Academic Computing Committee
Teaching Effectiveness Faculty Survey (May 27–June 12, 2020)

The Academic Computing Committee (ACC) conducted a survey across all schools and departments concerning remote teaching and resources. Please note that this survey is not to evaluate online or remote teaching in general; it is to learn from your experience that could have been much different with adequate time for planning, course development, and training.

  1. What is your academic unit?
    • Total number of responses: 111
      • Business: 20
      • Engineering: 20
      • H&SS: 32
      • Science: 39
  2. Please evaluate the effectiveness of remote teaching compared with that of face-to-face instruction:
    • On a scale of 0 to 10, how do you rate your overall teaching effectiveness before the transition to remote teaching? Average: 8.34
    • On a scale of 0 to 10, how do you rate your overall teaching effectiveness after the transition to remote teaching? Average 6.37
  3. Which of the following have been a major challenge for you since the transition to remote teaching? (Check all the apply)
    • Access to reliable internet service: 26 (26/111: 23.4% of respondents)
    • Access to reliable digital device(s) (e.g., computer, tablet, webcam): 10
    • Access to specialized software (e.g., Adobe or Autodesk products): 19
    • Difficulty using video conferencing software (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams): 24 (21.6%)
    • Difficulty using educational platforms (e.g., Canvas, Blackboard): 14
    • Troubleshooting technical issues: 24 (21.6%)
    • Other (Please specify): Lack of interaction, participation plummeted, difficult to engage students, communication with students, increased amount of time to prepare, working from home with children, Zoom fatigue, no training on how to teach effectively online, academic integrity concerns, etc.
  4. Which of the following have been a major challenge for your students since the transition to remote teaching? (Check all that apply.)
    • Access to reliable internet service: 81 (81/111: 73% of respondents)
    • Access to reliable digital device(s) (e.g., computer, tablet, webcam): 54 (48.6%)
    • Access to specialized software (e.g., Adobe or Autodesk products): 28
    • Difficulty using video conferencing software (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams): 45
    • Difficulty using educational platforms (e.g., Canvas, Blackboard): 24
    • Troubleshooting technical issues: 50 (45%)
    • Other (Please specify): Psychological issues (stress, anxiety), lack of motivation, self-discipline and time management issues, lack of connection outside class, unstable home environments, family and work demands interfere with class time and coursework, increased workload, etc.
  5. What are your biggest concerns with the transition to remote teaching? (Check all that apply.)
    • Quality of teaching and learning: 82 (82/111: 73.9% of respondents)
    • Communication with students: 58
    • Nuts and bolts of assessment (e.g., exams, quizzes): 57
    • Academic integrity during assessment: 77 (69.4%)
    • Online privacy: 15
    • Other (Please specify): Job security, loss of interaction with students, engaging and motivating students, increased apathy, mental health, extra time needed for teaching and learning, student access, shifting expectations and emphases, etc.
  6. On a scale of 0 to 10, how do you evaluate your level of familiarity with Canvas? Average: 7.95
  7. On a scale of 0 to 10, how do you evaluate your level of familiarity with Zoom? Average: 7.3
  8. On a scale of 0 to 10, how do you evaluate Penn State’s support to help you transition to remote teaching? Average: 7.26
  9. Please briefly describe the positive and negative aspects of the shift to remote learning.
    • Positive aspects: Behrend IT was very helpful; IT staff was very helpful and professional; health and safety; learned new technology; learned new methods of teaching; students can watch recorded lectures at their own pace; some students participated more actively; personal growth; saved gas, etc.
    • Negative aspects: Academic integrity concerns; increased workload; more time consuming; difficult to engage students; not able to replicate the dynamic of a classroom; awkward interactions with students; lack of visual cues; low attendance; students don’t speak out; too much and often contradictory info from the administrators; overwhelming number of emails; ineffective communication with the administration; information overload; not enough staff to help; poor internet connections; lack of IT support; little or no support for lab instructions; no psychological support to cope with the stress; issues with licensed software; not enough workshops on online teaching; many students were poorly equipped; students hate remote instruction; disruptive student behaviors; communication with students is very challenging; group work was difficult; some topics cannot be taught online properly, etc.
  10. Ways the University or College can improve remote teaching:
    • What is ONE thing that the University or College could easily implement to improve remote teaching?
      • Pay for or subsidize internet service;
      • Reduce class sizes;
      • Invest in an exam proctoring service and more instructional design coaching;
      • Technology boot camp for faculty, staff, and students;
      • We need to figure out a way for more secure assessment to ensure academic integrity;
      • Allow faculty to decide to what extent we do asynchronous versus synchronous instruction (esp. when students are spread across the world);
      • Clear standards for academic integrity, with specific discussion of various teaching and evaluation scenarios;
      • Clearly inform students of the consequences for disruptive behavior;
      • Provide relevant and reliable IT hardware (iPad, laptop, document camera, etc.);
      • Require incoming students to have their own laptop with speaker, microphone, and camera;
      • Don't do remote teaching—remote just can't replace face-to-face teaching using today's technology;
      • Communicate more effectively and respectfully with the faculty—sending links to people who are in a panic and have real needs is insulting and unprofessional;
      • Possibly a set of standards for students regarding online learning. Cameras on? How to communicate? What is respectful/distracting? Etc.
    • What more general steps do you think the University or College should do to improve remote teaching?
      • More technical support and seminars;
      • Consider methods to mitigate academic integrity issues;
      • Provide an online exam proctoring service;
      • Mandatory training for students and faculty;
      • Provide more training on how to effectively develop online courses;
      • Increase number of instructional designers for faculty support;
      • Give instructors much more time to prepare;
      • More basic classes on how to hold a Zoom session;
      • Reduce class sizes dramatically;
      • Class caps should be lower for online classes or fewer classes assigned to faculty;
      • Don't ever presume to tell faculty how to teach. Ask if we want help, then if possible, supply the help we request;
      • The University can always do a bit more when it comes to helping disadvantaged students gain access to internet and laptop computers;
      • Clean up the university web pages to find information easily;
      • Understand that not every class is built for online instruction.
      • Students should be able to select whether their classes are online or not, but professors should not be expected to provide simultaneous delivery in both formats. If we have to offer both formats, they should be compensated as separate preparations/sections.