Hurricane Katrina's aftermath: the advancement of E-learning.

Omar, Adnan ; Kwanbunbumpen, Ada

ABSTRACT

The rapid advancements of technology in the 21st century have directly impacted every facet of life. Moreover, it has enhanced the delivery of higher education throughout the world. The integration of education and technology has created the existence of mobile learning, also known as, Electronic learning or E-learning. For the past several years, universities considered E-learning as a means to meet the needs of their students, thereby increasing enrollment, retention, and the quality of education at a low cost. However, after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) depended on E-learning as a means to provide basic education to their students. SUNO is now a testimony for the necessity of E-learning as the school's survival. Prior to Katrina approximately 9% of the SUNO student body participated in on-line courses. In the spring 2006 semester, that number rose to 41%. E-learning has not only given SUNO the opportunity to keep its doors open, but it has also allowed the school to move forward with its mission to provide higher education to students from diverse backgrounds outside the boundaries of Louisiana.

Key Words: e-learning, enrollment, disaster, displaced, Katrina, recruiting, retention.

INTRODUCTION

The existence of E-learning is a high priority for many institutions for a variety of reasons. For some institutions, the emergence of E-learning programs is an institutional response to evolving faculty interest to apply technology to instruction. For other institutions, this phenomenon is a part of the overall institutional strategic vision to enhance the learning experience and reach a dispersed population or increase enrollment. It is also a response to the increased student demand for convenience as a logical extension of earlier distance learning programs offered through video or satellite television. The introduction of course management systems also increases penetration rates of E-learning across campuses (Arabasz and Baker, 2003).

The current emphasis on E-learning at SUNO is fueled by five major events: the prevalence of natural disasters, the convergence of communication and computing technologies, the constant need for workers in all sectors of the economy to remain knowledgeable and highly skilled without interrupting work service for extended periods of time, the favorable economics of E-learning, and the fierce competition among institutions, colleges, and universities (Taylor, 2004).

The new demand of New Orleans' business industry ensures a role for SUNO's students in a vibrant and recovering economic environment. Therefore, SUNO faces the following performance challenges:

* Surviving/growing as a tuition-dependent, private institution.

* Retaining/increasing the current level of Full Time Enrollment (FTE)-based public funding.

* Improving retention rates.

* Increasing the proportion of degree-holders in the citizenry.

* Helping students complete degree programs.

* Increasing the supply of graduates in programs aimed at workforce and economic development goals, specifically, social workers, teachers, science and technology professionals.

Since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita the Louisiana Board of Regents, the state's coordinating board for higher education, has hosted regular meetings of the Louisiana Higher Education Response Team (LaHERT). LaHERT is composed of system presidents, university presidents/chancellors, campus representatives, and invited guests who address the many issues facing higher education as a result of the two hurricanes. More than 80,000 of Louisiana's public and private college students and 10,000 of the faculty and staff were displaced by the two storms. "The impact of the storms on postsecondary education in Louisiana has been both broad and deep" (www.regents.state.la.us).

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina during the 2005 fall semester, SUNO students were displaced from the severely damaged university and were forced to continue their education through E-learning or attend another institution. SUNO's main campus was severely damaged by the flood. The University is currently housed in a temporary modular campus, in which both on-line and traditional face-to-face classes are offered (Figures 1 and 2).

LITERATURE REVIEW

An open and flexible definition for e-learning is "the use of Internet and digital technologies to create experiences that educate our fellow human beings" (Horton, 2001). Most American universities and businesses have heavily invested in programs using E-learning. Many of the developed countries have also followed this same initiative. A much more student-centered approach is necessary to fit this new learning opportunity into a coherent provision that is educational (Smith, 2000).

The power of on-line learning lies in its ability to enable all those interested to have equal access to available educational materials regardless of time and place. The opportunities and applications E-learning offers include reaching a wider student audience, conferring with experts around the world, linking students from different cultural and economic backgrounds, facilitating new research, and providing access to knowledge and experiences which otherwise would not be available (Kinnaman, 1995). Furthermore, it provides educational opportunities in the workplace, community, or the home for those unable to attend school or college because of cultural, economic, geographical, or social barriers.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

In the hands of abled teachers, E-learning plays a prominent role in fostering the development of important skills in students such as critical thinking, problem solving, written communication, and the ability to work collaboratively. Thus, teachers can encourage students to employ all available technology with the goal of enabling them to weigh evidence, judge the authenticity of data, compare different view points on issues, analyze and synthesize diverse sources of information, and construct their own understanding of the topic at hand. By doing so, students will be well on their way to developing invaluable critical thinking and problem solving skills (Weinstein, 1997).

