Marquette Student Government is creating a survey for students to give professors feedback on how they use D2L.
The survey will be available to students by the end of next week.
Professors are only required to post a syllabus to D2L. However, Adam Kouhel, academic committee chair, MUSG senator and sophomore in the College of Business Administration, said he hopes the survey results will encourage professors to completely utilize D2L as a resource.
“The university has gotten better but we want them to go one step further,” Kouhel said.
The survey asks about several features on D2L such as content, grade book, quizzes and news calendars. It focuses on what D2L features are used and most important to students’ needs.
Jenna Azab, an adjunct faculty member in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she finds D2L useful because it makes classroom materials easily accessible.
“I think students learn in different ways,” Azab said. “You need to give students multiple access points.”
One of the questions asks students which professors have done an exemplary job using D2L. MUSG will look at what these professors did and use their D2L pages as models to show other faculty what works.
“Faculty can learn from each other and in the end benefit the students,” Kouhel said.
Corrine Gustin, a graduate student in the physical therapy program, said she appreciates when teachers use the grade book feature and post comments.
“It’s nice when they update grades constantly and show class averages, so you can see where you’re at,” Gustin said.
Haley Veres, a sophomore in the College of Communication, said most of her professors use it effectively. However, she said she would like to see them use the discussion feature more often.
Veres said some of her professors use other sites, but she prefers D2L.
“It would be easier if everything was on D2L,” Veres said.
Alex Liss, a senior in the College of Communication, said it’s useful when teachers put slides from lectures and guests speakers in the content section.
Brendan Ploen, a sophomore in the College of Communication, said he finds the website helpful for reviewing before tests.
“It brings a second source to the picture besides your notes,” Ploen said.
MUSG is working with its communication department on publicity strategies to inform students about the survey. They also plan to gather participants by polling in the library and Alumni Memorial Union. Kouhel said MUSG hopes to gather as many participants as possible.
“We’re hoping for once and for all we can get some substantial data about how students are feeling about D2L usage across the university,” Kouhel said.
The next step MUSG would take would be to collaborate with the Center for Teaching and Learning, the deans of each college, and the Office of Academic Affairs and Institutional Planning to inform faculty about the results.
“We hope faculty sees D2L as a learning tool,” Kouhel said. “We hope students get face-to-face learning out of the classroom but have D2L to go to as a resource.”
