On-line learners may have different needs, expectations, and priorities than more traditional students. At Capella, we strive to understand and meet those needs, priorities and expectations. One way we do that is to measure learner satisfaction using standardized surveys. These surveys allow us to evaluate Capella's performance and to compare it to other similar institutions.
The Noel-Levitz Priorities Survey for Online Learners (PSOL) is designed specifically for online learners. It asks learners to rate their satisfaction with several aspects of their experiences in online learning. Capella asks a sample of bachelors, masters, and doctoral learners to complete PSOL every quarter.
On the PSOL, students respond to "expectation statements" (e.g., "online course registration is convenient") to rate how important each expectation is to them and how satisfied they are that Capella meets each expectation. Two of the graphs below show how Capella compares to the PSOL national benchmark which represents approximately 120 different institutions. In each you can see the average ratings for:
The graph on the left compares responses on scales that reflect how an institution is perceived and how the institution performs on 4 categories of service. The graph on the right compares ratings on 3 individual satisfaction questions. The third graph shows responses to three questions specific to Capella, so no comparison information is available. All the data were gathered between July 2015 and June 2016.
Each year Capella participates in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). In 2015, all Capella undergraduate students that were the equivalent of first-year or senior level students were invited to participate.
Results reported here are from students at the senior-year level. Capella's results are compared to the survey's the national sample results, which represent over 300,000 senior learners from several hundred institutions.
NSSE focuses on student participation in programs and activities and their interactions with faculty and other students. The results provide a picture of how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending college The graphs below represent several aspects of that picture.
"Capella has taught me how to use my analytical abilities and actually search for my own voice, to gather data or information from various sources and then come up with my own best conclusions."