8 Metrics Every Course Creator Needs to Track 8 Metrics Every Course Creator Should Track

Sep 1, 2022

The course creators are constantly looking for ways to improve their classes. One way to do this is to listen to the students.

Of course, the problem is that a lot of your learners won't always be able to tell you what's happening within your class. Some will leave the course, cancel their subscription, or complete the class and then disappear but you'll never know what happened to them.

Monitoring online course metrics can help to determine what students are thinking about your course, and the ways to enhance it.

More is involved in metrics than measuring the rate of completion for a course. No course will have an exact completion whenever life happens or the learner's motives change or the circumstances alter.

Let's look at the eight online course metrics you should be tracking and how you can use the data to improve success.

Progression and Performance of Learners

      Metric 1: Course Progression      

On a basic level, students who progress through your class at a fast speed are probably interested and engaged. That could indicate strong instructional design you are able to duplicate or show to other students.

While monitoring course progress Be sure to ask these questions:

  • What is the time it takes for a learner to complete an entire lesson?
  • What speed do they move throughout each lesson and topic?
  • What ideas seem simple but which are complex?
  • If learners consistently drag the course, what can I do to clarify the issue?

Learning Satisfaction, Approval and Satisfaction of the Learner.

      Metric 2: Surveys at exit      

The fact that a student has completed a course doesn't mean they loved the course. It is advisable to conduct surveys after the course is completed (and once learners know their opinions won't impact the final grade.) A quick exit survey can capture initial impressions.

      Metric3: course evaluations      

      Metric 4: Instructor effectiveness      

The best instructors may waver when presenting online courses. Be sure to observe how instructors are responding to learner requests and how they're communicating with learners. This is crucial to observe if instructors alter however, not the content of the course. Do you notice a change in engagement?

      Metric 5, Discussions and comments      

Online discussion threads can be a fantastic way for students to study materials together, and to feel an atmosphere of belonging. Check group discussions for the way that learners discuss and engaging with the subject. Certain levels of involvement within the discussion board could prove to be valid!

Learner Competency And Proficiency

      Metric 6: Quiz Scores      

      Metric 7: The quality of assignment submissions      

The quality and depth of the assignments can help you to get a sense for how learners engage with your class. If possible, offer students their own feedback after each task (or look over the feedback the instructor has left). This helps you understand how students are overcoming roadblocks. It can also lead to higher success rates (and evaluations!) for individuals who are learners.

      Metric 8 Certifications and Retakes      

How long do learners stay enrolled in your course, and are they returning for more? What percentage of them complete the course and receive a certificate, or how many need to retake the final test? An impressive completion rate is a simple statistic that to track, without requiring the students to submit an explicit review.

Does your LMS Offer Metrics that can be customized?

  • Check out a quick snapshot of your enrollment and pending assignments when you log in
  • Track student progress in real time and track how students move throughout the course and keep tabs on scores from tests.
  • You can manage assignments by approving or deleting assignments
  • Advanced reports can be run and exported the course information to CSV or Excel files. CSV or Excel spreadsheet

Are you interested in seeing it working? Check out our webinar replay on ProPanel to learn how these features work in your next class.

If you're looking to play, check out ProPanel through our live demonstration.