[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]

Students who successfully complete E-learning programs are generally very motivated, highly disciplined, and goal oriented. Furthermore, successful students tend to be independent leaders and mature adults who are comfortable in the realm of textual materials (Glenn, 2001).

A growing number of physical universities have started to offer a select set of academic degrees and certificate programs via the Internet at various levels in a multitude of disciplines. While some programs require students to attend some campus classes or orientations, many are delivered completely on-line. Many universities also offer on-line student support services, such as on-line advising and registration, E-counseling, on-line textbook purchases, student governments and student newspapers to accommodate E-learning needs.

These universities are characterized by very large student enrollments and use massive communication technology, such as print and broadcasting. Their main goal is to widen access by reaching out to students who cannot attend conventional universities. Distance educational institutions operate nationally and internationally to fulfill their purpose. As a result of high student enrollments, the universities are able to offer cheaper admission costs to their students as opposed to conventional campus-based institutions or even-dual mode education operations.

E-learning offers many advantages including access to educational resources from outside the institution on a global and instant basis; flexible interaction between faculty and students through email and discussion forums; instant availability of course notes, diagrams, reading lists, and other course materials; the ability to combine text, graphics and multimedia, yielding a wide range of educational applications; the availability of professional/subject links on an international basis for research and teaching purposes; the opportunities for international, cross-cultural, and collaborative learning; the ease of creating materials through low-cost, public software such as Blackboard; and the efficient organization of course materials through on-line portals.

E-learning revolutionized the learning experience by making vital material available ondemand via the web and a company's intranet. Now the same content can be offered using familiar, wireless tools, making the learning experience even more convenient and flexible. (Koschembahr, 2005).

In the aftermath of Katrina, most institutions along the Gulf coast are resorting to a kind of back up system by establishing a virtual presence. Local institutions have moved their computer servers out-of-state, and because they are equipped with Blackboard, a system cannot only set up online classes, but can also store records, post documents, and allow text message chats among students and teachers. In an article by John Pope entitled, "UNO Virtual Campus to be used After Storms: Second Life provides on-line classes" the author quotes Merrill Johnson, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts who presented the system: "If the New Orleans area should be struck by another monster storm that forces students, teachers and administrators to scatter widely for an indefinite period, Second life [name of the system] will let teachers set up on-line classrooms overnight, keeping school functions from shutting down, as they did after Hurricane Katrina, and helping them hold on to students." (Pope, 2007, 5)

E-learning courses make it possible to accommodate the growing needs of professionals to enhance knowledge and skills needed for their expanded roles in a competitive global economy.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on SUNO was overwhelmingly devastating. The entire campus was flooded and left in shambles. All classrooms and lecture halls were ruined. As a result, classes are now conducted in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) modular trailers at various locations. The University's annual enrollment figure was heavily impacted, declining from 3,729 students in the semester preceding the natural disaster to 2,040 students post-Katrina. In the wake of this devastation, state law makers have advocated closing SUNO's doors permanently. SUNO's E-learning program evolved in an effort to sustain the university while continuing to provide quality education.

STATEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVE

With falling enrollment numbers due to displaced students across the nation, an alternative to traditional face-to-face learning was necessary. SUNO's E-learning mission encompassed designing and implementing a model for teaching and learning that met the needs of all learners through the use of the best practices, adaptive technologies and instructional techniques. The SUNO's E-learning model was implemented in five steps:

Step 1: Establish E-learning department

Step 2: Hire consultants

Step 3: Implement Blackboard academic suite

Step 4: Award faculty incentive

Step 5: Administer Student skill tests

In despite of Hurricane Katrina, SUNO's immediate objectives were the following: to establish the E-learning department, to evaluate the growth of the E-learning program, to evaluate its impact on student enrollment and retention pre- and post-Katrina, and to recommend ways to improve the E-learning process.

METHODOLOGY

In order for E-learning to become successful, students need uninterrupted access to technology, curriculum, and activities as well as immediate feedback in order to maximize student achievement (Starkman, 2006).

