Student Modality Survey and Focus Groups

Status
In Progress
Start Term
Spring 2022
End Term
Fall 2022 (projected)
Project Leads
Interim Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness and Technology Solutions
Pillars of Success
Student Success
Project Purpose

M State has experienced increased enrollment in courses with an online component vs. traditional on-campus, in-person courses in recent years. This research project was identified to better understand student preferences and experiences in online and flexible modality courses.

 

The purpose of this project is to:  

  • Inform future modality offerings 
  • Determine technology requirements and resources needed for equal access to various modalities 
  • Identify ‘critical to quality’ (CTQ) elements for technology enabled modalities 
  • Analyze what students view as important, high-level elements of an online learning experience compared to levels of satisfaction to identify key areas to foster engagement in the virtual classroom. This includes items such as general interactions, orientation and working with peers. 
  • Understand what services students want available online and/or on-campus and at what times (e.g. advisors, financial aid, IT, faculty, counselors, social workers, etc.)
Deliverables
  • Create and deploy a student modality survey 
  • Conduct student focus groups 
  • Analyze results  
  • Report findings to leadership 
Project Scope
In Scope

Student experiences and expectations for online courses (all course content is online) and flexible modality courses (student can attend in-person or remotely, either on-campus or in a room on another campus).

Out of Scope

Student experiences and expectations for on-campus courses.

Effectiveness Measures
  • Enrollment in online and flexible modality courses 
  • Student surveys 
  • Faculty and staff feedback
Constraints

Bargaining unit contractual obligations

Financial Impact

The college must pivot to support faculty and students with online learning to maintain and grow enrollment as we transition to a ‘new normal’ of higher education after the impact of COVID-19. Results will inform IT spending on classroom technology.