Recognize Instructor Names and Enroll on Site
Review and Check Course Feedback Before Purchase Decision
Top Instructors' Influence Overwhelming
Preferred: Kim Dongwook, Hyun Woojin, Lee Myunghak, Lee Jiyoung, Oh Jihoon
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] It has been revealed that the top priority for examinees when choosing lectures is the 'instructor.' Among subjects, instructors Kim Dong-wook, Yoo Dae-jun, Jung Seung-je, Hyun Woo-jin, Lee Myung-hak, Lee Ji-young, and Oh Ji-hoon ranked at the top.
On the 8th, Uway, an educational evaluation organization, conducted a survey from the 1st to the 4th targeting 1,097 members of its online admissions site Uway.com. As a result, 36.3% of students answered that they "know the instructor's name and take lectures on that site."
Instructor Recognition Directly Influences Purchase... Reviews Also Considered
The brand recognition of instructors is the key factor influencing purchases, and companies prioritize displaying the top-selling instructors at the top of the online lecture sites. The second most common response, at 32%, was that students first access the lecture site and watch sample lectures before enrolling. Following that, 13.0% said they choose lectures after reviewing the curriculum on the site, and 12.9% said they unconditionally select the number one instructor.
Regarding factors considered when purchasing courses (multiple responses allowed), 'online lecture review sites' (28.8%) was the most common answer, closely followed by 'course reviews on the lecture site (including comments)' (27.7%). Next were ▲admissions specialized portals and blog bulletin boards at 20.1% ▲private education admissions consultant recommendations at 10.6% ▲public education teacher recommendations at 8.9%, among others.
Since evaluations by online lecture attendees are an important purchasing criterion, instructors inevitably pay close attention to reviews. Recently, there was a case where a top Korean language instructor was arrested by prosecutors for posting defamatory content about competing companies and instructors while pretending to be a student.
Lee Man-gi, director of the Uway Educational Evaluation Research Institute, explained, "There are many inquiries about courses and instructors in student communities, and instructor research offices are also known to be interested in these matters. If an instructor wishes, there is ample opportunity to produce false posts that significantly influence course purchases, so self-regulation efforts within the industry are absolutely necessary."
Who Are the Top Instructors by Subject?
According to the survey on instructor preference by subject, instructors famous as top instructors ranked first and second. In Korean language, Kim Dong-wook (Company M, 15.8%) took first place, but the gap with the second-tier instructors was not large. Following were ▲Yoo Dae-jong (Company S, 14.9%) ▲Kim Min-jung (Company E, 13.9%) ▲Kang Min-chul (Company M, 13.8%) ▲Kim Seung-ri (Company D, 12.8%). Kang Min-chul entered online lectures for the first time this year, but his offline popularity carried over online. By grade level, Kang Min-chul was preferred in the top tier, Kim Dong-wook in the second tier, and Yoo Dae-jong in the third to fourth tiers.
In mathematics, Jung Seung-je (Company E, 19.1%) and Hyun Woo-jin (Company M, 18.9%) had overwhelming preference. Although Hyun Woo-jin is estimated to have a dominant market share and sales, this survey showed Jung Seung-je slightly ahead in preference. Following them were ▲Lee Mi-ji (Company E, 10.8%) ▲Jung Sang-mo (Company D, 8.9%) in third and fourth places. By grade level, Hyun Woo-jin was preferred in the top two tiers, and Jung Seung-je in the third to fifth tiers.
Survey Results on Preferences for Online Lecturers in English, Social Studies, and Science Subjects (Source: Uway)
In English, Lee Myung-hak (Company D, 28.9%) showed overwhelming preference. Next were ▲Jo Jeong-sik (Company M, 15.8%) ▲Grace (Company E, 10%) ▲Shim Woo-cheol (Company E, 9.1%) ▲Kim Ki-hoon (Company M, 9%) ▲Jo Eun-jung (Company S, 8.8%). Lee Myung-hak was distinctly preferred across all grade levels. Although not included in the survey answers, there were also preferences for instructors Jeon Hong-cheol (Company S) and Joo Hye-yeon (Company E, new), a former active teacher.
In social studies and science inquiry subjects, instructor preference is influenced by the ratio of elective subjects. For social studies, the preference ranking was ▲General Social Studies/Ethics Lee Ji-young (Company E, 20.3%) ▲History Lee Da-ji (Company M, 18.9%) ▲Geography Lee Ki-sang (Company M, 15.6%) ▲General Social Studies/Ethics Lim Jeong-hwan (Company D, 12.1%). In the top tier, Lee Da-ji and Lee Ki-sang were preferred, while in the second to fifth tiers, Lee Ji-young was favored.
In science inquiry physics, the preference was ▲Bae Ki-beom (Company M, 43.3%) ▲Ahn Cheol-woo (Company D, 14.4%), and in chemistry ▲Park Sang-hyun (Company E, 35.9%) ▲Go Seok-yong (Company M, 31.5%). In biology, ▲Yoon Do-young (Company D, 55.1%) ▲Han Jong-cheol (Company M, 34.9%), and in earth science ▲Oh Ji-hoon (Company M, 44.5%) ▲Eom Young-dae (Company M, 22.7%). The higher selection rate of instructors compared to other subjects is related to the number of instructors presented as options.
Examinees choose instructors based on intellectual ability, lecture skills, content, appearance competitiveness, communication skills, and lecture difficulty. Uway analyzed that, based on this survey, not only intellectual and lecture abilities but also appearance competitiveness and communication skills with examinees are significant factors that cannot be ignored.
Director Lee Man-gi advised, "When selecting online lectures or instructors, do not blindly trust course reviews, comments, or review site results. Instead, carefully examine the instructor's textbooks and curriculum, watch sample lectures thoroughly, and then make a comprehensive judgment."
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