During the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the SUNO administration assumed an aggressive approach to reach, retain, and recruit students by establishing the Department of E-learning and implementing on-line curricula. All faculty members were encouraged to implement at least one on-line course in his/her field. Consultants from the Tennessee Board of Regents, specializing in the design of on-line curricula, conducted workshops aimed at teaching SUNO faculty instructional design for on-line courses. A Blackboard academic suite was used for on-line course materials thereby providing students with unlimited access.

Faculty members were awarded wireless laptops and financial incentives for successful course implementation as set forth by the standards and recommendations of the consulting firm. All students enrolled on-line were required to complete the SUNO On-line Orientation and the On-line Knowledge and Skills Mastery Test which assists students in assessing their knowledge, skills, and technical requirements. It also incorporates student services, technical assistance, and a listing of academic resources to support students on-line.

With students displaced from New Orleans and scattered across the nation due to Hurricane Katrina, implementing E-learning on a full scale directly helped SUNO retain and graduate many of its students. Recently, students in California, Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas completed degree work through on-line curricula, an accomplishment that was impossible pre-Katrina.

By implementing E-learning, the number of on-line classes at SUNO increased from 15 courses pre-Katrina to 148 courses post-Katrina (Table 1).

Moreover, the Departments of Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, and General Studies have been approved to offer undergraduate degree programs through on-line courses. An online graduate degree program in Museum Studies was also approved. Accordingly, E-learning has given displaced students the ability to continue their education at SUNO and has increased the number of students enrolled in on-line courses from 558 (pre-Katrina) to 3117 (post-Katrina).

The E-learning program has also positively impacted university enrollment. Overall, enrollment has increased from a student body of about 700 in the Fall of 2005 (post-Katrina) to 2,040 in the Spring of 2006. Currently, the university has an enrollment of 2344 (Table 3). The data illustrates the positive impact of E-learning on enrollment and retention.

Perceptions of the Student Body Concerning the Quality of On-line Courses

Active participation and engagement by students is critical to the educational process and success of an E-learning program. Students must be willing to use available academic resources such as communication with professors through chat rooms, discussion boards, e-mails, and messages. They must also be able to self-manage the learning process wisely. Self-efficacy and goal setting have important implications for academic successes. SUNO resources available to students include three comprehensive campus labs as well as free wireless services. The university purchased a license to provide Blackboard service to all students. SUNO has also conducted workshops to facilitate student use of Blackboard. Furthermore, when a student emails an instructor with a question or submits a homework assignment, SUNO faculty must respond within 24 hours. Students in need of administrative advice can seek support from the E-learning department during office hours as well as 24/7 assistance from Blackboard help.

A student survey was conducted to evaluate Management Information Systems (MGIS) 164-Introduction to Information Processing, an on-line literacy course required by the Louisiana State Board of Regents for all students regardless of major. The survey evaluated technical assistance, access to computer resources, student expectations about E-learning, and instructor delivery (Table 4). One hundred and two surveys were administered, of which ninety-one were completed. Of the respondents, 55% were freshman, 24% were sophomores, 15% were juniors, and 6% were seniors. The Likert Scale was employed to collect data based on five statements. Data analysis was accomplished via the arithmetic means: (X = [X1 + X2 + X3 +...+ XN] / N) to measure the central tendency of the respondents. Respondents were required to mark strongly agree (SA); agree (A); neither disagree nor agree (N); disagree (D); or strongly disagree (SD) with the following statements:

I. I have full access to a personal computer and internet service 24/7.

II. I understand how to access Blackboard in order to navigate my on-line courses.

III. I have adequate on-line course assistance from my instructor.

IV. I expect a very good grade at the end of this course.

V. I am likely to take another on-line course in the future.

The results of the survey indicate very favorable opinions from students towards the course and SUNO's E-learning efforts. A second survey entitled "Student Satisfaction Survey: Fall 2006" was conducted by the Office of Student Affairs consisting of twenty-six questions. Four hundreds and seven students responded to the survey. Four out of twenty-six questions pertained to E-learning, as listed below (Figures 3-6):

I. How would you rate on-line courses at Southern University at New Orleans?

II. Of the credit hours for which you are registered, how many are on-line?

III. Have you activated your SUNO student email account?

IV. Have you activated your SUNO Blackboard account?

Figure 3 shows that 60 percent of students (n = 407) rated on-line courses as excellent and good.

