National IT Survey Highlights Teaching and Learning Trends
Please complete the survey if you’re selected this year
Since 2006, EDUCAUSE, the professional association for IT in higher education, has conducted an annual survey of students about their technology usage and preferences and, beginning in 2014, a survey of faculty on similar topics. In 2023, nearly 2,000 students from across 10 U.S. institutions participated in the study.
With the exception of 2014, UMBC has participated every year in this ongoing research. The resulting longitudinal data have helped us benchmark trends, such as the increasing ubiquity of smart devices. These insights have, in turn, led to advancements, including the adoption of phone-based responseware.
As with previous administrations of these surveys, this year we will randomly select 25% of UMBC students and faculty to participate. If you are among those selected, you will receive an invitation later this week. Please complete the survey to help us better understand and support your needs. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us enhance technology services and support.
Reflecting on the insights gained from previous years’ participation, the results of the 2023 surveys offer valuable perspectives on student and faculty preferences.
The 2023 Student and Faculty surveys were deployed beginning last September. The results revealed student preference shifting toward online and hybrid instructional options. On a Likert scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree, 30% of respondents expressed a preference for online learning, 40% disagreed with this sentiment, and the remaining 30% were neutral. Furthermore, 88% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that students should have the autonomy to choose the instructional modality that best suits them.
Figure 1: Every student should be able to participate in course activities in whatever ways work best for them (Students)
Students often choose alternatives to traditional face-to-face instruction due to various external factors, such as family and work commitments or accessibility limitations with campus-based instruction. For these individuals, the absence of alternative formats can pose an insurmountable barrier to accessing higher education opportunities, both generally and, more specifically, at UMBC. Our faculty respondents acknowledge this individual preference for instructional format, with 76% identifying flexibility in teaching modality as either “Important” or “Very Important”.
Figure 2: How important is policy supporting flexibility in teaching modality? (Faculty)
Flexibility in instructional modality was also a principal theme highlighted by EDUCAUSE when providing their survey reflections and next steps.
Image by Freepik
]]>
Since 2006, EDUCAUSE, the professional association for IT in higher education, has conducted an annual survey of students about their technology usage and preferences and, beginning in 2014, a...
https://doit.umbc.edu/post/145116/
https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/145116/guest@my.umbc.edu/68a3d481b212ab759eb657f3dea35bd7/api/pixel
doit
ecar
educause
survey
Instructional Technology
https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/original.png?1446126703
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxlarge.png?1446126703
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xlarge.png?1446126703
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/large.png?1446126703
https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/medium.png?1446126703
https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/small.png?1446126703
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703
https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxsmall.png?1446126703
Instructional Technology
https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/145/116/5ecfe17c34d737ec6000dab0ecc1768b/xxlarge.jpg?1730125856
https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/145/116/5ecfe17c34d737ec6000dab0ecc1768b/xlarge.jpg?1730125856
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/145/116/5ecfe17c34d737ec6000dab0ecc1768b/large.jpg?1730125856
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/145/116/5ecfe17c34d737ec6000dab0ecc1768b/medium.jpg?1730125856
https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/145/116/5ecfe17c34d737ec6000dab0ecc1768b/small.jpg?1730125856
https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/145/116/5ecfe17c34d737ec6000dab0ecc1768b/xsmall.jpg?1730125856
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/145/116/5ecfe17c34d737ec6000dab0ecc1768b/xxsmall.jpg?1730125856
7
0
true
Mon, 28 Oct 2024 11:19:02 -0400
Mon, 28 Oct 2024 11:49:45 -0400
Panopto User Survey
Please complete 5 min. survey on lecture capture use
The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) is conducting a comprehensive examination of our institutionally-supported lecture capture platform, Panopto. This project involves analyzing current usage patterns and user satisfaction to provide insights into existing strengths and potential areas for improvement. To gather feedback, we are asking all faculty and staff with any experience using Panopto or any other video recording application to please take 5 minutes to complete the following anonymous survey.
Thank you very much for your time and participation! Your insights will help assist DoIT better understand lecture capture needs at UMBC and improve our support moving forward.
