Student Perceptions of Effective Teaching in Higher Education
In 2008, Memorial University of Newfoundland conducted a survey in which students were asked to identify characteristics and describe behaviours which demonstrate effective teaching. The survey included responses from both on-campus and distance education students so as to determine if there were differences in student opinions of the desired characteristics within an online environment and traditional face-to-face classes. Results of the survey isolated nine characteristics which students identified as indicative of effective teachers. These nine characteristics were consistent across the two modes of delivery, but there were notable differences in the ranking of importance of each one.
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F2F: 1. Respectful 2. Knowledgeable 3. Approachable 4. Engaging 5. Communicative 6. Organized 7. Responsive 8. Professional 9. Humorous |
Online: 1. Respectful 2. Responsive 3. Knowledgeable 4. Approachable 5. Communicative 6. Organized 7. Engaging 8. Professional 9. Humorous |
The following chart outlines the nine characteristics, descriptors used by students, and some behaviours which exemplify the desired characteristic.
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Characteristic |
Descriptors F2F |
Examples F2F |
Descriptors Online |
Examples Online |
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Respectful |
Fair, understanding, flexible, caring, patient, helpful, compassionate, open-minded, sincere, diplomatic, concerned, reasonable, consistent, kind, empathetic, humble, trustworthy, realistic |
Compassionate with regards to students' circumstances; open to "stupid" question; willing to explain many times and in different ways if necessary; uses common courtesy; tactful with criticism; shows concern for students' academic success; willing to admit own mistakes |
Fair, understanding, flexible, caring, patient, helpful, compassionate, open-minded, diplomatic, concerned, reasonable, consistent, kind, empathetic, trustworthy, realistic |
Prepared to answer more questions than F2F; offers expressive feedback; shows concern for students; must be able to trust teacher's answers; fair and reasonable with expectations, create real world tasks |
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Responsive |
Available, helpful, perceptive, accommodating |
Timely, thorough constructive feedback; set office hours; responds to email ASAP; involves students more during class time; has awareness of students' needs; reads students' body language; accepts that students learn at different paces |
Available, helpful, accommodating |
Responds to posts and questions in a timely fashion; asks students for clarification to check students' understanding; builds on what students already know; gives students options to accommodate different learning styles; monitors and participates in discussion forums |
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Knowledgeable |
Flexible, competent, eclectic, credible, current, practical, reflective, qualified |
Must be credible; conveys content that can be understood; shares real life experience; varies teaching strategies; relates content to real-life |
Flexible, competent, eclectic, credible, current, practical, reflective, qualified |
Must be competent; conveys content in a way that can be understood; shares personal anecdotes; uses a variety of resources to share content; must be up-to-date on research and practice in their field |
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Approachable |
Friendly, personable, helpful, accessible, happy, positive |
Smiles; makes a comfortable atmosphere; maintains appropriate office hours and responds to email in a reasonable time |
Friendly, personable, helpful, accessible, happy, positive |
Understands that not everything can be communicated using a written approach; uses recordings to convey information; responds promptly to questions; makes students feel like instructor wants to be there; uses friendly tone in posts |
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Communicative |
Clear, understandable, thorough, constructive, attentive |
Speaks clearly; has astute listening skills; uses a variety of teaching methods; is approachable; understands students questions and gets to the point; is organized; maximizes use of class time; gives prompt quality feedback |
Clear, understandable, thorough, constructive, attentive |
Clear, "listens" and gets points across via electronic (written) communication; uses a variety of teaching methods, quick response time; clearly communicates expectations; personal feedback helps connect student to instructor; offers constructive feedback |
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Organized |
Efficient, focused, prepared |
Organized lectures, clear visual aids; stays on topic; provides sufficient feedback in a reasonable time |
Efficient, focused, prepared |
Organized online content; clear expectations at the beginning of the course; provides timelines; responds to emails and discussion posts promptly |
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Engaging |
Enthusiastic, interesting, passionate, motivating, creative, positive, charismatic, stimulating, interactive, energetic, assertive |
Interacts with students, has a passion for course content; smiles; varies tone of voice; actively involves students in a lecture; uses creative approaches |
Enthusiastic, interesting, passionate, motivating, creative, positive, charismatic, stimulating, interactive, energetic, assertive |
Posts interesting info related to the course from news; relates material to real life etc.; offers creative discussion topics |
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Professional |
Dedicated, punctual, dependable, efficacious, hygienic, confident |
Dresses appropriately; is punctual, trustworthy, honest; has well-planned lectures; be faithful to the syllabus; confidence helps students develop self-esteem |
Dedicated, punctual, dependable, confident |
Is willing to investigate effective teaching techniques for distance learning; makes sure all interactions are quality interactions |
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Humorous |
Friendly, available, positive outlook on teaching, kind, happy |
Helps students feel more relaxed; creates a positive learning environment; humour prevents students from falling asleep in class |
Friendly, available, positive outlook on teaching, kind, happy |
Adds a personal touch to the course; makes the material come alive; makes light observations |
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