Figure 4 shows that 49 percent of students (n = 407) were enrolled in 1-6 credit hours on-line.

Figure 5 shows that 38 percent of students (n = 407) did not activate their SUNO E-mail accounts.

Figure 6 shows that 94 percent of students (n = 407) have activated their SUNO Blackboard accounts.

The results of this survey illustrate the increase of student enrollment and courses in regards to SUNO's E-learning department. The majority of student responses have stated that they are enrolled in at least 1-3 Blackboard course(s) and believe that E-learning is good. However, data in Figure 6 indicates that 38% of students did not activate their E-mail accounts. This deficiency hinders communication and needs to be addressed by the administration.

Perceptions of Faculty Concerning the Quality of On-line Courses

Faculty responsibility and participation is critical to the learning process in an E-learning environment. In order to engage in good teaching practices, faculty must learn general and content-specific pedagogy to improve critical inquiry.

A third survey was administered to faculty who taught on-line courses. The survey instrument composed of the following five statements was submitted:

I. E-learning is a tool to promote retention.

II. E-learning is a tool to promote recruiting.

III. E-learning improves the quality of education.

IV. I am satisfied with on-line instruction.

V. I plan to develop new on-line courses.

Faculty were required to mark strongly agree (SA); agree (A); neither disagree nor agree (N); disagree (D); strongly disagree (SD); or not applicable (N/A). The results of the faculty survey are shown in Table 5.

The number of faculty teaching on-line increased from 9 in spring 2005 to 71 in spring 2007. The results of the survey indicate a very favorable opinion of E-learning as a tool for retention and recruiting. The faculty members were also eager to develop additional on-line curricula. However, responses were less favorable concerning faculty satisfaction with on-line instruction and their perceptions of the impact of on-line courses on the quality of the learning experience.

Perhaps, survey participants misinterpreted statement three and may have wrongly compared the quality of education offered by on-line courses to that of traditional classes. Statement three was designed to measure the quality of education for students displaced and unable to attend traditional classes in order to complete their respective degrees. Furthermore, E-learning at SUNO is at an early stage of implementation. Faculty may lack experience in preparing and managing on-line courses. Moreover, teachers fear that on-line courses may encourage plagiarism/cheating. On-line classes may be more time consuming for teachers than traditional classes and offer no substantial monetary incentive. These reasons likely contribute to the responses concerning faculty satisfaction with online education.

Data Analysis of Students' Passing Rate to Failing Rate for E-learning Courses

Data from E-learning courses were used to examine students' passing rate to failing rate for spring 2005-spring 2007 semesters as shown in tables 6-9. Passing rate entails A, B, C, and D grades. Failing rate entails F grade. The grades were measured by class level consisting of Freshman (FR), Sophomore (SO), Junior (JR), Senior (SR), Master's Candidate (GR), New Freshman (NF), Special Undergraduate (SPU), who is a student holding a 4-year undergraduate or graduate degree registering for credit to fulfill the Substance Abuse Certification requirements or a student who is holding a 4-year undergraduate degree registering to take pre-requisite courses for a graduate program at SUNO, Special Undergraduate (SUG), who is a student registering for undergraduate credit who holds a 4-year college degree and is presently applying these credits towards an undergraduate degree (2nd undergraduate degree), and Special Graduate (SPG), who is a student holding a 4-year or graduate degree registering for credit and not presently applying it toward another degree. Six paired z-tests were conducted to test the differences between proportions. They were used to establish whether there was a significant difference between the two groups (Table 10). The resulting statistics include the number of students in each semester, the z-statistic (at 0.01 level of confidence), and the critical z-value.

The difference between proportions is calculated based on the z-test statistic in table 10. Since the calculated z-statistic exceeded the critical z-value, the null hypothesis--there is significant difference between students' passing rate--was rejected; the alternative hypothesis--there is significant difference between students' passing rate--was accepted only for Tables 6-7 to Tables 7-9.

In tables 8 and 9, the calculated z-statistic (.84) did not exceed the critical z-value ([+ or -] 2.58) during the fall, 2006 and the spring, 2007 semesters. Therefore, it was concluded that the passing rate of students is different from semester to semester except for Tables 8-9.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

As technology advances, course developers must plan for interactive collaborations among faculty and students in the most convenient setting. E-learning allows faculty and students to join networks that overcome institutional or geographical boundaries.

