Student Satisfaction or Learning, What Matters Most?

Online instructors know that one of the important factors for determining their performance, and possibly future course offerings, are the results of the end-of-course evaluations that are completed by students. The focus of those evaluations, whether intentionally stated or not, involves how satisfied the students were with the course, materials, instructor, and other similar criteria. Instructors also know that the response rate for these surveys is typically a small percentage of the class and more importantly, it is often an emotional reaction that usually dictates a majority of student responses.

This aspect of online teaching can be frustrating for instructors when they are evaluated from a perceptual perspective and they are not allowed to challenge or question what was written or how they were assessed. While these evaluations certainly have merit, and they can help to bring to light performance issues that need immediate attention, it can be easy for an instructor to begin to care more about how good their students feel and being lenient with them, rather than maintain high academic standards and a focus on the learning process. Every instructor has a choice to make; work to create an engaging classroom environment that promotes learning or focus on improving overall student satisfaction and evaluation results.

What is Student Satisfaction?

The inherent challenge with student surveys is the rating system that most online schools use, consisting of a scale that typically has degrees of agreement or disagreement based upon particular statements, along with a neutral option in the middle of the scale. Students respond to those choices based upon what they feel and how strongly they feel about each statement. Rarely does a form explain the differences between the numbers. For example, what is the difference between a 4 and a 5 rating? A negative experience or interaction with their instructor can then influence all of the statements that students are asked to assess. Regardless of the measurement tool used, along with its potential to be effective or ineffective, at the heart of student satisfaction is a relationship, between students and their instructors.

What students want to feel is that they are valued and experience a sense of appreciation. What they expect of their instructor, the class, and the potential outcome of their involvement in class is something different - and it may or may not be realistic. If the instructor has established a productive working relationship with students they can help them adjust their expectations and connect with the class in a meaningful manner. If there are issues or challenges faced by a student they will be better equipped to address them with support from their instructor. I do not believe that most students would be able to clearly articulate what they need in order to feel satisfied, which means their ability to accurately assess the instructor's role is limited. What I've found is that if students experience some measure of success or that they have accomplished some aspect of the class successfully, they will in turn have a satisfactory feeling overall.

The Complex Nature of Learning

The essence of learning itself is a complex process and one that is individually based. Instructors can provide helpful resources, require students to participate in a discussion, and create optimal class conditions, and it is still possible that students will not have learned anything. If students are to learn they must do something with the information that is received in class, whether from the assigned textbook, resources, lectures, discussions, or other sources provided. When that information is received through the senses it enters short-term memory, which has a limited amount of space and does not hold information for very long. Working memory is the function within short-term memory that sorts or processes the information, making quick or split-second decisions about retaining or discarding it.

Only when information is stored in long-term memory through an organized structure does it become knowledge that can later be recalled or modified. This complex sequence requires active learning techniques and a disposition within the students of being willing to put in the effort necessary to learn. Learning also requires change of different types, from changing how to think, changing habits and behaviors, or changing what they currently know about a subject. This is not always an easy process for students and until they discover the value of learning they may have a feeling of dissatisfaction. They need to devote their focus and attention to this process, and as educators know the attention span for many students is limited.

Do Students Have Choices?

When students are assigned to a class and an instructor it is assumed that they will follow the guidelines and instructions, and they will work towards meeting the instructor's expectations. This can establish a mindset that the instructor is in complete control of the class, dictates the conditions established, and students must strive to reach peak performance - and instructors are to a certain point. What matters most is that instructors create an environment that is student-centered, with student developmental needs as the focus of their time and attention. Not every student is going to perform at the same level even if they all have a capacity to do so. This can be a source of frustration for students and create a feeling of dissatisfaction if they believe they have worked to the best of their abilities and yet they experience a constant sense of pushback from their instructor. Every students makes a decision about their level of involvement, engagement, and participation in the class - whether or not the instructor believes they have a right to have those choices to make. Their source of motivation will also determine how satisfied they are with the class, depending upon whether or not they experienced what they sought to stay motivated.

How to Improve Student Satisfaction

As an instructor, trying to determine if your students are satisfied at all times and how to keep them in a satisfied state can be a seemingly daunting task and in reality that is the wrong approach to take for an instructional strategy. In other words, how would you determine what is acceptable for your class; 100% of students are highly satisfied 100% of the time or 75% of the students are satisfied 90% of the time? A better approach would be to conduct an assessment of the course as a starting point, if it is determined that students are experiencing some form of dissatisfaction. For example, does the textbook or course materials provide theory or concepts without relevant context and real world examples? Do students dislike the learning activities?

Another important assessment that needs to be an ongoing process for every instructor is self-reflection that is meant to examine your teaching methods and instructional practices. A helpful resource to use are the results of classroom audits and reviews. When the results of these audits or reviews are received that can serve as another source of essential feedback as someone who is qualified to assess your performance will offer insight to help you maintain or improve your teaching practice. If you maintain a concern about the effectiveness of the resources, tools, and strategies used - you are working towards creating a positive experience for your students.

End-of-Course Evaluations

Whether instructors like it or not, the evaluations used at the end of a course are a common practice among online schools. I know of many educators who live in fear of the evaluation results as they believe their future course offerings may be in jeopardy if a negative outcome is received. I know this practice is in use to some extent with an online school I once taught for as the evaluations were established with a rating scale of 1-5, with a 5 indicating the best possible score and outcome. Each term the evaluations were calculated and the final average documented as a teaching measure. An instructor was expected to maintain a 4.5 average at all times and should the score fall below that measure the instructor had to write a lengthy personal development plan. The result is that many instructors let poor student performance go unchecked because they did not want to upset any of the students.

I also know of some instructors who simply do not read the evaluation results, especially those who believe their teaching methods are not in question. From my experience every instructor should review what students have submitted and written to determine what can be learned from it. While negative statements may seem upsetting, try to consider the student's perspective and determine the source of their dissatisfaction. If you are focused on the well-being of your students you should find many positive statements and that will reaffirm your strengths and what is working well for your instructional methods.

Student Satisfaction or Learning?

An instructor is never going to have a class with students who are all satisfied with all aspects of the class at all times. More importantly, that shouldn't be the primary concern as an instructional approach and instead focus on engaging students in the learning process. An instructor is at their best when they are visible and responsive to the developmental needs of their students, offer feedback that supports their progress, and utilizes tools that prompt active learning. An instructor is never going to be able to control the outcomes received on the evaluation forms; however, it is possible to create conditions that can be meaningful for students. Often what students feel about a class is a result of what they observe their instructors are doing in class - as to their involvement and facilitation of the class. To answer the original question, both student satisfaction and learning matter. Dissatisfied students will not likely learn until their needs and concerns are addressed. The answer then is not focusing on making them happy but helping them learn in a supportive manner, as effective teaching usually results in satisfied students and a positive course outcome.