Graduate Student Graduate Student Satisfaction with an Satisfaction with an

Online Discrete Online Discrete Mathematics CourseMathematics Course

Amber Settle, CTI, DePaul Amber Settle, CTI, DePaul UniversityUniversity

joint work with Chad Settle, University joint work with Chad Settle, University of Tulsaof Tulsa

CCSC:MWCCSC:MWSeptember 24, 2005September 24, 2005

Satisfaction with distance Satisfaction with distance learninglearning

Distance learning is popular with CTI studentsDistance learning is popular with CTI students There are 8 M.S. and 1 M.A. degree online (from 10 There are 8 M.S. and 1 M.A. degree online (from 10

M.S., 1 M.A., and multiple joint degrees)M.S., 1 M.A., and multiple joint degrees) Distance learning students are 21% of the student Distance learning students are 21% of the student

populationpopulation It has been asserted that while outcomes are It has been asserted that while outcomes are

similar in DL and traditional classes, DL similar in DL and traditional classes, DL classes are less satisfying to students (Carr classes are less satisfying to students (Carr 2000)2000)

Is DL less satisfying for CTI students? If so, Is DL less satisfying for CTI students? If so, how?how?

The test caseThe test case The courseThe course

CSC 415: Foundations of Computer ScienceCSC 415: Foundations of Computer Science Discrete mathematics including propositional and Discrete mathematics including propositional and

predicate logic, proofs by induction, basic predicate logic, proofs by induction, basic algorithms, asymptotic analysis, recurrence algorithms, asymptotic analysis, recurrence relations, graph theoryrelations, graph theory

9 sections between Fall 2001 and Fall 20039 sections between Fall 2001 and Fall 2003 The formatThe format

Traditional (3 sections)Traditional (3 sections) Sibling DLSibling DL: Runs parallel to a traditional class; : Runs parallel to a traditional class;

entire classroom interaction is recorded entire classroom interaction is recorded automatically (2 sections)automatically (2 sections)

Pre-recorded DLPre-recorded DL: High production quality : High production quality independent of any live class; broken into five independent of any live class; broken into five modules (4 sections)modules (4 sections)

Course evaluationsCourse evaluations Conducted every quarter for every CTI courseConducted every quarter for every CTI course

Mandatory for all studentsMandatory for all students Online using secure login; anonymousOnline using secure login; anonymous Completed during the 8Completed during the 8thth and 9 and 9thth week of 10 week week of 10 week

quarterquarter Results are withheld from instructor until grades are Results are withheld from instructor until grades are

submitted; results are then published on the CTI web submitted; results are then published on the CTI web sitesite

Consists of 22 multiple choice questionsConsists of 22 multiple choice questions 10 questions about course-related factors; 12 10 questions about course-related factors; 12

questions about instructor-related factorsquestions about instructor-related factors Ratings on a scale from 0 to 10; a higher number Ratings on a scale from 0 to 10; a higher number

indicates greater satisfaction; 0 indicates the question indicates greater satisfaction; 0 indicates the question is not applicableis not applicable

Statistical analysisStatistical analysis Ordinary least squares regression: Ordinary least squares regression:

XX2i2i = 0 for traditional, X = 0 for traditional, X2i2i = 1 for DL = 1 for DL

If If 22 is statistically different from 0, it indicates a is statistically different from 0, it indicates a difference in how DL students view the course vs difference in how DL students view the course vs traditional studentstraditional students

Total of 100 data pointsTotal of 100 data points 80 traditional students80 traditional students 20 pre-recorded DL students20 pre-recorded DL students Scores of 0 (not applicable) were dropped from each Scores of 0 (not applicable) were dropped from each

questionquestion

QQii = = 00 + + 11 X X1i1i + + 22XX2i2i + u + uii

Question iConstant Time DL Error

Course-related questionsCourse-related questions1.1. Was this course well organized?Was this course well organized?2.2. Do you feel the course objectives were Do you feel the course objectives were

accomplished?accomplished?3.3. The amount of work you performed outside of The amount of work you performed outside of

this course was:this course was:4.4. How difficult was this course material?How difficult was this course material?5.5. The textbook for this course was:The textbook for this course was:6.6. Supplementary reading for this course was:Supplementary reading for this course was:7.7. The assignments for this course were:The assignments for this course were:8.8. What is your overall estimate of this course?What is your overall estimate of this course?9.9. How valuable was this course in terms in your How valuable was this course in terms in your

technical development?technical development?10.10. Would you recommend this course to another Would you recommend this course to another

student?student?

