Name:       Ron Dreiling
Email:      ron.dreiling@canyons.edu
Phone:      3068
Department: English
Class:      Full-Time
Students:   30 (15 in each class)

ResearchQuestion:

I wanted to examine whether or not the use of online surveys used to improve student comprehension of major course assignments would result in an improved learning experience, primarily brought about by a more complete grasp of the various components of major assignment instructions.

Summary:

In my English 91 PACE class and my English 102 PACE class I proceeded through the first half of the semester by assignment major assignments (anything equal to or more than 10% of the semester grade) according to my traditional practices.  At the midpoint, I created a 13 to 15 question survey for each class.  The survey included questions specific to the major assignments and student satisfaction with the clarity of the instructions I provided.  One final question asked students to respond to an overall satisfaction with assignment instructions thus far.  This data became my benchmark data for the information I collected in the second half of the semester.

I created the surveys using SurveyMonkey, a premier online survey making tool (20 dollars per month fee).  Students were given in-class lab time to complete the surveys, which were always completely anonymous.  

Upon the beginning of the second half of the semester, I began collecting new data to be used to compare to that which I collected over the first half of the semester.  

A few days after each major assignment was assigned, students were required to complete a survey that forced them to refer to the assignment instructions in order to successfully answer the survey questions.  This activity, I assumed, would generate improved understanding of the vital components of the major assignments.  Students completed four 10 or more question surveys prior to the culminating end of the semester survey, which, similar to the mid-semester survey, included questions specific to the major assignments and student satisfaction with the clarity of the instructions I provided.  One final question asked students to respond to an overall satisfaction with assignment instructions during the second half of the semester.  

Modifications:

My original proposal was modified as per the IT&L committee’s request.  Rather than compare English 91 to 102, I compared the first half of each semester of each class to the second half of each semester of each class.  This alteration no doubt provided a superior benchmark.

Learn:

The data from my English 91 class shows that by completing surveys that reinforced the comprehension of assignment details, students improved their understanding of these assignments.  The data also shows an improved sense of overall satisfaction with assignment instructions and clarity.

In the first half of the semester survey, students were asked to respond to the following question:  

"The direction for the major assignments so far this semester have provided  me with a clear understanding of what I needed to do and when."

Their replies are represented in the figures below:

38.5% Strongly agree
53.8% Agree
7.7 Disagree

In the second half of the semester survey, students responded to the same prompt thusly:

42.9% Strongly agree
57/1% Agree
0.0 Disagree

The data from my end of the semester survey English 102 class shows students did not generate an improved sense of clarity of major assignment instructions from completing the surveys during the semester.  Student satisfaction was quite high in the first half of the semester (71.4% Strongly agree/28.6% Agree/0.0 Disagree).  The numbers at the end of the semester are nearly identical to these.  I now believe that students who have reached the English 102 level do not benefit from the repetition and additional instruction (via the surveys) that developmental students such as those at the English 91 level do.