Connect with Instructional Technology
As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology at UMBC, please consider the following options:
]]>
The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) is conducting a comprehensive examination of our institutionally-supported lecture capture platform, Panopto. This project involves analyzing current...
https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology/posts/135651
https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/135651/guest@my.umbc.edu/76605c1a81e2a3b02a3620a3c481afa3/api/pixel
lecture-capture
panopto
survey
Instructional Technology
https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/original.png?1446126703
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxlarge.png?1446126703
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xlarge.png?1446126703
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/large.png?1446126703
https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/medium.png?1446126703
https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/small.png?1446126703
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703
https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxsmall.png?1446126703
Instructional Technology
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/135/651/c7f7eb51911f5479e9a64a2b1fe2a26b/xxlarge.jpg?1695314645
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/135/651/c7f7eb51911f5479e9a64a2b1fe2a26b/xlarge.jpg?1695314645
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/135/651/c7f7eb51911f5479e9a64a2b1fe2a26b/large.jpg?1695314645
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/135/651/c7f7eb51911f5479e9a64a2b1fe2a26b/medium.jpg?1695314645
https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/135/651/c7f7eb51911f5479e9a64a2b1fe2a26b/small.jpg?1695314645
https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/135/651/c7f7eb51911f5479e9a64a2b1fe2a26b/xsmall.jpg?1695314645
https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/135/651/c7f7eb51911f5479e9a64a2b1fe2a26b/xxsmall.jpg?1695314645
6
0
true
Thu, 21 Sep 2023 15:43:19 -0400
Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:56:13 -0400
Participate now: OER Course Marking Survey
Share course marking practices this MHEC survey
|
Dear OER Colleagues:
The Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) invites you to participate in a survey designed to assess the landscape of course marking of open educational resources (OER) in postsecondary institutions and systems in the United States. The survey is a collaborative effort of the National Consortium of Open Educational Resources (NCOER), a partnership of the four higher education regional compacts - MHEC, NEBHE, SREB, and WICHE - focused on increasing access, affordability, and equity of OER.
By completing the survey, you will be contributing knowledge about promising practices related to the collection, sharing, and analysis of course marking related to OER. These practices will help institutions and students.
|
|
The survey may take 15-20 minutes to complete fully, and a copy of the questions is available here.
Respondents to the survey can share their email addresses to receive a summary of the results. The survey will close at 11:59 pm MDT on Friday, June 16th. Please contact OER@mhec.org with any questions. |
|
|
|
]]>
Dear OER Colleagues: The Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) invites you to participate in a survey designed to assess the landscape of course marking of open educational resources (OER)...
https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/133429/guest@my.umbc.edu/22ecacd94621ca267edea0fb5decd21b/api/pixel
educational
mhec
oer
open
resources
survey
Open Educational Resources at UMBC
https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/oer
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/664/0e7fb0a3d658c358b4e5e9561f35099e/xsmall.png?1562590436
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/664/0e7fb0a3d658c358b4e5e9561f35099e/original.png?1562590436
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/664/0e7fb0a3d658c358b4e5e9561f35099e/xxlarge.png?1562590436
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/664/0e7fb0a3d658c358b4e5e9561f35099e/xlarge.png?1562590436
https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/664/0e7fb0a3d658c358b4e5e9561f35099e/large.png?1562590436
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/664/0e7fb0a3d658c358b4e5e9561f35099e/medium.png?1562590436
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/664/0e7fb0a3d658c358b4e5e9561f35099e/small.png?1562590436
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/664/0e7fb0a3d658c358b4e5e9561f35099e/xsmall.png?1562590436
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/664/0e7fb0a3d658c358b4e5e9561f35099e/xxsmall.png?1562590436
Open Educational Resources at UMBC
2
0
true
Thu, 11 May 2023 09:15:27 -0400
Faculty and student satisfaction with Ultra exceeds 85%
Consistent praise for Ultra's clean interface, ease of use
In a recent survey of faculty who used Ultra during the FA2022 semester, 86.5% of faculty who responded said they would use Ultra again, citing its ease of use and consistent experience for students.
"It's easier to use in general," said one instructor, "and I find that I can prep and roll out my course faster and faster each semester as I learn more and adapt to the tools." Another instructor noted, "I'm anxious for ALL classes to be on Ultra so students can have a more consistent experience."
Likewise, 87.45% students are also satisfied with Ultra, also noting ease of use as well as its clean interface and tools to track course progress. The response is consistent with previous student surveys (SP2021, FA2019).
Well organized Ultra courses were also praised by students. "Ultra shows all relevant content right away," said one student. "It's tuned for a better learning environment." Another student agreed, "It's my favorite course to log into because I love the interface."
For more information about Ultra, please visit umbc.edu/go/ultra.
