Capella Overview & Reports
Current Learner Satisfaction
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.
Priorities Survey for Online Learners
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. In October 2009, all Capella learners were invited to participate. The respondents represent all the degree levels (bachelors, masters, and doctoral) and fields of study.
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. A 1-to-7 scale, with 7 being the highest, is used for each response. The graphs below show how Capella compares to the PSOL national benchmark, which includes 90,000 learner responses from almost 90 different institutions. In each you can see the average ratings for:
- All Capella respondents
- Capella respondents at each degree level
- Other PSOL respondents
The first set of graphs compares responses on 5 scales that reflect how an institution is perceived and 4 categories of service: Institutional perceptions, Academic services, Instructional Services, Enrollment services, Student Services. The second set of graphs compares ratings on 3 overall satisfaction questions
