and face-to-face interaction rather than being strictly online.     

基于翻转课堂的“工程地质”课程教学设计与评价

在总结"工程地质"课程特点的基础上，将翻转课堂引入"工程地质"课程教学中，开展基于翻转课堂的"工程地质"课程教学设计，构建形成性学习评价和考核体系。翻转课堂教学模式将线上与线下教学有效融合，提高了课堂效率，增强了学生学习的主动性和课堂的参与度，有助于培养学生解决工程地质问题的综合能力。学生成绩对比分析结果表明，翻转课堂教学班期末考核成绩明显高于传统教学班；学生满意度问卷调查结果表明，学生对翻转课堂教学环节、考核体系和教学效果的满意度均超过90%，对翻转课堂教学模式给予了充分的肯定。     

Applying web-based co-regulated learning to develop students' learning and involvement in a blended computing course

This research investigated, via quasi-experiments, the effects of web-based co-regulated learning (CRL) on developing students' computing skills. Two classes of 68 undergraduates in a one-semester course titled “Applied Information Technology: Data Processing” were chosen for this research. The first class (CRL group, n = 38) received the intervention of web-based CRL teaching methods, while the second one (control group, n = 30) received a traditional teaching method for computing education. The results in this study show that students who received the web-based CRL attained significantly better computing skills than those who received the traditional teaching method. This study provides a design and illustration of web-based CRL for teachers, educators, and schools which place importance on improving students' computing skills and pay attention to development of online courses.     

线上教学质量双面性： 对照组检验与学生偏好评价的不同结果

对于大规模的高等教育在线教学质量评价众说纷纭。已有的研究调查发现本科学生大体上更偏好线下教学。然而，学生的偏好只反映了其主观意愿的一面。利用“中国高水平大学课程教与学追踪调查”（CUCE）数据库，得到中国三所顶尖大学的同一批课程疫情前的6264份线下教学样本及2020年春季学期的4451份线上教学样本，构成授课内容与教师均相同的对照组。统计分析显示，在课堂体验、学业投入和课程满意度三方面，学生的主观偏好均倾向于线下教学。线上线下对照组比较分析却发现，线上教学在这三方面的教学效果显著高于线下教学，效应值均低于0.04。学生主观偏好与对照组比较两种评价路径得出不同的质量评价结果。由于应急情况下师生为线上教学付出大量投入，在有限程度上提升了教学质量，但教学效率可能偏低。低效应值也表明课程质量不取决于线上或线下教学形式。常态下在线教学的质量还有待进一步检验。     

如何提高学生的在线自我调节学习？——基于先前在线学习经历与家庭背景的比较

在线教学中学生要具备一定的在线自我调节学习能力才能取得好的学习成效,而学生的在线自我调节学习受诸多因素的影响。本研究从先赋性背景和后致性学校过程性因素的视角,基于“新冠疫情期间研究型大学本科生学习体验调查”项目中某大学的数据,考查学生家庭背景和先前在校在线学习经历与在线自我调节学习的关系。研究发现：家庭背景和先前在校的在线学习经历都显著影响学生在线自我调节学习,且先前在线学习经历的影响独立于家庭背景。超过七成的学生在新冠肺炎疫情前有过在线学习经历,且主要是来源于本校的正式在线学分课。这一研究结果的实践启示是：高校可以通过提供正式在线学习的机会抵消学生家庭背景的负面作用来培养学生的在线自我调节学习,这将有助于他们应对紧急情况下大规模在线教学时可能面临的挑战。     

Explaining students' appraisal of lectures and student-activating teaching: perceived context and student characteristics

During lectures, some students are continuously focused and attentive, whereas others tend to be bored, jittery, or inattentive. The same might happen when students are given student-activating assignments. Some students simply love one type of instruction, whereas others tend to resent it. Moreover, it is not the context itself, but the context as it is perceived by the student that affects learning. This study sets out to discover how students view instruction, based on their experiences with a particular setting, and aims to investigate the effects of “context-by-student” characteristics, such as students' course experiences, and the effects of “student-by-context” features, such as approaches to learning. The research has a quasi-experimental design and compares a lecture-based setting with student-activating teaching methods (i.e. self-discovery learning by means of authentic tasks with the help of a scaffolding approach); followed by one of four assessment methods: a multiple-choice test, a case-based examination, a peer assessment or a portfolio assessment. Data (N = 579) were collected by means of validated questionnaires, comprising the ASSIST and LSQ instruments and the course experience questionnaire. Results demonstrate that students' appraisal of the assessment method, their course experiences and the teaching methods that are dominant in the setting contribute positively to students' appraisal of instruction. Interestingly, this conclusion applies to both the lecture-based and the student-activating groups and to both conventional assessment methods and new modes of assessment. Moreover, deep approaches to learning, monitoring studying and/or organized studying, as well as preferences for courses that support understanding, positively affect students' appraisal of student-activating teaching methods. In short, both student-by-context and context-by-student features prove to be strong predictors of students' appraisal of instruction and, as a consequence, student learning.     

