I have taught at several universities and learned that the questionaires for course evaluation often do not follow the simplest rules of questionnaire design. Moreover, the answers are often biased for reasons of factual logic alone. Open feedback rounds seem to me to be more suitable for improving teaching from my point of view. What's your opinion?
Dear Christian,
I also like blank sheet of paper feedback to get what people are really thinking. However, there are some principles of teaching evaluation questionnaire design and deployment which could make the responses more valid and helpful in improving teaching.
I think good teaching doesn't dependend from evaluations, this doesn't mean that evaluations coudn't be helpful. But to put the own energiy in measure instruments is the one, to teach quite another thing. Some people may be proud to have develop good instruments for evaluation. But seldom they are good teachers.
It is through evaluation results that a teacher can say that his teaching styles or methodolgies arE effective or not in THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE EVALUATION PROCEDURE IS CORRECTLY ADMINISTERED AND DONE FREQUENTLY WITHIN THE TERM OF EVALUATION.
In terms of content of tbe course evaluations, teachers will know how effective are they in teaching the contents or competencies of the course through the results of evaluations. If such competencies or contents are being mastered by the students then the concern teacher is effective. But if not the teacher fails to do his task. However, there might be other factors that can explain the situation of not mastering. Why we have let our students pass or fail the ckurse we taught? It is because of evaluation.
Evaluations of teaching and learning activities are carried out for a number of reasons. Some reasons relate to teaching activities and some to learning activities. Some reasons relate to identifying levels of professional competence. Individual professionals may seek feedback beyond that which can be gained by traditional assessment tools. Managerial or organisational professionals may carry out evaluation activities intended to describe and control the conduct of professionals. Researchers make seek better data about the teaching and learning processes to gain a broader insight to processes in which they are not directly participants. Lastly interest groups from all sectors of society make seek data about professional activities which are rarely well known.
Perhaps the most important considerations relate to the motivations and criteria used by the evaluator. While it takes anywhere from three to ten years to become a practicing professional educator everyone has experienced an education and has an opinion about what did happen and should have happened to them.
As in most teaching and learning related activities the aims of the evaluation activity should be clearly and unambiguously stated. The way in which the evaluation activity contributes to achieving the aims should be detailed. The actual evaluation instrument design and content should be consistent with a set of objectives that link clearly with the aims. The distribution and limits on the use of the data produced by the evaluation processes should declared to participants and protect the best interests of the individuals who provide and thus own the data.
Educators can assist in preserving the integrity of the profession both by engaging in evaluation activities that ensure appropriate formulation and ethical conduct from initiation to archiving. Professional critique that exposes unacceptable evaluation activities and suggests ethically acceptable options can enhance the integrity and independence the profession.
So well done Christian in drawing attention to the on-going issue of the need for appropriate motivations and forms of evaluation.
Paul: My university uses a company called IDEA to evaluate student feedback of each professor. IDEA has developed a very detailed form for each student to complete at the end of the semester. Learn more about IDEA at this link:
https://www.ideaedu.org/Services/Services-to-Improve-Teaching-and-Learning/Student-Ratings-of-Instruction
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