The Formal Report was the culmination of several weeks of research, writing, review, and revisions. It was required to include an introductory section, a data section, and a conclusion section. The introductory section was meant to outline the problem, research methods, data sources, and limitations. The data section was meant to summarize the research findings. The conclusion section was meant to summarize the main research findings, and then provide a list of recommendations to the intended recipient of the report. The report was also to include an Abstract, Appendix, and accompanying Letter of Transmittal to the intended recipient.
I thoroughly enjoyed working on the report. I had not previously conducted surveys or interviews to gather research, and I thought it was a fantastic experience. It was an interesting to set up the Qualtrics survey and get the appropriate amount of participation for the report. Obtaining participation by simply posting the link on the Computer Science students’ Discord channel was not sufficient. I also needed reach out to students individually and ask them to fill it out. This was not too difficult, as the survey only required a few minutes to be completed. It was also interesting gathering the instructors’ perspectives on online and in-person course delivery. Certain points were brought up during the interviews that I had not considered. For example, I did not realize how much variation there was in supporting an online course. One professor mentioned that they found the workload for supporting an online course to be two to three times that of an in-person course. The other professor mentioned that they did not find the increase in workload to be substantial at all. Both professors appreciated the opportunity to sit down and talk about their experiences.
I also enjoyed coming up with the list of recommendations for the report. It was an interesting exercise balancing the positive and negative aspects of online learning with in-person learning, and proposing a solution which would strike that balance. Framing the argument in such a way that it sounded beneficial to the head of the Computer Science department was challenging, as the transition to hybrid course delivery seemed to primarily benefit students. To address this, I emphasized the positive aspects of online learning that the course instructors identified, and mentioned that these aspects would be present in the hybrid course delivery model.
I am pleased with the final product for this report. I hope that you enjoy reading it!