Course-related resultsCourse-related resultsQuestion Time DL Question Time DL

Q-CR1 -0.164**(0.075)

0.200(0.393)

Q-CR6 0.046(0.164)

0.302(0.910)

Q-CR2 -0.120(0.079)

-0.023(0.416)

Q-CR7 -0.071(0.101)

0.237(0.533)

Q-CR3 0.064(0.086)

0.221(0.460)

Q-CR8 -0.179**(0.089)

0.594(0.467)

Q-CR4 0.305***(0.102)

-0.549(0.530)

Q-CR9 -0.199*(0.110)

0.620(0.573)

Q-CR5 0.185(0.144)

-0.261(0.758)

Q-CR10 -0.202**(0.092)

0.067(0.486)

Coefficient estimates are presented with standard errors in parentheses.*Statistically significant at the 10% level of a two-tailed test.**Statistically significant at the 5% level on a two-tailed test.***Statistically significant at the 1% level of a two-tailed test.

Instructor-related Instructor-related questionsquestions

1.1. How would you characterize the How would you characterize the instructor’s knowledge of this subject?instructor’s knowledge of this subject?

2.2. How would you characterize the How would you characterize the instructor’s ability to present and explain instructor’s ability to present and explain the material?the material?

3.3. Does the instructor motivate student Does the instructor motivate student interest in the subject?interest in the subject?

4.4. How well does the instructor relate the How well does the instructor relate the course material to other fields?course material to other fields?

5.5. Did the instructor encourage participation Did the instructor encourage participation from the students?from the students?

6.6. Was the instructor accessible outside of Was the instructor accessible outside of class?class?

Instructor-related Instructor-related questionsquestions

continuedcontinued7.7. What was the instructor’s attitude? How did What was the instructor’s attitude? How did

he/she deal with you?he/she deal with you?8.8. How well did the instructor conduct, plan, and How well did the instructor conduct, plan, and

organize classes?organize classes?9.9. Were the instructor’s teaching methods Were the instructor’s teaching methods

effective?effective?10.10. How fair was the grading of the homework and How fair was the grading of the homework and

exams of this course?exams of this course?11.11. Would you take this instructor for another Would you take this instructor for another

course?course?12.12. Rate the teaching effectiveness of this instructor Rate the teaching effectiveness of this instructor

as compared to other faculty in the department.as compared to other faculty in the department.

Instructor-related resultsInstructor-related resultsQuestion Time DL Question Time DL

Q-IR1 -0.010(0.072)

0.065(0.379)

Q-IR7 -0.115(0.084)

0.013(0.437)

Q-IR2 -0.069(0.069)

-0.029(0.360)

Q-IR8 -0.110(0.084)

0.042(0.442)

Q-IR3 -0.194**(0.083)

-0.016(0.437)

Q-IR9 -0.181**(0.088)

0.570(0.454)

Q-IR4 -0.189*(0.098)

0.043(0.515)

Q-IR10 0.010(0.087)

0.304(0.451)

Q-IR5 -0.267**(0.102)

0.481(0.654)

Q-IR11 -0.096(0.089)

0.411(0.461)

Q-IR6 -0.053(0.090)

-0.183(0.468)

Q-IR12 -0.114(0.082)

0.268(0.443)

Coefficient estimates are presented with standard errors in parentheses.*Statistically significant at the 10% level on a two-tailed test. **Statistically significant at the 5% level on a two-tailed test.

Summary of resultsSummary of results Similarities in evaluations: Overall scoresSimilarities in evaluations: Overall scores

None of the coefficients for instructor-related None of the coefficients for instructor-related or course-related questions were significantly or course-related questions were significantly different from 0 for DL sectionsdifferent from 0 for DL sections

Differences in evaluations: Not applicable Differences in evaluations: Not applicable response rateresponse rate Q-IR5 (Encourage participation)Q-IR5 (Encourage participation)

DL: 60%DL: 60% Traditional: 6%Traditional: 6%

Q-IR12 (Teaching effectiveness)Q-IR12 (Teaching effectiveness) DL: 15%DL: 15% Traditional: 2.5%Traditional: 2.5%

Conclusions and future Conclusions and future workwork

Potential explanations for resultsPotential explanations for results Pre-recorded DL is better organized which Pre-recorded DL is better organized which

compensates for the lack of interaction (Swan compensates for the lack of interaction (Swan 2001)2001)

DL students are not watching the recordingsDL students are not watching the recordings Small DL sample sizeSmall DL sample size

Second study with Java I and II coursesSecond study with Java I and II courses Larger data setLarger data set Course-related differences: DL students feel the Course-related differences: DL students feel the

class is less organized and that course class is less organized and that course objectives were not accomplished as wellobjectives were not accomplished as well

Instructor-related differences: Nine out of Instructor-related differences: Nine out of twelve questions were statistically different from twelve questions were statistically different from zero for DL studentszero for DL students

BackBack