As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology, please consider the following options:
~ by Mariann Hawken
More than 800 students from a nationally representative sample responded to the 2022 “Undergraduates and IT” survey, which was administered by the Educause Center for Applied Research (ECAR) in collaboration with Ipsos KnowledgePanel. UMBC has participated every year since 2006. ECAR data have been beneficial to inform decision making, particularly amidst the pandemic. Additionally, our involvement has provided critical insights for benchmarking trends such as the increasing ubiquity of smart devices, which has, in turn, allowed for advancements such as the adoption of phone-based responseware.
Interestingly, the ECAR findings echo those of DoIT’s spring 2022 faculty survey, which indicated a shift in pre/post-pandemic teaching preference away from traditional face-to-face models. Additionally, based on their experiences with online and blended courses, 72% of students indicated they were just as or more likely to take a course with a similar modality again in the future.
Technology limitations, including network reliability and device access were principal themes highlighted by EDUCAUSE for their national responses, as was a general shift in instructional modality preference away from mostly face-to-face.
The ECAR results show two thirds of UMBC respondents with adequate internet connectivity either always or very often, while 23% only had adequate access sometimes. The majority of users (86%) struggled at least occasionally to find an internet connection, and half of respondents indicated that at some point their primary device lost connectivity to the internet during class, an exam, or another synchronous activity. Student connectivity can also impact other related domains, such as academic integrity, accommodations, and testing, as highlighted by a recent faculty survey.
Only 1% of survey respondents did not own a computer. The primary device for two thirds of users was a laptop, while another 19% use a desktop. Although half of those surveyed indicated using a smartphone as their secondary device, none use one as their primary solution. Only one in five respondents indicated encountering difficulties running required software on their device due to compatibility, memory, or other issues. Notably, nearly half of the students self-resolved the IT difficulties they encountered with their own knowledge and personal troubleshooting abilities, which is almost twice the rate of our institutional peer group. This outcome may be attributable to UMBC’s use of on-demand support FAQs along with show-and-tell screencasting.
As in years past, a 25% sample of the university’s undergraduate student population was conducted, and the survey was deployed toward the end of the Spring 2022 term using direct messaging through myUMBC. Response rates were lower this year than in past deployments, perhaps indicating a general survey fatigue associated with pandemic-related data gathering. Nonetheless, response rates were sufficient for reliable and valid conclusions, while our data aligned with and generally reflect those of our peer institutions.
]]>
Based on a national survey of undergraduates and IT, 18% of UMBC respondents stated a preference for courses that are mostly to fully online (compared to 33% nationally). That preference for...
https://doit.umbc.edu/post/128337/
https://dev.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/128337/guest@my.umbc.edu/54c06a7757d1e5e0887df6f312894c1f/api/pixel
ecar
hybrid
online
penniston
survey
technology
trends
Instructional Technology
https://dev.my.umbc.edu/groups/instructional-technology
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/original.png?1446126703
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxlarge.png?1446126703
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xlarge.png?1446126703
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/large.png?1446126703
https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/medium.png?1446126703
https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/small.png?1446126703
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xsmall.png?1446126703
https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/001/164/dec3b026b81ee6d890a8f82f75c94a2e/xxsmall.png?1446126703
Instructional Technology
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/128/337/2b64e5de985c471408a38e9c3fdffbae/xxlarge.jpg?1665414579
https://assets1-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/128/337/2b64e5de985c471408a38e9c3fdffbae/xlarge.jpg?1665414579
https://assets4-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/128/337/2b64e5de985c471408a38e9c3fdffbae/large.jpg?1665414579
https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/128/337/2b64e5de985c471408a38e9c3fdffbae/medium.jpg?1665414579
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/128/337/2b64e5de985c471408a38e9c3fdffbae/small.jpg?1665414579
https://assets2-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/128/337/2b64e5de985c471408a38e9c3fdffbae/xsmall.jpg?1665414579
https://assets3-dev.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/128/337/2b64e5de985c471408a38e9c3fdffbae/xxsmall.jpg?1665414579
5
0
true
Thu, 13 Oct 2022 15:45:39 -0400
More UMBC students like Ultra and want Ultra courses
86% of UMBC students express satisfaction with Ultra
In a survey of 608 students taking Ultra courses during the SP2021 semester, 86% indicated satisfaction with Ultra, marking a 14% increase compared to the last survey in FA2019. Students again praised Ultra for its clean interface, modern feel, and easy access. When asked to compare Ultra to the Original Blackboard interface, 74% of students said they liked it, which is a 17% increase from FA2019. “Ultra makes everything really easy to find and use,” said one student. “It’s a major step up from the old Blackboard system.”
