A 10-question survey was made available online during the seventh week of the semester.  Student responses were submitted to the course instructor anonymously.  Responses to significant student concerns are shown [in red bracketed text].

• I like the fact the class can be done when it is convenient for the student.
• Ability to access everything online at my convenience.
• The information that I have learned already!!
• The structure. Students have set deadlines and know what to expect with each assignment.
• I love the communication in the discussion forum.
• You have made this course VERY easy to navigate and to hopefully get the job done.  I actually look forward to running down to Media Resources AFTER my class on Tues. and jumping on the discussion board to input my questions and comment on others' responses.
• The open forum discussions.
• I like some of the discussions the class has had.  It is always interesting to hear other peoples opinions.
• The enthusiasm of the instructor.
• That every topic is very interesting.

• Nothing as of yet; you make it all pretty self-explanatory.
• Sometimes the convenience of the class schedule works against the student. Student-led discussions may not get the best responses if the discussion is not done before other students' discussions.
• Some of the reports are very long.  [Two papers of 2000 words each isn't really that much for a 400-level, 4-credit hour course.]
• I least like how we are graded.
• I feel that I need to reply to someone everyday, a lot of pressure.  By taking other courses on campus and family I have really found it difficult to log on everyday and participate in a discussion.  [You certainly don't need to login every single day, but for a 4-credit hour course, I expect you will be spending 10-12 hours per week on the course (remember, no lectures in this online class); this time translates into significant participation in the discussion multiple times each week.]
• Nothing.
• I have to rely so much on other students.
• Responding to posting of three other people in the class.
• The expectations required for posting so many times and in so many different places, it makes it a bit hard to keep track.
• N/A

• Nothing that I can think of
• Not having to be online every single day to get a good grade.  [See my second comment for question #2, above.]
• Nothing that I can think of.
• Nothing.
• I like the class the way it is set up.  However, a suggestion might be to have an instructor-led discussion once in awhile.
• Possibly pairing respondents into groups of four to guarantee response.
• I have no idea due to the limited capabilities of blackboard. It is just very difficult to reply to posts when there are over 100 new posts a day to sift through. Even if I log on every day - I can't keep up and I really do want to read each one because I find them interesting and informational.
• I think the class is very good the way it is now.

• No, but thank you for asking; I remember when I took my first, and second on-line course; I really had a hard time.
• NO
• I can only access the class at work due to my computer being down at home.
• Dial-up Internet connection tends to keep me online longer than I would like.
• Sometimes my computer operates slow and I have more than enough memory.
• No.
• NO.
• Not with this class. I find Blackboard to be annoying in general, for instance I have a class on my main course menu that I took 2 semesters ago, the teacher has since moved on and no one seems to be able to know how to remove it. I've contacted OTEL and they took no responsibility, I guess the teacher is the only one able to do that and she's gone.
• The only difficulty am having is that I have to manage better my time to post my discussions.

• Yes. There is a lot of information. It is very well-organized.
• Actually this class is exceeding my expectations not only in valuable and relevant content, but also the structure of the class. So far, my objectives have been met.
• Yes!!
• More busy work than I expected. I have learned more about the internet though.  [I'm sorry that you feel that there is "busy work" in this class; anything specific?]
• Definitely; I'm learning way more than I can even begin to retain; I'm even sharing it with others (my kids) on stuff like the downloading music articles.
• Yes
• Yes, I think this class is very informative.
• Yes.
• Definitely. I've learned so much about the internet and the information I receive  - something that I take for granted.
• I think that I am learning more than what I expected.

