The January survey asked students about the workload they expected in their hybrid/online course as compared to a similar face-to-face (F2F) course, and the amount of work they expected to do outside of class. The survey also asked students to anticipate whether or not they thought they would learn as much in the hybrid course, gauge whether they thought they would sufficiently interact with the instructor of the course, predict whether they would feel comfortable with the technological components of the course, and assess their ability to find technical support for their hybrid course. Additionally, the January survey asked students to identify specific worries they had about taking a hybrid course.
The May survey followed up on these questions to assess if expectations were met and to evaluate students’ experiences in their hybrid course. The May survey also inquired about drawbacks to the hybrid/online course; these questions mirrored the questions about student worries on the January survey. Additionally, the May survey asked students whether or not they felt they had done better or worse in the hybrid course as compared to their possible performance in a similar face-to-face course.
1. Workload Expectations and Experiences
Prior to taking the hybrid course, over half of the students who responded to the survey felt that the workload would be similar to a comparable face-to-face course and 38% of students felt that the hybrid course would entail more work. Additionally, prior to taking the course, over half of students felt the hybrid would require more outside-of-class work and 38% of students expected the hybrid course would require the same amount of outside-of-class work. Only 9% of students felt the hybrid class would be less work and 10% expected the hybrid course to require less outside-of-class work.
After taking the hybrid course, more than half of the students surveyed reported that the assignments in their hybrid course were similar in difficulty to assignments they might encounter in a comparable face-to-face course; one fourth of students felt that the hybrid course assignments were more difficult. 47% of students felt that the homework or outside-of-class work was similar to what they would expect from a comparable F2F course. However, 46% of students felt the hybrid course required more outside-of-class work; only 7% of students felt the hybrid class required less work.
2. Learning, Faculty Contact, and Support: Expectations and Experiences
January survey results indicate that prior to taking a hybrid course:
- 55% students felt they would learn as much in the hybrid course as compared to a similar face-to-face course,
- 58% of students felt they would be able to interact with the instructor sufficiently,
- 71% of students felt comfortable with the technology requirements of the course, and
- 29% of students reported that they did not know where to find technical support on campus.
May survey results revealed that after taking a hybrid course:
- 51% of students in hybrid courses reported that they felt they learned as much in their hybrid course (as compared to a similar face-to-face course),
- 55% of students felt that they sufficiently interacted with the instructor of the course,
- 74% of students reported feeling comfortable with the required technology, and
- Only 9% of students reported that they still did not know where to access technical support for help with their hybrid course.
Table 1. Course Expectations and Experiences for a Hybrid Course
| January | May | |||
| Question | Agree | Disagree | Agree | Disagree |
| I (will learn/learned) as much in my hybrid class as in a face-to-face course | 55% | 17% | 51% | 22% |
| I (will be able to interact/interacted) sufficiently with my instructor in my hybrid course | 58% | 20% | 55% | 22% |
| I (will be comfortable/was comfortable) with the technologies in my hybrid course | 71% | 11% | 74% | 7% |
| I (will be able to/was able) to find technical support on campus for my hybrid/online course | 48% | 29% | 44% | 9% |
The drop in percentages in certain categories between January and May might signal student dissatisfaction specifically related to learning and instructor interaction. However, it is important to note that students were only asked to indicate their expectations and satisfaction with their hybrid/online course and were not asked to indicate the specific course they took. Therefore, we know neither the specific courses students are reporting about nor the course structure. It is possible that specific courses may have been more successfully transitioned into the hybrid/online mode; courses that were not as effective in the hybrid/online format could have driven the slight changes in percentages. In the future, the CTL would be happy to support individual course instructors and work with departments to help design surveys that collect more course-specific data.
Moreover, it is also important to note that a majority of students agreed that they learned as much in their hybrid/online class, were able to interact with the instructor sufficiently, and were comfortable with the technological requirements of their hybrid/online course. These results appear promising as Baruch College continues to create more hybrid/online courses throughout all schools and departments. Moving forward, various changes can be made to increase student satisfaction, including making improvements to structural conditions within the college and focusing on pedagogical aspects of hybrid/online learning.
3. Student Concerns About Hybrid/Online Courses
Although students who took the January survey reported some anxieties about time and technology, the May survey results suggested that many of these worries did not persist. This drop could be attributed to the differences between assumptions and experience, and the emotional perspective of facing a new semester with an unknown course platform at the outset of the semester versus the relief in May of having the semester completed. Ultimately these data suggest that students who responded to the surveys experienced less stress in their hybrid/online courses than they had anticipated.
The following bullet points detail the survey data for these questions.
- In January, 45% of students worried that their hybrid/online course would take too much time;
- In May, only 31% of students felt that the time the hybrid/online course took was a drawback.
- In January, 23% of students reported being worried about struggling with the technology;
- In May, only 11% of students actually felt that the technology requirements were a drawback.
About one-third of students were worried about being able to effectively network with their peers, and after taking the hybrid/online course 30% still reported this as a concern. In January a majority of students were worried about having to learn course material on their own. In May 47% of students reported that they felt this way after taking the hybrid course, indicating that a significant portion of students in a hybrid/online course experienced this issue. Additionally, it seems that a significant portion of students (30%) remained concerned about networking with their peers. Each of these data points can inform future CTL faculty development and collaborations with other units at the college whose participation is crucial for the effective delivery of online and hybrid courses.
Overall, student responses suggest that hybrid/online courses are effectively meeting their expectations. The May survey indicated that of the students who work, 56% felt that their performance in the hybrid/online course was comparable to what it may have been a similar face-to-face course and 26% of students felt they performed better in the hybrid/online course. Additionally, of the 361 students who responded, 74% indicated that they would take another hybrid/online class.
Next section: Faculty Survey Findings