Figure 1: 86% of students said they were satisfied with Ultra courses.
Nearly 88% of SP2021 students agreed they could find Ultra tools on their own, a 14% increase compared to FA2019. These tools included assignments, tests, discussions, and group work. One student said, “The technology did not hinder [my] education.”
SP2021 students did observe more course organization in Ultra courses, recognizing many faculty efforts following training over the last year. “The way a course is organized is super important,” said one student. These observations are consistent with feedback from students taking PIVOT courses, which are praised for organization and clear information. Course evaluations and LMS interactions are also higher in courses where instructors have training and consistent structure.
However, as with our previous survey, students did observe challenges with Ultra courses. Some student satisfaction with finding actual course content and files remained relatively the same between FA2019 and SP2019 at less than one percent. “If there are a lot of files and content in each folder,” reported one student, “it takes longer to access and navigate.”
Over the last academic year, usage increased to more than forty percent of active Blackboard courses. More than 89% of faculty who responded to the SP2021 Ultra survey indicated they would use Ultra again, which was an increase of 21% from faculty who responded two years earlier. DoIT continues to monitor Ultra adoption through the 10th day of each new semester as well as Ultra feature development.
As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology, please consider the following options:
~ by Mariann Hawken
More than 70% of 606 student survey respondents who took a course that used Ultra during the FA2019 semester said they were satisfied with the experience. When asked, students described Ultra as easy to use and visually appealing. “It’s new and fun,” said one respondant. “I love the sleek format. Ultra is neat, colorful, and polished,” said another student. Many appreciate the aggregated calendar of due dates and seeing grades posted to their activity stream.
Ultra was initially piloted in SP2018 with four courses. Over the last 18 months, Ultra adoption has increased considerably, but student feedback was not recorded until a larger population of users was available in FA2019 to provide insight. Recent feedback from students is consistent with survey responses following the pilot and with feedback from faculty who have responded to surveys in SP2019 and FA2019.
Figure 1. Student satisfaction with Ultra
Both faculty and students like Ultra for its interface and usability. Faculty find the streamlined tools easier to use in a clean and modern interface. Students generally like the look of Ultra and the ease of finding instructional materials, especially in a well-designed and organized course. About 79% of students were able to find course content and files, and more than 82% said their courses flowed in a logical way.
About 61% of students who completed the survey said they wished more of their courses were using Ultra, citing the flexible environment and convenient structure brought by the redesigned infrastructure. These students may be happy to hear that more than 80% of faculty who have used Ultra over the past year indicated they might or would use Ultra again for their courses.
Despite this insight, qualitative feedback from student surveys suggests a challenging paradox for faculty. Wherever students were concerned about potential lag when opening folders or perpetual scrolling, they generally observed it was due to poor course organization and excessive file load or links in the course. Students who enjoyed opening several folders on the page at one time said consistent course design helped identify where content was located.
In observing how Ultra courses were organized, students wondered if faculty had access to or participated in sufficient training and support for Ultra. Poor organization in a course “makes the exchange of information more difficult,” said one student. DoIT offers multiple training options to faculty who are teaching with or preparing to use Ultra -- boot camps, webinars, customized department workshops, and more. More than 52% of faculty, however, prefer to teach themselves, and more than 47% request support via RT.
Figure 2. Faculty preference for training (purple) compared to preference for support (orange). Click to enlarge.
While FAQs and videos offer the “button-ology” of how an application works, facilitated training (in person and virtual) provided by instructional technology staff includes both technical and pedagogical perspectives to ensure faculty have essential information about how Ultra works and what best practices may optimize a course design.
As DoIT extends its support model for Ultra into SP2021, its instructional technology staff will continue to offer many of these resources while also introducing new options including 30-minute Coffee Break webinars, half-day boot camps on Ultra and supporting technologies, and more self-paced resources focused on best practices. The FA2029 end of semester sprint, an exciting and popular support model, will be repeated at the beginning of SP2020.
The FA2019 surveys provided reasonable and justified criticisms of Ultra, which DoIT has provided to Blackboard and the Ultra developers. Groups, gradebook, and tests are our top priorities for continued enhancement. In an ongoing effort to maintain transparency and momentum for innovation, UMBC has accepted Blackboard’s offer to meet quarterly with Ultra product managers, and continues to meet monthly with Ultra designers and weekly with other Ultra early adopters. Such communication is critical to ensuring Ultra meets the needs of UMBC faculty and students.
As always, if you have any questions, please consider the following options:
