Summer 1995 Student Questionnaire Results

This page presents the results of the form based questionnaire for the Summer 1995 GNA-VSNS Biocomputing I course. It was conducted anonymously during the last weeks of the course, and a few weeks beyond. Checked buttons represent the items that were actively set by the largest number of respondents. All percentages are calculated over 25 questionaires; they were solicited from the total of 34 students, whether they were still participating, or not.

We're very grateful to David G. Pisano for tallying the data, to Chris Lilley for serving the form, and to both of them for preparing it. The 1996 Student Questionnaire Results are available, too.

From which background are you coming?

Life Sciences (Biology, Medicine, etc): 16 (64%)
Mathematics / Computer Science / Engineering /Physics: 7 (28%)
Other: 2 ( 8%)
No Answer: 0

  1. Current level of activity.

    1. I read course newsletters and mail.
      Agree 14 (56%) 6 (24%) 4 (16%) 1 ( 4%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 0

    2. I browse the course pages/notes with a WWW browser.
      Agree 16 (64%) 3 (12%) 4 (16%) 2 ( 8%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 0

    3. I mail the course or send comments.
      Agree 6 (24%) 8 (32%) 4 (16%) 7 (28%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 0

    4. I communicate directly with other students/instructors/organisers.
      Agree 12 (48%) 5 (20%) 6 (24%) 2 ( 8%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 0

    5. I do exercises on a regular basis.
      Agree 2 ( 8%) 5 (20%) 10 (40%) 7 (28%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 1 ( 4%)

    6. I help out as a consulting student.
      Agree 8 (32%) 2 ( 8%) 6 (24%) 9 (36%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 0

    7. I download some/all of the material for local use.
      Agree 11 (44%) 5 (20%) 3 (12%) 4 (16%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 2 ( 8%)

    8. I read transcripts of the group meetings.
      Agree 10 (40%) 7 (28%) 6 (24%) 2 ( 8%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 0

    9. I attend group meetings at BioMOO.
      Agree 12 (48%) 7 (28%) 4 (16%) 2 ( 8%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 0

    10. I visit BioMOO at other times, too.
      Agree 10 (40%) 5 (20%) 6 (24%) 4 (16%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 0

  2. Real life activities.

    1. I distribute course material to other people I know who are not on the course.
      Agree 4 (16%) 6 (24%) 4 (16%) 11 (44%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 0

    2. I use course material in my teaching.
      Agree 3 (12%) 2 ( 8%) 3 (12%) 17 (68%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 0

    3. I discuss the course with my friends and colleagues.
      Agree 8 (32%) 7 (28%) 5 (20%) 5 (20%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 0

  3. Can you use the technology to follow the course?

    1. I know how to send a message to a list.
      Agree 23 (92%) 1 ( 4%) 0 ( 0%) 1 ( 4%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 0

    2. I can connect to BioMOO and use it.
      Agree 23 (92%) 2 ( 8%) 0 ( 0%) 0 (0%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 0

    3. I can connect to BioMOO and use the pairwise aligner.
      Agree 12 (48%) 5 (20%) 4 (16%) 3 (12%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 1 ( 4%)

    4. I can use sequence analysis utilities related to the course (FASTA,BLAST,GCG, etc...)
      Agree 20 (80%) 4 ( 20%) 1 ( 4%) 0 ( 0%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 0

    5. I can connect to other MOOs (Gna-Lab, Collegetown)
      Agree 18 (72%) 3 (12%) 2 ( 8%) 0 ( 0%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 2 ( 8%)

    6. I am using the Hypertext Glossary of Biocomputing terms.
      Agree 5 (20%) 4 (16%) 1 ( 4%) 12 (48%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 3 (12%)

  4. Current weekly activity on the course.

    5. I'm not actively participating: 5 (20%)
    Less than 2 hours/week: 6 (24%)
    2-5 hours/week: 10 (40%)
    5-10 hours/week: 4 (16%)
    More than 10 hours/week: 0 ( 0%)

  5. Level of the course.

    6. Too hard:3 (12%)
    Harder than I expected: 7 (28%)
    As I expected: 12 (48%)
    Easier than I expected: 3 (12%)
    Too easy: 0 ( 0%)

  6. Coverage of the course.

    7. Too narrow: 1 ( 4%)
    Narrower than I expected: 10 (40%)
    What I expected: 12 (48%)
    Broader than I expected: 2 ( 8%)
    Too broad: 0 ( 0%)

  7. Subject matter is:

    Too theoretical: 4 ( 16%)
    More theoretical than I expected: 7 (28%)
    What I expected: 13 (52%)
    More practical than I expected: 1 ( 4%)
    Too practical: 0 ( 0%)

  8. Subject is what I expected.
    Agree 5 (20%) 9 (36%) 8 (32%) 3 (12%) Disagree
    Don't know/ No Answer: 0

  9. Subject is more interesting than expected.
    Agree 6 (24%) 11 (44%) 7 (28%) 1 ( 4%) Disagree
    Don't know/ No Answer: 0

  10. Understanding the inner workings of sequence analysis tools is valuable for me.
    Agree 12 (48%) 11 (44%) 0 ( 0%) 1 ( 4%) Disagree
    Don't know/ No Answer: 1 ( 4%)

  11. I have acquired a better understanding of the "inner workings" of sequence analysis tools.
    Agree 14 (56%) 5 (20%) 3 (12%) 2 ( 8%) Disagree
    Don't know/ No Answer: 1 ( 4%)

  12. I have less difficulty reading papers with a high math content.
    Agree 3 (12%) 4 (16%) 4 (16%) 10 (40%) Disagree
    Don't know/ No Answer: 4 (16%)

  13. For my daily work, I expect to use the Internet tools / WWW Servers that I learned about.
    Agree 15 (60%) 6 (24%) 2 ( 8%) 1 ( 4%) Disagree
    Don't know/ No Answer: 1 ( 4%)

  14. Please tell us if any of the following are SERIOUS problems.

    15. Hypertext is difficult to find my way around: 0 ( 0%)
    I have trouble downloading the textbook: 3 (12%)
    I have trouble printing out the textbook: 2 ( 8%)
    It's not like a normal textbook: 2 ( 8%)
    I don't know precisely what I have to do each week: 6 (24%)
    Network delays (lags) make some/all of the course unusable: 13 (52%)
    MOO sessions take too much time and few things get done: 8 (32%)
    No one reacts to my problems or suggestions: 1 ( 4%)
    The material is written by lots of different people: 2 ( 8%)
    I spend all my effort on technology and not on the science: 1 ( 4%)
    I get no feedback about how well I am doing: 1 ( 4%)
    I'd like to see all the material at the start of the course: 6 (24%)
    The exercises demand too much work: 5 (20%)
    The exercises are trivial: 0 ( 0%)
    Distance education is hard to handle: 0 ( 0%)
    I have less time than I expected: 19 (76%)

  15. Group Interaction.

    1. Have the classroom sessions been useful?
      Agree 11 (44%) 9 (36%) 2 ( 8%) 0 ( 0%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 3 (12%)

    2. Do you get enough attention from your instructor?
      Agree 17 (68%) 6 (24%) 0 ( 0%) 0 ( 0%) Disagree
      Don't know/ No Answer: 2 ( 8%)

    My study group is going too fast, is difficult to keep up: 5 (20%)
    The speed is about right, I feel quite comfortable with it: 19 (76%)
    My study group is too slow, I'd like to speed them up: 1 ( 4%)

  16. Do any of these prevent you contributing to the course?

    17. I cannot write HTML documents: 2 ( 8%)
    I do not feel confident about contributing web pages: 0 ( 0%)
    I do not feel confident about mailing the lists: 1 ( 4%)
    I lack time: 18 (72%)
    I don't know what I could contribute: 0 ( 0%)

  17. Course PROs and CONs.

    18. PROS

    It's a fun way of learning: 23 (92%)
    The material is well presented: 16 (64%)
    The group activity is enjoyable: 18 (72%)
    I make contact with new people: 21 (84%)
    There's plenty of thought-provoking ideas and resources: 20 (80%)
    The potential is tremendous, fascinating: 22 (88%)
    I'm encouraged to be creative: 14 (56%)
    I can learn from other people: 22 (88%)
    The technology is easy to use: 11 (44%)
    I can do as much or as little as I please: 17 (68%)
    I can join in when I like: 15 (60%)

    CONS

    It's too difficult to follow: 3 (12%)
    It all takes too much time: 8 (32%)
    The technology is awkward and difficult: 3 (12%)
    The group activity is low: 4 (16%)
    The material is badly presented: 3 (12%)
    I'm getting more information than I can handle: 9 (36%)
    One can never tell what's going on and where you are: 1 ( 4%)
    The organizers are anonymous: 0 ( 0%)
    I don't want to learn so publicly: 0 ( 0%)
    The various aspects of the course are ill organised: 2 ( 8%)
    It's all too remote: 0 ( 0%)
    Navigation is a nightmare: 1 ( 4%)
    There's no personal feedback: 0 ( 0%)

  18. Possible future developments.

    19. I'd like to use some of the material after the course has finished: 16 (64%)
    I'd like to see a repeat of the course fairly soon: 12 (48%)
    I'd like to see similar courses in biocomputing: 21 (84%)
    The organisers should rethink the whole approach before they plan new courses: 4 (16%)
    I'd like to have access to the material in alternative form (please use the next text field in this form to provide details): 2 ( 8%)

  19. Do you have any comment/suggestion?

    20. [ Transcripts are at http://www.techfak.uni-bielefeld.de/bcd/Students/welcome.html and the course material will stay on the WWW for the forseeable future. We do not plan for printed or CDROM versions of the book. ]
Based on the VSNS-PPS Feedback Form, Credits to Alan Mills and Peter Murray-Rust

Back to VSNS BioComputing Division Home Page.
VSNS-BCD Copyright 1996.
Introductory remarks by Georg Fuellen