NACCE/HP National Landscape Survey

In Quarter 4 of 2013 the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) distributed the National Landscape Survey to community college faculty across the United States. Pushed out widely through many channels, 253 faculty participated on behalf of their colleges. The data collection was headed by Eric Liguori, entrepreneurship professor at California State University, Fresno. Liguori reports that the survey completion rate was strong (44%), and that the sample was a very diverse representation of U.S. community colleges.

Survey Findings

Use of e-Learning
47% of the teachers/administrators surveyed say their community colleges uses online components in teaching.
When asked to think two years ahead, there is a slight increase (now 55%) in the online teaching modalities. This is primarily due to foreseen increase in hybrid and purely online learning.

Efficacy of e-learning Community colleges appear to be confident in the ability of online learning to improve learning outcomes; 84% of the respondents confirm that e-learning is a valuable educational tool.

Preferred Teaching Modalities
More than half (56%) of teachers prefer to use teaching modalities that have some form of online component: 38% prefer hybrid, 12% prefer primarily face-to-face but with some online supplements; and 6% prefer purely online structures. Some 5% are okay with any modality.

Barrier to Adoption
Most respondents have no hesitations in incorporating new e-learning tools. However, some of the most cited concerns are: doubts in capability/reliability, acceptance of both students and teachers, and lack of resources such as time, ICT access, and technical support. Moreover, about 10% have little control over materials used in classes.

Top 5 Benefits identified

• Increases access through location and time flexible learning
• More resources and information are available to students 24/7
•  Wide variety of tools and methods teachers can use for teaching
• A good supplement to F2F curriculum e.g. as additional study materials
• it can lead to a richer learning experience if integrated correctly, freeing up class time for more engaging activities