Earlier this year, the Sage Campus content team interviewed 8 Campus learners to better understand why they engaged with our courses to enhance our instructional design for future courses. Interviewees came from the US, the UK, Northern Europe, and China; they were Undergrad and Graduate level students taking a range of subjects; we interviewed one learner who was a Librarian. The feedback from learners revealed several important insights about our online courses, and here are five key takeaways.
1. Diverse Learning Objectives:
Campus courses cater to a wide range of learning objectives. Learners used Campus courses to improve research skills, gain knowledge in data science, refine their information navigation skills, learn how to get published, as well as prepare for exams. Learners also explained how the courses helped them enhance essay-writing and reading strategies and build confidence when handling literature reviews. The platform served both those seeking to refresh existing skills and those looking to acquire entirely new ones! Some learners even incorporated Campus courses into their master’s degree projects, citing how this improved their overall experience!
“Without these courses, my Masters’ degree would’ve been a miserable time, but thanks to you, it wasn’t.”
2. Time Spent:
The time spent on courses varied and learners have different approaches to time commitment, with some learners dedicating 2-3 hours in a single session, while others revisited courses over several weeks. Some learners adhered to specific time recommendations, like spending 90 minutes on each of two assigned courses. This kind of flexibility in course engagement is important to us when making our online courses, to accommodate various learning styles! Learners provided positive feedback on the overall length of the courses, favoring shorter ones that were more engaging, so we will be sure to follow this route when developing our future courses.
3. Feedback on Course Instructors:
Course Instructors received fantastic feedback, with learners appreciating their expertise, guidance, and the clear structure they provided in the courses. Instructors were described as "thorough," "memorable," and not patronizing. Learners felt they could trust the content and valued the personal focus on their strengths. Learners also praised the teaching pace and style set by instructors, citing how the instructors helped with the flow, information chunking, and clarity of materials.
“The instructor was good at talking about what we were going to be doing next, so that I knew where we were in the process.”
4. Campus Differentiators:
Learners seemed to prefer Campus over other online course providers for several reasons. They said that this was down to Campus courses offering constant access to all content, trustworthy instructors, a variety of interactives, and free certificates upon course completion. These certificates earned upon course completion were valued as emotional boosters and were often shared on platforms like LinkedIn. These kinds of incentives meant our learners favoured Campus courses over some other alternatives.
Our librarian also told us that Campus distinguishes itself from other online course providers by the lack of affiliation with specific universities, which contributed to consistent quality and focus in the materials, and praised the short, structured modules with clear language, making course materials accessible even to those for whom English is not their first language.
5. Feedback on Interactives and Course Features:
Learners loved the variety of interactives, activities and features within our online courses. They found videos engaging and valuable for understanding complex concepts and told us that the quality and duration of videos were just right, and helped summarize essential points. “I liked that the video was active learning, and not just taking in information… [such as] when they asked you to do something specific - like, here’s a visual and you should think about what you like about it and then have a go yourself.” the Graduate Engineering student remarked.
Interactive features like quizzes, knowledge checks, and self-assessment questions were well-received. Learners found them effective in making the course content memorable and helping them identify key concepts and themes. Learners prefer a variety of question styles within knowledge checks, and said that scenario-based questions were particularly effective in aiding learning.
“It was useful to have the prompts to reflect on my learning when there isn’t the opportunity to interact directly with the instructor. It forced me to slow down a bit.”
Detailed feedback for all questions was appreciated. Rather than a simple “right or wrong” indicator, they prefer explanations that help them understand their performance and learn from their mistakes. Learners suggested more rigorous knowledge checks at the end of courses to help them assess their overall progress. While not all learners remember workbooks, those who do find them helpful for organizing their thoughts and notes. Some learners suggested framing workbooks as tools for notetaking and organization. Notifications or reminders to return to the course or explore other courses were not widely mentioned but may be considered as an option for engagement in the future. These insights will help guide the improvement and enhancement of activities in our online courses!
Listening to the feedback from learners was exciting, interesting, and enormously helpful! Overall, it seems that Campus courses serve a diverse range of learners with various goals, and the positive feedback highlights the platform's strengths, including accessible content, trustworthy instructors, a variety of interactives, and the value of certificates. The feedback underscores the importance of clear and engaging course materials. Improvements in course length, quiz question wording, and the inclusion of more rigorous knowledge checks is something we have already started implementing in the development of our 2025 courses. These insights provide valuable information on the diverse needs and preferences of learners and highlight the strengths and differentiating factors of Campus as an online learning platform.
Sage Campus is created with the learner in mind, empowering you to expand your skillset and prepare for the business world. From mastering foundational principles to honing specialized expertise, our online courses cater to the diverse needs and aspirations of future business leaders.
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