APPENDIX F

 

Questionnaire for 1997 Advanced Quantitative Methods Students

In the spring of 1997, you were enrolled in the Advanced Quantitative Methods seminar. One of the voluntary activities in the seminar was participation in an electronic conference, primarily via Colorado Education Online (CEO). I would like to gather your impressions of that electronic conference. It would be helpful if you would look at the set of reflective questions for each of the ten questions in this questionnaire. Then answer each of the ten questions frankly and honestly, as best you can. The information gathered from this questionnaire will shed light on the usefulness and effectiveness of using electronic conferencing in future UCD classes and seminars. Your participation in this questionnaire is purely voluntary. Your responses will remain totally anonymous.

 

Your Name________________________ My Code Number______________

 

1. In what ways did participation in the Advanced Quantitative Methods electronic conference enhance or detract from your experience of learning?

Reflective questions to consider when answering Question 1:

• Did you participate in the electronic conference?

• Did you feel that this was extra "busywork" added to the course requirements?

• Were the instructor's modeling, guidance, and answers to questions helpful?

• Were the instructor's comments, responses, and feedback timely?

• Was it helpful to see other people's evaluations of the required readings?

• Was it helpful to get feedback on the practice questions? The final project?

• Do you feel that participation helped to raise your exam grades? Your final project grade?

 

 

 

2. In what ways might any form of anxiety have affected your participation?

Reflective questions to consider when answering Question 2:

• Was there any apprehension in assembling your thoughts and articulating them in writing?

• Was there any concern about your ability to use the software effectively?

• Was there any feeling of intimidation by frequent participants?

• Did you feel any internal pressure to post messages or replies to the conference?

• Did you at any time feel that if you did not participate, you would fail to meet your goals?

• Did you at any time feel that if you posted answers you weren't sure of, you'd lose face?

• Were there any other types of concern or apprehension?

 

 

 

3. What were some limitations or negative aspects that you may have seen in the electronic conference?

Reflective questions to consider when answering Question 3:

• Did you encounter any problems with the technology?

• Were there problems with home access to a modem?

• Was there enough slack (in terms of time or resources) to learn new communication skills and customize the technology for your purposes?

• Was there adequate support from your colleagues in learning how to use e-mail?

• Was there any difficulty coping with multiple topics or "threads" at any given time?

• Did you run into any other difficulties or negative aspects of the conference? If so, what?

 

 

 

4. How might an electronic conference complement in-class discussions?

Reflective questions to consider when answering Question 4:

• Was it useful to you once you got into the habit of participating?

• Did you feel that the mutual engagement of your fellow students in a coordinated on-line effort to solve problems together was useful?

• Did you find it useful to read other people's messages, even if you didn't post any?

• Was it useful to take class time to discuss questions and issues that students posted?

• Did the electronic conference make class discussions more meaningful? In what ways?

• Was the on-line conference more (or less) comfortable than in-class discussions?

• Did it interfere with or detract from class discussions?

 

 

 

5. What preparation and support do you feel are necessary in order for an electronic conference to work successfully (i.e. for students to participate with minimal frustration and anxiety, and to consider the experience as meaningful and learning-enhancing).

Reflective questions to consider when answering Question 5:

• Would you suggest an introductory training session in using CEO or other types of e-mail?

• Home access to e-mail as a course requirement?

• Printouts of messages for those who don't have home access?

• Initial posting of discussion guidelines, expectations, and "netiquette"?

• A strategy sheet on expected/appropriate use of e-mail for class discussions?

• Handouts or brochures, besides those available in the computer labs or at CINS?

• Any other suggestions?

 

 

 

6. Would you agree or disagree with the following statement?

"I would like to use e-mail in future courses." (Circle one choice.)

___Strongly Agree
___Agree
___No Opinion
___Disagree
___Strongly Disagree

 

 

7. What was your most memorable experience with the electronic conference?

 

 

 

8. What caused that experience to be so memorable?

 

 

 

9. How do you envision yourself using electronic conferencing or any other Internet tools to support your own growth and learning in the future?

 

 

 

10. I welcome any other comments, insights, or suggestions concerning the use of electronic conferencing in UCD classes and seminars.

 

 

 

Thanks for your participation!

Please return this questionnaire to Lorraine Sherry in the stamped reply envelope.