Taiwan college students' self-efficacy and motivation of learning in online peer assessment environments

Online peer assessment is an innovative evaluation method that has caught both educators' and practitioners' attention in recent years. The purpose of this study was to develop relevant questionnaires for teachers to understand student self-efficacy and motivation in online peer assessment learning environments. A total of 205 college students with experience in online peer assessment participated in this study. Two questionnaires measuring students' online peer assessment self-efficacy (OPASS) and their motivations in online peer assessment learning environments (MOPAS) were developed. The former included three self-efficacy scales: evaluating, receiving and reacting. The latter included two scales: intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. Through factor analysis, both revealed highly satisfactory validity and reliability in assessing students' self-efficacy and motivation in online peer assessment learning environments. Moreover, the students' responses also showed that they were highly confident and strongly intrinsically motivated when participating in an online peer assessment learning environment. Finally, the interplay between the scales of OPASS and those of MOPAS was explored and the reciprocal relationship between students' self-efficacy and motivation in an online peer assessment learning environment was also highlighted.     

Assessing the impact of learning environments on students' approaches to learning: comparing conventional and action learning designs

This study investigated whether students' approaches to learning were influenced by the design of university courses. Pre‐ and post‐evaluations of the approaches to learning of the same group of students concurrently enrolled in a conventional course (lectures and tutorials) and an action learning‐based course (project work, learning groups) were conducted. Students who reported themselves as more ‘typically deep’ in their approach to learning were consistent in their approaches across the different environments. However, students who reported themselves as more ‘typically surface’ were influenced to adopt deeper processing strategies in the action learning design. Students explained this ‘deep shift’ in terms of the greater expectations of learner activity and responsibility in the action learning design.     

The effect of an MSN agent on learning community and achievement

The use of instant messaging to support e-learning will continue to gain importance because of its speed, effectiveness, and low cost. This study developed an MSN agent to mediate and facilitate students' learning in a Web-based course. The students' acceptance of the MSN agent and its effect on learning community identification and learning achievement were investigated using the technology acceptance model. Results indicated that the MSN agent proved easy to use, and that students recognized its benefits with regard to their learning. In more detail, students perceived that the MSN agent would be beneficial to learning community identification, but this perceived usefulness had less effect on their learning achievement. However, it was found that perceived system usage of the MSN agent was significantly related to learning achievement, which differed from the result of analyzing students' perceived usefulness of the agent. Rather than using a systematic recording log, the perceived system usage of the MSN agent was measured through questionnaires. Interview feedback revealed that effective learning was related to the learners' engagement in the MSN agent and not just from their perceived usefulness of it. Therefore, the MSN agent could have more potential to facilitate students' learning in an online environment if learning activities related to study are designed to promote students' engagement.     

E-assessment of online academic courses via students' activities and perceptions

The rapid growth of online courses in higher education has led to developments in the field of e-assessment. This paper presents a study, which examined the quality of online academic courses using a multidimensional assessment of students' activities and perceptions, using educational data mining and an online questionnaire. The assessment focused on four aspects: instructional, communication, course workload and overall learning experience. The course instructional model was found well-structured. The video lectures, assignments and materials designed for the online course were the most used and contributing learning resources. However, the number of students who entered the video lectures decreased as the course progressed. Low activity was found in the discussion forums. Students perceived the course workload as low. Overall, the learning experience was high and the students were highly satisfied. These findings provide insights that may assist in improving the quality of future online courses.     

Using mid-semester course evaluation as a feedback tool for improving learning and teaching in higher education

The way in which mid-semester course evaluations are structured, administered and reported is important for generating rich and high-quality student feedback for the enhancement of learning and teaching. Mid-semester evaluations usually contain open-ended questions that trigger more elaborative feedback about what is going on in a class than that from end-of-semester evaluations with Likert scale-type questions. The anonymity of the process for students and the confidentiality of the process for instructors make the process more reflective for students and less stressful for instructors. This study describes how the mid-semester course evaluation process can be used as a feedback tool for improving the quality of teaching and learning at an institutional level. Through a longitudinal analysis of 341 mid-semester course evaluation reports, positive areas and areas of concern with respect to learning and teaching were identified, and changes in student evaluations over the years were examined meticulously to make an overall evaluation of the quality of learning and teaching at a non-profit Turkish university. This research showed that the value of mid-semester course evaluations can go beyond course-level if we use open-ended questions and are able to gather the reports together to make some comprehensive analysis at university level.