Resource teaching evaluation tool for higher education settings

Teaching Evaluation

Teacher evaluation

Teaching evaluation tool: Review

The "Training Evaluation Form" from the Computer Science Department of Baker College contains 11 quantitatively-graded items that are evaluated by the student on a scale of 'strongly agree' to 'strongly disagree' or 'excellent' to 'poor.' There is also the option of a neutral or 'average' rating for each of the quantitatively-scored items. Some of the statements the students must pass judgment upon ask if the training met expectations such as: "I will be able to apply the knowledge learned." Others directly relate to the construction of the course such as "the content was organized and easy to follow" and "the training objectives for each topic were identified and followed; the course materials were pertinent and useful." Although these do not directly reference faculty performance, the teacher's presentation of the material will obviously impact student perceptions of the usefulness of the material. Responses on these areas can help administrators reformulate the course syllabus as well as evaluate teachers.

Other statements directly relate to faculty performance, such as "the trainer was knowledgeable; "the quality of instruction was good; the trainer met the training objectives; class participation and interaction were encouraged" and "adequate time was provided for questions and discussion." These questions suggest what is viewed as a 'good' instructor, in the context of the course -- a teacher that conveys specific knowledge, but also a teacher that facilities student inquiry. By establishing these standards, teachers have an idea how they will be graded when framing their approach to course content. The final question is cumulative: "How do you rate the training overall?"

It is interesting that the evaluation form does not merely ask one quantitatively-assessed question, although it ends with a final overall grade for the teacher. The structure of the quiz suggests that many subjective perceptions can affect students' views of teacher quality. Also, a teacher's performance might be adequate but students might not see the material as useful, which can indicate that a reevaluation of the course structure, not just the teacher, may be in order. Teachers may succeed at different components of pedagogy as well. Some teachers may be strong at facilitating class discussion but not foster debate and discussion.

The evaluation form ends with qualitative, open-ended questions about what could be improved and a general section for comments about matters not otherwise addressed. The qualitative sections allow students to give their own input and perspective on the course. One problem with such sections, however, is that often students do not take the time to fill them out, or if they do, they do so only if they have negative comments, which can skew a teacher's ratings. Still, having only a quantitative assessment is not a good idea given that some students may simply fill the form out quickly without giving thought to their responses, while an essay question enables serious student to qualify what is meant by a rating of 'agree' or 'average' in a more specific manner. A questionnaire with a thoughtfully-completed essay can be given more weight than one without comments.