Survey conducted and results analyzed by
David Brodosi and Otis Wilder
Online Learning and Instructional Technology Services
Nelson Poynter Memorial Library
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Overview
In April 2014, Online Learning and Instructional Technology Services (OL/ITS) of the Nelson
Poynter Library developed and conducted an online survey to capture perceptions and attitudes
towards online courses at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. The majority of the
respondents fell into the following demographic category: female, full-time, juniors and seniors,
living off campus, and between the ages of 19-24. The survey results reveal two critical findings:
1) online courses are highly valued by students and 2) students believe the quality of online
courses are equal to the quality of face-to-face courses.
Methodology
The survey was electronically administered to 584 students currently enrolled in up to five
courses at USF St. Petersburg. Survey content included questions about students’ perceptions
and experiences related to online courses. Specifically, the survey’s content was divided into
three sections: student demographic information, attitudes towards online learning at USF St.
Petersburg, and input regarding future online courses at USF St. Petersburg. A link to a Google
poll was posted to Canvas’s announcements section within each course asking students to
provide feedback by April 1st, 2014. Participation was completely voluntary and no personal
information was collected. At the close of the survey, 102 students responded, a response rate of
17.46%. Quantitative data in this report was analyzed with SPSS 22 and qualitative data was
analyzed with MAXQDA 11.
Results
Section 1: Student Demographics
Based on the sample obtained from the survey, online students at USFSP are mostly female
(83%), full-time students (81%), in their junior (39%) or senior (27%) year, and, are living off
campus (87%). Employment was also a significant factor with 70% of participants being
employed either full- or part-time.
Are you a full-time or part-time student?
Full-time
Part-time
81 %
19 %
What is your current designation?
First year
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
11 %
23 %
39 %
27 %
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What is your gender?
Female
Male
Prefer not to answer
83 %
16 %
1%
Where do you live?
Off campus
On campus
87 %
13 %
What is your age?
18 years or younger
19-24 years
25-29 years
30-39 years
40-54 years
55 years or older
Prefer not to answer
14 %
58 %
15 %
3%
8%
1%
1%
Are you employed?
Full-time
Not currently employed
Part-time
23 %
30 %
47 %
What is your ethnic group?
African-American-black
Asian
Caucasian/White
Latino/Hispanic
American Indian
Other
Prefer not to answer
4%
6%
78 %
6%
1%
3%
2%
How many unique online courses have you taken at USFSP?
1-3 online courses
52 %
4-6 online courses
37 %
7 or more online courses
11 %
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Section 2: Perceptions and Attitudes towards Online Learning and future offerings of online
courses at USFSP.
The survey aligned respondents’ perceptions and attitudes towards online courses to a Likert
scale scored as 1 being “strongly disagree” and 5 being “strongly agree”.
One item asked about the level of confidence students had in their ability to perform in an online
class. Students largely reported (77%) that they have a high level of confidence in their ability to
perform in an online environment when compared with a face-to-face environment.
Students were also asked to indicate their preference for taking online courses. Two-thirds of
participants (68%) indicated they prefer online or hybrid courses, with 32% preferring face-toface. This data aligns with the students’ desire for additional online course offerings at USFSP,
with 68% of participants wanting more online classes.
I feel just as confident in my ability to perform well in an online
class as in a face-to-face class.
1 (not confident)
2%
2
9%
3
12 %
4
24 %
5 (fully confident)
53 %
I believe the quality of my online courses were equal to the
quality of my face-to-face classes.
1 (NOT effective)
5%
2
12 %
3
10 %
4
29 %
5 (EQUALLY effective)
44 %
I would like to see more online courses available here at USFSP.
Yes, definitely
68 %
Neutral
29 %
No, we seem to have enough
3%
If given a choice, which type of class would you rather take?
A face-to-face
32 %
A hybrid class
27 %
An online course
41 %
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Section 2: Additional Comments
Additional items asked participants open-ended questions about their experience with online
courses, both positive and negative, along with an inquiry for overall improvement
Three open-ended questions were presented to students at the end of the survey.
1. What did you enjoy the MOST from your online course(s) at USFSP? (n = 102)
2. What did you enjoy the LEAST from your online course(s) at USFSP? (n = 102)
3. Do you have any additional feedback about online learning that you would like to provide
for Distance Learning? (n = 52)
For a complete explanation of the coding rules used in this analysis, please also see the coding
rules in the appendix to this document.
Comments Analysis
Flexibility
The flexible nature of online learning was reported most frequently as important to students.
Flexibility was identified as how adaptable the online course and its content were to the needs of
the student. Keywords: flexible, schedule, own pace, freedom, own time.
Of students who provided comments (n = 102) 73% made statements indicating that the
flexibility and convenience offered by online classes was a key component of what they most
enjoyed about online courses at USFSP.
