This week, we launched a “pulse” survey to see how students are feeling about their UWM experiences in this new reality. We have only been collecting responses for a little more than a day, but some trends do seem to be emerging that are worth sharing. We can report more completely on the results in the near future. We are also using the results to follow up individually with students who are particularly struggling.

As one part of the survey, we asked students to rate their experiences with Academic Coursework, Campus Resources (campus offices and services), and Campus Communications (quality and timeliness of information). As you can see below, there is a distribution in the responses, with a bit of a spike in “poor” experience for Academic Coursework.

Students were also invited to comment on the scores they provided, and our preliminary digging into the data suggests what we already knew: Our students are patient, kind people with a lot of nice things to say. The highly negative comments we’ve received are mostly expressing frustration about the larger situation, and some students took the time to post some very nice comments:

Appreciation for instructors who are using tech well

  • “I think that in the future all courses should record and upload class videos in the future for students to look back on and access (for those enrolled with that class). It’s been tremendously helpful to be able to rewind back on lectures and labs so that I don’t miss anything.”
  • “Some of my professors aren’t putting much, if any, effort into the content they post for online classes. One professor, Odai Khasawneh, has done an amazing job with both the quality of the content posted – You Tube videos and notes – and making himself available to his students.”
  • “The transition to online learning for my classes has gone very well. I miss having in person classes but am appreciating being able to re-watch the videos my professors post! My professors have been very helpful, kind, and understanding during the entire process.”

 

Appreciation for instructors trying their best

  • “I truly believe that my instructors are wholeheartedly doing the best that they can and I appreciate their efforts in these unprecedented times. It’s naturally more difficult to stay engaged and motivated with online coursework.”
  • “I’ve been doing good with my coursework. My lectures haven’t been affected too much because they can be recorded and posted online. All of my teachers have been trying their best to help us learn.”

 

One key pattern that has emerged, however, is the perception among students that their workload has increased:

  • “Honestly, I feel a bit overwhelmed with the amount of work I have everyday. I know we have to compensate for the missed class times as well, but it it just a LOT to comprehend while sitting at a desk for hours.”
  • “Some of my professors have given me way too much class work and doubled our course load which has not been great.”

In “Online Workload,” we suggest some approaches for evaluating the workload instructors are providing to students.