Analysis Of Distance Education Students' Opinions And Satisfaction Levels Of Their Programs

Abstract

Evaluation of opinions and satisfaction levels of students who continue their education through distance education programs is crucial in detecting the problems encountered in the programs and in improving them. The purpose of this study is to identify student evaluations and satisfaction levels concerning the pedagogical dimension of distance education programs. The single screening model was used in this quantitative study. The criterion sampling method, one of the purposeful sampling methods, was used in determining the universities whose distance education system would be examined. The study population consisted of universities offering distance education in Istanbul; the study sample consisted of 5 universities, among universities with at least 3 years distance education experience, which offered at least one of the associate degree, bachelor’s degree or master’s degree programs online and which had various learning management systems. The satisfaction questionnaire, developed by the researcher, was used as the data collection instrument; the pilot study of the questionnaire was applied on 194 distance education program students. The Cronbach alpha coefficient was observed to be 0.988 and the questionnaire was accepted to be reliable. Data were collected from 533 students studying in the distance education programs in the universities within the study sample. Data collected from the questionnaire were analyzed through the SPSS (Version 20) software. Findings suggest that students find it necessary to develop distance education programs in course design and content, the teaching and learning process, educational materials, the support provided and assessment-evaluation. It is suggested that evaluating distance education programs in regular intervals and making improvements based on evaluation findings will enhance the quality of the education provided.