ELN user experience evaluation

After the bioprocess engineering lab course offerings in 2015 and 2016, students were asked to complete an exit survey on the use ELN for course development proposes. SurveyMonkey was used to deploy the survey questions and collect feedback. The survey included queries related to ELN use, introductory lecture, and compliance, among others. Data related to student experiences in using ELN were extracted from this survey and analyzed. The lab course had enrollments of 38 and 33 students during 2015 and 2016 respectively. Student response counts for the survey were 32 (84.2% response rate) and 23 (70% response rate) during 2015 and 2016 respectively. All students who responded to the survey completed it in entirety.

Survey queries used in this study are shown in Table 1. Student experiences on various attributes important to ELN use were assessed using the Likert Scale (Query 1). Statistical significance of differences in student responses between 2015 and 2016 course offerings were evaluated using a two sample t-test assuming unequal variances. Time taken for the students to become comfortable with ELN was quantified as number of weeks (Query 2). Time taken for students to become comfortable with ELN use in a particular year was estimated using a weighted average composite score defined as,

Queries used in user experience evaluation survey

Students reporting “still not comfortable” were assigned six weeks which is the minimum time it would take for them to become comfortable with ELN. Student perceptions on ELN vs. PLN for compliance with academic rules and expectations was queried using a multiple choice question (Query 3). Comparison of student experiences in completing documentation and data sharing tasks using ELN vs. PLN was assessed using the Likert Scale (Query 4).