Not only did E-Learning play a key role in the survival of SUNO post-Katrina and Rita, but it also revitalized the academic environment with motivated faculty/staff and eager students. SUNO's E-learning program has grown from 15 to 148 courses over an 18-month period, partly out of necessity but also for convenience. The number of students participating in on-line classes has also increased from 558 (pre-Katrina) to approximately 3117 (post-Katrina). These statistics attest to the success and popularity of SUNO's E-learning program and signify the start of a new beginning.

Designing an E-learning program requires various considerations. Faculty should notify the Recruitment and Retention Department of student participation in on-line curricula by the end of the second week of the semester. On-line course content should strictly adhere to course syllabi presented to students. Prompt faculty response to student concerns/questions is critical. Faculty should advise students as to their course loads (traditional and on-line) based on students' commitments and work responsibilities.

Based on its overall positive result, the E-learning program implemented by SUNO may serve as a model for other institutions in regions affected by natural disasters. The implications of this model have shown that teaching and learning as well as attitudes on campus can be positively affected by incorporating E-learning technologies as part of a pedagogical design change.

REFERENCES

Arabasz, P. and Baker, M. (2003). Evolving Campus Support Models for E-Learning Courses. Educause Center for Applied Research.

Glenn, J. (2001). Education is the Key to future Dreams. Communication of the ACM, 44(3), 137-138.

Horton, W. (2001). Leading e-Learning. Retrieved August 21, 2007 from www.e-learningguru.com/new_code/books/leading.pdf

Kinnaman, D. (1995). The future of Distance Education. Technology and Learning, vol. 15, 58.

Koschembahr, C. (2005). Optimizing Your Sales workforce through Mobile Learning. Learning Circuits ASTD's source from E-Learning.

Louisiana Board of Regents. (n.d.) Retrieved November 5, 2007, from http://www.regents.state.la.us/

Pope, J. (2007). UNO virtual campus to be used after storms. Second Life system provides on-line classes. The Times Picayune. Pg. A-5.

Reasons for Growth in E-Learning (2006). Retrieved August 21, 2007 from www.maple.ubc.ca/mapletest/revisions_ded/downloads/126230e.pdf

Starkman, N. (2006). One To One: The Future. T.H.E. Focus.

Smith, J. (2000). UW-Stout's Diversity Connections Project uses Technology to Expand Students' Experiences. Teaching with Technology Today, vol. 6.1.

Southern University at New Orleans. (n.d.) Retrieved November 5, 2007, from http://www.suno.edu/

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Weinstein, P. (1997). Education goes the distance: Overview. Technology & Learning, Vol. 17, 24-25.

