New Survey from Simple Higher Ed Reveals the Real Impact of Course Readiness Gaps
TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A new national survey from Simple Higher Ed reveals that students overwhelmingly encounter courses that are not fully prepared when the term begins, and the impact is measurable. From missing content to broken links, students say these gaps cost them time, lower their grades, and undermine their learning experience.
Eighty-six percent of respondents reported that disorganized courses caused wasted study time, and more than half said it directly led to a lower grade. Over eighty percent believe their school needs stronger processes to ensure all courses are ready before the first day.
"These results show that incomplete courses cost students valuable learning time and can hurt performance," said Wes Miller, CEO of Simple Higher Ed. "We encourage students to show up prepared on the first day of class, it's important to make sure the learning environment meets the same standard."
Key Findings from the Survey
- 82% Have taken a course that felt incomplete, with content not fully ready for student access.
- 76% Were unable to access course content online on day one because it was not fully set up.
- 74% Encountered an assignment where the due date was missing or incorrect.
- 61% Found placeholder text still visible after the term started.
- 79% Clicked on a link in a course that was broken or led to the wrong resource.
- 79% Experienced typos, broken formatting, or copy-paste errors in official course documents.
Research from Quality Matters, the Online Learning Consortium, and EDUCAUSE confirms that well-prepared courses improve satisfaction, retention, and equity. The student perspective in this survey reinforces those findings and highlights an urgent need for better pre-term checks.
Course readiness solutions, such as Simple Prep, help institutions verify content accuracy, ensure accessibility, and address issues before they disrupt the learning experience. This survey underscores how vital readiness is in a digital-first learning environment.
As the start of the term approaches, schools must prioritize details that can easily be overlooked. With course content becoming increasingly digital, a clear and consistent solution is essential.
Survey Methodology
The survey was conducted in July 2025 via SurveyMonkey at a 95 percent confidence level. Respondents represented a mix of two-year, four-year, and graduate programs across multiple U.S. regions.
Visit the Simple Higher Ed website to learn more about its research.
Media Contact
Matthew Compton-Clark, Simple Higher Ed, 1 (813) 279-5443, [email protected], https://simplehighered.com/
SOURCE Simple Higher Ed
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