Communication
Communication issues were another theme found in student comments. Communication was
identified by the keywords and phrases: communication, contact, email, discussion boards,
groups, and help.
Of the 101 participants who responded, 23 (23%; 20 student-to-instructor, 3 student-to-student)
reported items relating to communication. Of the 23 communication issues reported, 2 (8.6%)
were clearly positive in nature, and 19 (91.4%) appeared to express concerns. Additional
information on best practices and professional development opportunities will be considered for
our fall 2014 faculty training series that will help address the concerns of our students.
Interactivity
Interactive items included interaction with course content and the instructor. Interactivity was
identified by the use of keywords: engagement, involvement, activity, feelings of inclusion,
feedback, and relationship.
In total, 39% of the students mentioned interactivity. Eight (20.5%) of the comments clearly
indicated a positive response to interactivity. The remaining 31 comments (79.5%) indicated a
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concern for interactivity.
This data indicates students enjoy the interactive elements included in online courses and would
like to see more of them. To address this desire, the Online Learning and Instructional
Technology Services department at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library is offering a number of
professional development opportunities for faculty to learn new technologies designed to
increase interactivity.
Technology
Comments regarding technology were a common theme in the survey. Technology comments
were identified by the keywords: technology, Canvas, videos, PowerPoints, files, movies.
Overall, 25% of the students made a comment on technology. Comments varied but were
generally themed on videos, including lecture videos, and PowerPoint presentations within the
course. Within the technology comments, 72% of students made comments about videos, video
lectures or PowerPoint presentation. These comments mostly consisted of students making
positive statements on the use of videos and PowerPoints, or commenting on the desire for the
inclusion of videos in their courses.
OL/ITS is addressing this by the development and implementation of the MyStudio Booths on the
second floor of the library. Along with the online learning studio, these self-service recording
booths are designed for ease of use and to allow faculty access to recording equipment for any
hours that the library is open. Training on the use of the MyStudio Booths is available for faculty
by appointment through the OL/ITS.
Summary
Overall, students reported enjoying their experience taking online courses at USFSP and
overwhelmingly would like to see more online courses added to our offerings. On the positive
side, students appreciate the flexibility that online learning provides and enjoy the use of course
technologies including videos, video lectures and PowerPoint presentations. Negative comments
mostly focus on communication issues between students and their instructors as well as
comments on the lack of interactivity in their courses.
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Appendix
Purpose of the Survey
This survey was administered to inquire about the demographics, experience and
attitudes of undergraduate students currently enrolled in an online course at USFSP. The intent
of the survey, provided in the participant instructions, was to gather an overall impression of
online learning at USFSP, not to seek information about specific courses.
Methods
Current online instructors at USFSP volunteered to post the survey in their online courses
during the spring 2014 semester. An announcement was sent to students providing a link to the
survey hosted within the Google Forms platform. The survey was anonymous and collected no
identifying information from the participants, although access to the survey was limited to
individuals with valid USF login credentials.
Participants
The sample consisted of undergraduate students currently enrolled in online courses at
USFSP. Total enrollment for all courses was 584 with a 17.5% response rate (n = 102).
Participants were largely Caucasian females between 18 and 29 years of age (see results).
Coding Rules
A post-hoc analysis was completed to determine themes of interest. Coded themes were agreed
upon by 3 raters to analyze the student comments. Each question was individually coded based
on statements of flexibility, student-to-student communication, student-to-faculty
communication, interactivity, and comments on technology. Full details of the coding procedure
are located in the Appendix to this document. Items were analyzed using the software MAXQDA
11.
Survey Questions:
Q1 - What did you enjoy the MOST from your online course(s) at USFSP?
Q2 - What did you like the LEAST from your online course(s) at USFSP?
Q3 - Do you have any additional feedback about online learning that you would like to provide
for Distance Learning?
Select the phrase or words that you see meets the coding requirements below. Partial phrases
are acceptable as long as they provide an example of the code.
Satisfaction - These are specific statements made about overall happiness and contentment with
online learning at USFSP. Keywords: happy, satisfied, like, approve.
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Interactivity - relating to continuous two-way transfer of information between the participant
and the course content, student, or instructor. Keywords: engagement, involvement, activity,
feelings of inclusion, feedback, relationship.
Technology Comments - Relating to technical aspects of the course. Keywords: Canvas, videos,
PowerPoints, files, movies.
Student Communication* - Specific statements regarding interchange of thoughts, opinions, or
information between students. Keywords: communication, contact, email, discussion boards,
groups.
Teacher Communication* - Specific statements regarding interchange of thoughts, opinions, or
information between the student and the instructor. Keywords: communication, contact, email,
discussion boards, groups, help.
Flexibility - An opinion of the adaptability to various aspects of student course
interaction. Keywords: schedule, own pace, freedom, own time.
*If communication is not specific, mark both student and teacher.
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