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Online Instructional Resources
Documenting and Evaluating Teaching: Student Ratings
Introduction
Research into Student Ratings
Constructing Effective Evaluations
Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG)
Student ratings of instruction, although widely used on college and university
campuses, remain a subject of controversy, surrounded by myths and assumptions
often not corroborated by research. The first few sites below present research
into student ratings. The sites following these provide information on constructing,
administering, and interpreting the data, including suggestions for using student
evaluations to improve teaching. The last two sites provide an alternative to
the standard student evaluation form: an instrument that focuses on student
learning gains.
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Research into Student Ratings
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“Student Ratings of Teaching: A Summary of the Research,”
William E. Cashin, Kansas State University. (IDEA Paper #20, September 1988).
Adobe Acrobat/PDF.
Summarizes what research shows about the reliability, validity, and possible
bias of student evaluations of teaching. Concludes that student ratings can
be useful when used in combination with other sources of data.
http://www.theideacenter.org/sites/default/files/Idea_Paper_20.pdf
“Student Ratings of Teaching: The Research Revisited,”
William E. Cashin, Kansas State University (IDEA Paper #32, September 1995).
Adobe Acrobat/PDF.
An update of IDEA Paper #20 (listed above), this paper summarizes the results
of research on student ratings from 1971 to 1995. Concludes once again that
student ratings tend to be useful but should only be used as one source of data
among multiple sources.
http://www.theideacenter.org/sites/default/files/Idea_Paper_32.pdf
“Student Ratings of College Teaching: What Research Has to Say,”
Lucy C. Jacobs (Indiana University Bloomington, Evaluation Services and Testing).
Summarizes research into factors that do and do not influence student ratings
other than teaching performance: course characteristics, student characteristics,
instructor characteristics, and administration of ratings.
http://www.indiana.edu/~best/multiop/ratings.shtml
“Questions Frequently Asked About Student Ratings Forms: Summary
of Research Findings,” Matthew Kaplan, Lisa A. Mets, Constance
E. Cook. (University of Michigan, Center for Research on Learning and Teaching).
FAQs and answers based on research into student evaluations of teaching. Has
extensive bibliography.
http://www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/studentratingfaq.php
“What Do Student Ratings Mean?” Kathleen McKinney
(Illinois State University, Center for the Advancement of Teaching). National
Teaching and Learning Forum, Vol. 7, No.1, December 1997.
Starts with a true/false quiz on assumptions about student ratings (with answer
key), and goes on to discuss research findings about the validity and reliability
of student evaluations. Suggests ways to use student evaluations more effectively.
http://www.ntlf.com/html/pi/9712/rwatch_1.htm
“What Do They Know, Anyway?” Richard M. Felder
(North Carolina State University). Chemical Engineering Education, Vol. 26,
No. 3, Summer 1992.
Myths about student evaluations and facts supported by research.
http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Columns/Eval.html
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Constructing Effective Evaluations
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“What Do They Know, Anyway? II. Making Evaluations Effective,”
Richard M. Felder (North Carolina State University). Chemical Engineering Education,
Vol. 27, No. 3, Winter 1993.
Useful ideas for constructing, using, and interpreting student evaluations.
http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Columns/Eval2.html
“Student Ratings of Teaching: Recommendations for Use,”
William E. Cashin, Kansas State University. (IDEA Paper #22, January 1990).
Adobe Acrobat/PDF.
This paper makes 34 recommendations for the effective and appropriate use of
student ratings of teaching.
http://www.theideacenter.org/sites/default/files/Idea_Paper_22.pdf
Student Evaluations (Vanderbilt University, Center for Teaching).
Tips for making sense of student evaluations, links to online resources for
interpreting them and online research summaries.
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/cft/resources/teaching_resources/reflecting/evaluations.htm
Student Evaluation of Teaching (University of North Carolina,
Center for Teaching and Learning).
Guidelines for constructing, administering, and interpreting student evaluation
forms, and using student feedback to improve teaching.
http://cfe.unc.edu/pdfs/FYC16.pdf
“Using Student Evaluations to Improve Teaching,” Speaking of Teaching, Stanford University Newsletter on Teaching, Fall
1997, Vol. 9, No. 1. Adobe Acrobat/PDF.
Specific suggestions for interpreting student evaluations and using them to
improve teaching.
http://ctl.stanford.edu/Newsletter/student_evaluations.pdf
“A Punitive Bureaucratic Tool or a Valuable Resource? Using Student
Evaluations to Enhance Your Teaching,” Sarah Moore and Nyiel
Kuol, University of Limerick. In AISHE Readings: Emerging Issues in the Practice
of University Learning and Teaching, 2005.
This article focuses on faculty reaction to student evaluations of teaching
and explores individual strategies for analyzing student feedback in ways that
will enhance future teaching. Also discusses design issues for a student evaluation
system.
http://www.aishe.org/readings/2005-1/moore-A_punitive_bureaucratic_tool_or_a_valuable_resource.html
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Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG)
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Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG)
This site offers a free student rating instrument designed to provide feedback
on what students perceive they have gained from a course. Includes examples
of SALG rating forms from a wide variety of courses in the sciences, social
sciences, and humanities. It is intended to supplement or replace traditional
student evaluations of teaching. Faculty can register to set up their own course
evaluations using the SALG template.
http://www.salgsite.org/
Assessment of Student Learning Gains
Contains the full text of the instrument described above, designed to assess
student learning gains in a course.
http://newtraditions.chem.wisc.edu/Flag/downloads/Gains_srvyform.htm
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