• The topics are interesting and the instructor is very knowledgeable on the subject matter.
• The Instructor is great and very knowledgeable.
• Yes, I have really enjoyed everything I have learned so far regarding the internet.  The instructor is very knowledgeable of the subject matter as he constantly is providing information that pertains to our discussions
• Not only are the topics interesting, but they are timely and relevant. Yes, the instructor is knowledgeable in the subject matter adding to the weekly discussions.
• VERY; I didn't know any of this stuff before I got into this class; I mean, you hear bits and pieces, but never put it all together like you have here.
• Yes to both questions.  The topics we cover are interesting and helpful.  The instructor is very knowledgeable in the subject matter.  The articles he sends us to read are always very interesting and he seems to have a lot of experience using Computers and the Internet.
• Very much so.
• The topics are awesome and something I would never have explored on my own.
• Yes very interesting topics. And yes, he knows about the matter, he always has a website so show examples about the questions.

• The student discussions is a very difficult way in my opinion to assess things. Although the class is built to allow convenience of scheduling, the student discussions puts an emphasis on being the first to be on the board with a post to ensure a better chance of having a successful discussion that is not rehashing someone else's discussion.  [You certainly don't have to be the first person to post each week; there are a huge number of good topics for you to select as your discussion question each week, and you only need to participate in three other students' discussions.  However, you do need to post your discussion question early in the week, in order for other students to have time to answer it.]
• VERY; I enjoy hearing others opinions; besides that's how I learn; I really enjoy the blackboard -- some other classmates and myself even ask another teacher to get on blackboard so we could communicate with one another between classes to discuss our project, and it's working great!!!
• Some interactions add to the learning experience but others are too touchy feely. Many students also repeat what others have said since they have not kept up with the discussions on the discussion board.
• The student led discussions "force" students to moderate their own and participate in others' threaded discussions. BlackBoard is a valuable tool for online classes. All communication, assignments, etc. are easily accessible via BlackBoard.
• Most topics are of interest especially the information on email and spam.  Yes I think the inspector [instructor] is knowledgeable in the subject matter.
• Yes, somewhat.  I feel that when I go to reply to someone's discussion it has already been said.  I feel that we say the same thing over and over just in a different way.  I have really enjoyed blackboard.
• Yes to all of the above questions.
• Some of the student-led discussions are helpful.  The Blackboard is a good tool - it is very easy to use.
• Yes, I have learned more than I thought I would already and this is just half way through the semester.
• Yes and no, at times they are a bit overwhelming. I don't feel that it is necessary for some students to respond to each and every other persons post. "Clutter" comes to mind, but I've had at least one student like this in all of my online courses so...
• Yes, it is not the first time I take an online class, but it is the first time I have student-led-discussions. I enjoy that.

• Yes.
• DEFINITELY; personally, I don't know how you even have the time to read and comment on everyone's comments; AND then, post additional material for us to use as well.
• Definitely!  Especially compared to my last semester's online instructor.  It seem to take her forever to reply, where as Burks replies immediately as it is very much appreciated.
• Yes, more so than in a traditional classroom setting.
• yes, the instructor response is great.
• Plenty of feedback.
• Yes, he always answers any questions I have and is always available if I have a question.
• Yes.
• Yes.
• Yes, every question I had, he answered me right away.

• Yes.
• Yes, instant feedback as if you were in class asking a question.
• YES, I think so; I'm comfortable with it.
• Sometimes the teacher responds to questions before the students get a chance to, leaving it harder to participate in discussions.  [Good point!  I'll try not to jump in first, and let others participate before I post anything.]
• Yes - very interactive.
• Yes, I think so.
• Yes, I think he is an excellent instructor.
• Yes.
• Definitely, much more than other online courses.
• Yes.

• Not really; but thanks for your concern
• No comments at this time, I am enjoying the class.
• NO.
• I am really enjoying this class.
• I do not understand the point of having other students be documented in a paper about myself.  [In an online class, students often feel isolated - they comment that they don't have others to "brainstorm" ideas for their papers, like they do in an on-campus class; so this approach is my way of dealing with this issue.]

Last Updated 6 October 2004 by Burks Oakley II (oakley@uis.edu)
Copyright © 2004 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois