The Impact of Feedback Interactions on Online Learner Satisfaction and Achievement

Abstract

The design of an online course--taught by different faculty members and accessed by groups of adult, online learners--has the potential to produce or prevent learner satisfaction and achievement. Feedback interactions between online learners and the instructor are central to successful learning; nevertheless, there are gaps in what is known about the frequency, distribution, timeliness, and content of feedback that can impact student achievement and satisfaction. This study uses analytics from a learning management system (LMS) along with analyses of the feedback instructors provide to students in comments on written assignments. It compares those data with achievement exam scores and learners’ responses on an institutional end-of-course (EOC) survey. The intent is to determine whether there are relationships between easily accessible learning analytics data sources and student achievement or satisfaction. Findings indicate that while LMS data were not predictors of student achievement or satisfaction, there was evidence that individualized and content-specific comments from instructors to students had an impact on student achievement and satisfaction. As a result, instructional designers could target course improvements that facilitate the instructor’s ability to provide meaningful, individualized feedback to students.