From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A course evaluation is a paper or electronic
questionnaire, which requires a written or selected response
answer to a series of questions in order to evaluate the
instruction of a given course. The term may also refer to the
completed survey form or a summary of responses to
questionnaires.
They are a means to produce useful feedback which the teacher
and school can use to improve their quality of instruction. The
process of (a) gathering information about the impact of
learning and of teaching practice on student learning, (b)
analyzing and interpreting this information, and (c) responding
to and acting on the results, is valuable for several reasons
(Rahman, 2006). They are beneficial because instructors can
review how others interpret their teaching methods, thereby
improving their instruction. The information can be also used by
administrators, along with other input, to make summative
decisions (e.g., decisions about promotion, tenure, salary
increases, etc.) and make formative recommendations (e.g.,
identify areas where a faculty member needs to improve)
(Dunegan, and Hrivnak, 2003). Typically, these evaluations are
combined with peer evaluations, supervisor evaluations, and
results of students test scores to create an overall picture of
teaching performance. Course evaluations are implemented in one
of two ways, either summative or formative.
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Contents
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1
Course Evaluation Instrument
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2
Summative Evaluation
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3
Formative Evaluation
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4
Benefits for students
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5
See also
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6
References
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7
Course evaluation services
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8
External Link
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Course Evaluation Instrument
Course evaluation instruments generally include the following
variables such as communication skills, organizational skills,
enthusiasm, flexibility, attitude toward the student, teacher
student interaction, encouragement of the student, knowledge of
the subject, clarity of presentation, course difficulty,
fairness of grading and exams, and global student rating (Kim,
Damewood, & Hodge, 2000; Tang, 1997).
Summative Evaluation
Summative Evaluation occurs at the end of a semester, usually
a week or two before the last day of class. The evaluation is
performed by the current students of the class. Students have
the option to reflect on the teachers instruction without fear
of punishment because course evaluations are completely
confidential and anonymous. This can be done in one of two ways;
either with a paper form or with online technology. Typically,
in a paper based format, the paper form is distributed by a
student while the teacher is out of the room. It is then sealed
in an envelope and the teacher will not see it until after final
grades are submitted. The online version can be identical to a
paper version or more detailed, using branching question
technology to glean more information from the student. Both ways
allow the student to be able to provide useful and honest
feedback. This feedback is to be used by teachers to improve the
quality of their instruction. The information can also be used
to evaluate the overall effectiveness of a teacher, particularly
for tenure and promotion decisions (Mohanty, Gretes, Flowers,
Algozzine, & Spooner, 2005).
Formative Evaluation
Formative Evaluation typically occurs when changes can take
place during the current semester, although many institutions
consider written comments on how to improve formative as well.
Typically this form of evaluation is performed by peer
consultation. Other experienced teachers will review one of
their peers instructions. The purpose of this evaluation is for
the teacher to receive constructive criticism on teaching.
Generally, peer teachers will sit in on a few lessons given by
the teacher and take notes on their methods. Later on the team
of peer teachers will meet with the said teacher and provide
useful, non-threatening feedback on their lessons. The peer team
will offer suggestions on improvement, which the said teacher
can choose to implement.
Peer feedback is given to the instructor typically in the
form of an open session meeting. The peers first reflect on the
qualities that were good in the instruction. Then they move on
to areas that need improvement. Next the instructor will make
suggestions for improvement and receive feedback on those ideas.
Students can also participate in formative evaluation.
Student evaluations are formative when their purpose is to help
faculty members improve and enhance their teaching skills
(Mohanty, Gretes, Flowers, Algozzine, & Spooner, 2005). The
teachers may require their students to complete written
evaluation, participate in ongoing dialogue or directed
discussions during the course of the semester.
Benefits for students
Some forms of course evaluation make the individual responses
from students or a summary of students' responses about a
particular instructor or course available to students as well as
instructors. Some student-organized course evaluation services
allow only other students to read their peers' comments and do
not even make the responses available to instructors. Students
can benefit from the ability to review others' evaluations of
courses because it can provide them with a better sense of what
a particular instructor or class is like. In schools where
students have many course options and are free to choose many
electives or even design their entire educational program, this
sort of information is extremely valuable in making educated
decisions about which courses to take.
See also
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Assessment
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Educational evaluation
References
- Dunegan, K. J. & Hrivnak, M. W. (2003). Characteristics
of mindless teaching evaluations and the moderating effects
of image compatibility. Journal of Management Education,
27(3), 280303.
- Kim, C., Damewood, E., & Hodge, N. (2000). Professor
attitude: Its effect on teaching evaluations. Journal of
Management Education, 24(4), 458-473.
- Mohanty, G., Gretes, J., Flowers, C., Algozzine, B., &
Spooner, F. (2005). Multi-method evaluation of instruction
in engineering classes. Journal of Personnel Evaluation
in Education, 18(2), 139151.
- Rahman, K. (2006). Learning from your business lectures:
Using stepwise regression to understand course evaluation
data. Journal of American Academy of Business, 19(2),
272-279.
- Tang, T. L. (1997). Teaching evaluation at a public
institution of higher education: Factors related to the
overall teaching effectiveness. Public Personnel
Management, 26(3), 379-391.
Course evaluation services
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Critical Review (Brown)
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RateMyProfessors.com
External Link
Categories:
Educational assessment and evaluation |
Educational personnel assessment and evaluation
