The UMass Amherst College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) has released results from its "Student Pulse Survey" administered through the Fall 2020 semester. The survey, created to help academic leaders at CICS understand how students feel about their overall experience and classroom experiences while learning remotely, was administered biweekly over the course of the fall semester to track evolving feelings of success and engagement, as well as any issues with technology. A streamlined version of the survey will be run in the spring semester, starting on February 10.
"In this challenging environment for teaching and learning, we knew it wouldn't be enough to simply hope all our students were doing well," says James Allan, chair of the faculty at CICS. "Without face-to-face interaction, it's crucial that we use available tools to keep in touch with both the overall student experience and the experience of those who are facing significant challenges in this learning atmosphere."
The results show that approximately half of CICS students surveyed over the course of the semester felt that their academic experience has been going "mostly well" or "very well," with a third saying "somewhat well" and less than 15% saying "not well." In addition, approximately one-fifth of respondents reported "some" or "a lot" of problems with course technology, with one-quarter reporting "some" or "a lot" of problems with internet connectivity.
The Student Pulse Survey for the spring 2021 semester will start on February 10.
Learn more about the CICS Student Pulse Survey at https://www.cics.umass.edu/coronavirus/cics-pulse-survey-results