Planning to adopt flexible education methods more broadly, the Community College of Qatar (CCQ) conducted a survey to evaluate its distance education experience during Fall 2020-2021.
CCQ adopted distance learning following the precautionary measures observed to combat the spread of the Coronavirus and to protect students’ and faculty members’ health.
The survey was designed to identify the most important features of the distance education experience and the lessons learned to increase CCQ’s readiness for crisis and ensure a smooth educational process regardless of any future challenges.
The survey was divided into two stages; the first surveyed students who were taking courses remotely during this period, while the second stage measured the views of the professors who taught these courses.
The first stage of the survey was conducted from February 8 to 15 with the participation of 1,500 students from all CCQ’s disciplines (21% males — 79% females); that is, more than one-third of CCQ students.
The results showed that 84% of the participating students confirmed that their distance education experience was good overall. Eighty-two percent of the students indicated that communication with faculty members was easy, which enabled them to understand the educational material; 81% confirmed that interaction during the online lectures was effective and fruitful, contributing to their understanding of the educational material.
Also, 83% of the students indicated that the experience helped them acquire new technical and non-technical skills, such as self-study and time management, 79% of the participating students confirmed that if they were to choose between distance education and physical presence, they would choose distance education, 90% expressed their satisfaction with the technical support provided by CCQ during this period, saying that the College provided them with the necessary technical support to make the most out of this experience, and 84% of the participating students confirmed that the educational platforms used by the College (Microsoft Teams and the Blackboard Learning Management System) contributed to knowledge acquisition smoothly.
The second stage of the survey was conducted from March 18 to 25 with 120 faculty members, which accounts for 78% of the professors who taught the courses online.
The survey results show that 94% of the participants confirmed that their experience was good overall. Comparing to traditional classes, 78% of the surveyed faculty members confirmed that they managed to achieve the same outputs.
96% agreed t h a t t h e y a c q u i r e d new technical skills from this experience, while 95% indicated that CCQ offered them sufficient technical support. It is noteworthy that CCQ launched the Virtual Distance Learning Academy in Summer 2020 to support the faculty member’s professional development in educational technology.
The Academy serves as a platform for faculty members to share experiences and discuss best practices in online and hybrid learning to make the educational process better and more flexible for the students.
Dr. Mohammad Anwari, Director of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness at CCQ, said, “The results of the survey showcase our ability to face and overcome challenges in a relatively short time and that we are on the right path. We are proud of all our colleagues’ efforts, who made the distance education process smooth and effective.
“Their collaboration enabled us to achieve good results that meet the needs of CCQ students, who are the backbone of the future. We do our best to develop their knowledge and skills so that they can face future challenges and meet the job market requirements.”
