State of Student Success & Engagement in
Louisiana Higher Education points to evolving student perceptions
of educational needs
SALT
LAKE CITY, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/
-- Instructure, the maker of Canvas, today released a new
study highlighting key higher education trends in Louisiana. The study, developed in
coordination with Hanover Research, gives a timely and insightful
view into how 114 higher education students in Louisiana define student success and
engagement. Student respondents are focused on career readiness,
skill competency, educational goals and relevant job placement. To
view the report, visit this page.
In an era marked by rapid change and increased reliance on new
technology and evolving instructional strategies, Louisiana educators are working to meet the
unique educational needs of their students. The study found that
while in-person classes are still popular, the number of hybrid and
online remote learning courses being offered is becoming an
important factor for students as they choose a college or
university. Students also want their institutions to focus on their
holistic development. This includes personal instruction and the
effective delivery of online learning from faculty. The results of
the study highlight the importance of a holistic approach to
education that meets the needs of today's students.
"While grades remain an important measure of student success,
administrators and faculty in Louisiana are increasingly focused on student
well-being and on preparing students to enter the workforce," said
Ryan Lufkin, VP of Product Marketing
at Instructure. "Institutions are actively working to provide a
more comprehensive education that is relevant to the academic and
employment goals of each student. Whether through in-person,
online, or hybrid learning opportunities, institutions that adapt
to and seek to support the whole student will help prepare students
ready to make a positive impact in the job market."
The research revealed six key trends that parents and educators
in the state of Louisiana feel are
important to teaching and learning in higher education:
1. Career readiness is priority
No. 1 for students.
These Louisiana students are laser-focused on career
readiness and having the skills to gain post-graduation employment.
Some 79% of respondents view career readiness as the top
determinant of success. Over 75% of the student respondents also
rated skill competency, educational goals, recent graduate
employment rates and relevant job placement as the top determinants
of success.
2. Student preference for
in-class, online, or hybrid learning continues to
evolve.
The ability to take online classes in a remote or
hybrid learning environment is becoming a deciding factor in which
institutions students choose to attend. But their preferences for
hybrid (43%) and in-person (37%) classes and fully online remote
learning (20%) don't always align with the learning environments
being offered at their institution.
Dr. James H. Ammons, Jr.,
executive vice president and chancellor of Southern University at New Orleans, commented on
this key finding: "The Southern
University System just moved to Canvas because we were
looking for a robust cloud-based and user-friendly LMS. We
are convinced that our students will enjoy the web-based interfaces
and capabilities and its natural adaptability for mobile computing.
In addition, faculty and students will have 24/7 technical support.
Canvas takes advantage of the enormous advances in remote learning
modalities and puts these enhancements in the hands of the
users."
3. Students want their
institutions to focus on their holistic
development.
Students want an enhanced learning experience
that includes personalized instruction and the effective delivery
of online learning from faculty. In fact, 94% of the 100 Voices
respondents say that holistic development such as self-discipline,
communication, knowledge and personal reflection are important to
student success and 53% say this will become more important over
the next 12 months.
University of Louisiana System
president Dr. Jim Henderson said:
"The university has long been dedicated to the holistic development
of individuals. The rapid advancement of technology has made the
necessary development even more complex but our institutions are
committed to ensuring our graduates have the competencies required
for life and career success."
4. Students still feel the
impact of COVID, but there are reasons for
optimism.
Unsurprisingly, 73% of student respondents believe
COVID-19 negatively impacted student engagement. Some 66% believe
it negatively affected academic progress and 63% said that it
negatively impacted career readiness. The good news is that these
impacts appear to be lessening when compared to Instructure's
global 2021 State of Higher Education report which spanned 18
countries and included input from 7,687 students, administrators
and faculty. Respondents to the Louisiana survey also believe the impact will
decline further over the next 12 months.
5. Access is the key to
engagement and success.
Access to the internet and
technological devices are two key socioeconomic factors that fuel
student engagement and success, according to over 80% of the 100
Voices respondents. Students express a clear interest in mobile
learning capabilities, though some struggle to maintain consistent
access to WiFi and the technology that would foster learning. While
69% of students feel engaged in the classroom, only 29% of students
from self-identified lower economic classes said it was very easy
to stay engaged. As is always the case, making education accessible
is an important part of the effort to close the equity gap among
students.
6. Students want
connection.
It's clear that students in Louisiana crave connection and flexibility
around learning modalities, yet connection means different things
to different students. Relevant top factors that students believe
will increase engagement include hands-on instruction (46%),
smaller class sizes (44%), a sense of community (37%), in-person
instruction (34%), teamwork assignments (32%), strong friendships
(30%) and personalized instruction (30%).
"Higher ed institutions, like Tulane
SoPA, can help create connections and a sense of community
for students while building interpersonal relationships through
small class sizes that allow rich faculty-student and
student-student interactions, or by providing a curated student
experience such as an in-person three-day residency to complement
an online graduate program," said Ilianna
H. Kwaske, associate dean for academic affairs at
Tulane University School of
Professional Advancement (SoPA) in relation to this finding.
"Offering robust services, such as academic and career advising,
also fosters connection while supporting student success."
Ronni Tyger, director of
Tulane SoPA learning design &
development, emphasizes the need for universities to understand
students' need for both connection and flexibility: "By
collaborating with faculty subject matter experts to design
learning experiences that intentionally put the student's
experience first, we develop opportunities to increase inclusivity
and a sense of connection for students across all modalities.
Adding synchronous course meetings throughout the semester to all
our online courses has brought students and instructors together
and has established a sense of community while enhancing
learning."
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
The survey was fielded in
April of 2022 and was cleaned and analyzed by Hanover Research.
After fielding and data cleaning, the study consisted of 114
qualified, completed responses, with 35 respondents attending a
two-year program and 74 respondents. We performed statistical
significance testing across segments with a 95% confidence level.
For any questions regarding the underlying methodology or data,
please contact
studentsuccess@instructure.com.
ABOUT INSTRUCTURE
Instructure (NYSE: INST) is an
education technology company dedicated to elevating student
success, amplifying the power of teaching, and inspiring everyone
to learn together. Today the Instructure Learning Platform supports
tens of millions of educators and learners around the world. Learn
more at www.instructure.com.
ABOUT HANOVER
RESEARCH
Founded in 2003, Hanover Research is a global
research and analytics firm that delivers market intelligence
through a unique, fixed-fee model to more than 1,000 clients.
Headquartered in Arlington,
Virginia, Hanover has been
named a Top 50 Market Research Firm by the American Marketing
Association every year since 2015. To learn more about Hanover
Research, visit
www.hanoverresearch.com.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release
contains "forward-looking" statements, which are subject to the
safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995, including statements regarding the potential, timing,
and examples of any strategic alternatives. These statements are
not guarantees of future performance, but are based on management's
expectations as of the date of this press release and assumptions
that are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks and changes in
circumstances that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements
to be materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements. Important factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by these
forward-looking statements include the risk factors described in
the Company's annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 22, 2022 and other documents filed with
the SEC and could cause actual results to vary from expectations.
All information provided in this press release is as of the date
hereof and Instructure undertakes no duty to update
this information except as required by law.
CONTACT:
Brian
Watkins
Corporate Communications
Instructure
801-610-9722
brian.watkins@instructure.com
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SOURCE Instructure