Distance Education Survey

The overall sentiment regarding satisfaction with D2L from qualitative responses was mixed: 

• 38% of faculty comments reflected neutral perspectives toward D2L and suggested that while D2L is functional and manageable, there is also a learning curve and challenges that require time, support, and training to overcome.
• 37% of faculty expressed dissatisfaction with D2L and described it as clunky, unintuitive, and inefficient. These comments highlighted a desire for either significant improvements to D2L or a transition to a more modern LMS.
• 25% were satisfied with D2L and described the platform as user-friendly and easy to navigate. Positive experiences with D2L often correlate with support provided by Distance Education staff and familiarity with the platform over time rather than the inherent usability of the platform itself.

Ratings on the ease of use for various D2L tools highlighted which are perceived as intuitive and which may require further improvements or support. Many tools received high ease-of-use ratings, including:

• Announcements: 88% 
• Content: 75%
• Assignments: 73%
• Gradebook/Grades: 69%
• Course Copy: 67%
• Syllabus Template: 59%
• Discussions: 65%
• Quizzes: 64%
• Calendar: 54% and
• Video Note: 51%

However, some tools were rated lower in ease of use, including the Groups Tool (40%), and Publisher Integrations (35%). 

Overall, auxiliary tools (Panopto, Respondus Lockdown Browser, Turnitin, Collaborative Microsoft Tools, and Zoom) were ranked easy to use. 

• Panopto was ranked as easy to use by 43% of faculty. 

• Many faculty rated the following tools somewhat easy to extremely easy to use: Respondus Lockdown Browser (58%), Turnitin (78%), Collaborative Microsoft Tools (65%), and Zoom (83%). 

In open-ended questions, many faculty expressed appreciation for the support provided by Distance Education, commending the expertise, responsiveness, and helpfulness of staff.  

When asked, “What additional support or resources would help you improve your distance education or online learning efforts?” 42% of faculty identified “support for creating or integrating interactive learning materials” as beneficial. Additionally, 37% expressed a need for additional professional development opportunities to enhance their online teaching efforts. 

20% of faculty expressed interest in training and ongoing support provided by Distance Education. Comments also indicated that faculty often face time constraints, highlighting the need for more flexible, self-paced training options, and a desire for improved support resources, such as easier access to how-to articles and instructional guides. 

The top 5 technologies and practices that faculty were most interested in learning more about ranked in order, were: 

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) in learning 
• Gamification (e.g., incorporating game-like elements into courses) 
• Interactive multimedia content (e.g., simulations, animations) 
• Adaptive learning platforms (e.g., personalized learning pathways) 
• Collaborative tools (e.g., shared documents, whiteboards) 

In response to dissatisfaction expressed with D2L, Distance Education is working to identify gaps, challenges, and areas for improvement. This will help identify potential system enhancements and targeted training opportunities. 

The default D2L course template with 16 weekly folders will be removed from all new course shells starting in Summer 2025. This change is intended to streamline course setup and provide a more flexible starting point for instructors.

Moving forward, brand-new course shells will include only a Start Here folder with a syllabus template and links to CMU services and policies.