2008 PROCEEDINGS - Public Relations Society of America

Student Feedback
Again, students surveyed had varied opinions on their ability to communicate with other students
in a hybrid course, as compared to a regular course.
You learn more from other students in a
hybrid course than a regular course.
It is easier to communicate w ith
classmates in a regular course than in a
hybrid course.
nuetral
31%
disagree
28%
nuetral
18%
disagree
45%
agree
41%
agree
37%
Role of the Instructor
While in traditional classrooms the main role of the instructor is to engage students
through lectures and verbal discussions, the instructor’s role in hybrid classes is not only to
provide course material, but to coordinate, consult and mentor. While almost half of the students
surveyed felt that the role of the professor is basically the same in hybrid courses and regular
courses, student satisfaction with the role of the instructor was mixed. Forty three percent of the
students surveyed felt that professors were less “hands-on” in a hybrid course than a regular
course; while only 20% felt the instructor was more “hands-on” in a hybrid course. Some
students cited contact with the professor as a negative aspect of the hybrid format.
Sample comments include:
“I missed the personal interaction with the professor”
“[There was] not enough time with professor”
“I need a teacher”
“You have to wait for the instructor to write back”
However, other students cited this as a positive aspect, with comments such as:
“Easy access to materials, professor and other students”
“The feedback from the professor is more thorough so you learn more from your
mistakes” “Fluid communication with professor.”
Differences in satisfaction with the role of the professor could not be explained by
differences in course topics, instructors or self-reported academic achievement. They were
somewhat related to graduate versus undergraduate status, and possibly to flexibility of learning
styles, although this cannot be ascertained from this survey. Further research must go beyond
student satisfaction and perceptions of advantages and disadvantages of hybrid course formats, to
focus on students’ traits that may make certain students more inclined to online formats and
more likely to achieve learning objectives.
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