Adnan Omar, Southern University at New Orleans

Ada Kwanbunbumpen, Southern University at New Orleans Table 1: On-line Classes Offered at SUNO Pre/Post Katrina Number of Semester Classes Spring 2005 15 Spring 2006 89 Fall 2006 128 Spring 2007 148 Table 2: On-line Enrollment Pre/Post-Katrina Number of Semester Students Spring 2005 558 Spring 2006 2445 Fall 2006 3085 Spring 2007 3117 Table 3: Student Enrollment at SUNO Pre/Post-Katrina Number of Semester Students Fall 2005 * 3729 Fall 2005 ** 700 Spring 2006 2040 Fall 2006 2196 Spring 2007 2344 * Pre-Katrina ** Post-Katrina, Southern University-Baton Rouge Table 4: Student Response to MGIS 164 On-line Course SA A N D SD I 45% 25% 15% 8% 7% II 62% 30% 2% 4% 2% III 60% 24% 7% 4% 5% IV 65% 21% 8% 3% 3% V 56% 25% 12% 5% 2% Average 58% 25% 9% 5% 4% Table 5: Faculty Response to the Quality of E-learning SA A N D SD N/A I 52% 24% 10% 10% 4% 0% II 72% 19% 7% 2% 0% 0% III 24% 22% 28% 12% 10% 4% IV 24% 26% 17% 10% 10% 13% V 33% 24% 24% 7% 7% 5% Average 41% 23% 17% 8% 7% 4% Table 6: Online Grade Distribution Spring 2005 Class A B C D F I P W Total Level FR 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 3 GR 216 14 1 0 2 0 0 4 237 JR 5 0 5 0 3 4 36 8 61 NF 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 SO 0 0 1 0 2 7 17 3 30 SR 46 22 10 1 0 3 105 12 199 SUC 6 8 4 1 1 1 0 6 27 Total 273 44 21 2 10 16 158 34 558 Table 7: Online Grade Distribution Spring 2006 Class A B C D F Level FR 39 31 29 16 78 GR 68 88 11 1 20 JR 70 65 37 12 48 NF 6 13 17 3 50 SO 47 62 45 12 88 SPU 2 1 1 0 0 SR 200 197 120 22 70 SUC 14 21 8 1 11 SUG 3 0 7 3 0 Total 749 478 275 70 365 Class I P W Total Level FR 4 1 49 247 GR 4 0 84 276 JR 2 15 78 327 NF 0 0 13 102 SO 4 5 82 345 SPU 0 0 0 4 SR 8 49 88 754 SUC 0 0 11 66 SUG 1 0 10 24 Total 23 70 415 2445 Table 8: Online Grade Distribution Fall 2006 Class Level A B C D F FR 60 65 73 26 215 GR 213 64 5 1 4 JR 90 86 80 20 150 NF 9 6 23 9 66 SO 82 80 79 20 170 SPU 3 1 1 1 0 SR 233 202 144 38 128 SUC 17 8 4 1 4 SUG 2 5 3 0 3 Total 709 517 412 116 740 Class Level I P W Total FR 2 2 89 535 GR 17 0 23 329 JR 6 14 102 549 NF 0 0 17 132 SO 8 9 124 572 SPU 0 0 0 6 SR 3 24 127 899 SUC 1 0 13 48 SUG 0 0 2 15 Total 37 49 497 3085 Table 9: Online Grade Distribution Spring 2007 Class Level A B C D F I P W Total FR 51 81 73 27 156 22 2 114 526 GR 179 65 12 0 3 55 0 14 328 JR 114 102 83 28 92 44 18 70 551 NF 6 8 6 4 9 3 0 9 45 SO 92 101 91 29 105 40 8 124 590 SPU 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 SR 255 220 166 47 96 27 34 99 944 SUC 36 26 8 3 5 6 0 3 87 SUG 9 13 3 0 9 0 0 10 44 Total 743 617 442 138 475 197 62 443 3117 Table 10: Online Students' Passing Rate-Failing Rate Analysis Tables Semesters N a 6&7 spring 2005 [n.sup.1] = 350 0.01 spring 2006 [n.sup.2] = 1937 6&8 spring 2005 & [n.sup.1] = 350 0.01 fall 2006 [n.sup.2] = 2492 6&9 spring 2005 & [n.sup.1] = 350 0.01 spring 2007 [n.sup.2] = 2415 7&8 spring 2006 & [n.sup.1] = 1937 0.01 fall 2006 [n.sup.2] = 2494 7&9 spring 2006 & [n.sup.1] =1937 0.01 spring 2007 [n.sup.2] = 2415 8&9 fall 2006 & [n.sup.1] = 2494 0.01 spring 2007 [n.sup.2] = 2415 z- critical Tables Semesters statistics z-value 6&7 spring 2005 7.51 [+ or -] 2.58 spring 2006 6&8 spring 2005 & 10.65 [+ or -] 2.58 fall 2006 6&9 spring 2005 & 7.74 [+ or -] 2.58 spring 2007 7&8 spring 2006 & 8.40 [+ or -] 2.58 fall 2006 7&9 spring 2006 & -8.09 [+ or -] 2.58 spring 2007 8&9 fall 2006 & 0.84 [+ or -] 2.58 spring 2007 Figure 3: How would you rate On-line Courses? Excellent 26% Good 34% Satisfactory 18% Poor 11% Does Not Apply 8% Null 3% Note: Table made from pie chart. Figure 4: Of the credit hours for which you are registered, how many are on-line? 1-3 30% 4-6 19% 7-9 9% 10-12 4% 12 More 4% All On-line 18% Null 16% Note: Table made from pie chart. Figure 5: Have you activated your SUNO student e-mail account? Yes 56% No 38% Null 6% Note: Table made from pie chart. Figure 6: Have you activated your SUNO Blackboard account? Yes 94% No 2% Null 4% Note: Table made from pie chart.