Evaluation of Evaluation of Instruction
The intent of the Ad Hoc Committee is to evaluate and revise, as deemed necessary, the existing evaluation of instruction form and method of administration to provide specific, professional, and constructive assessments on instruction. The Ad Hoc Committee is to be disbanded after piloting and approval of any changes to the evaluation of instruction form or method of administration.
The institution is to maintain its current method of administration with paper and pencil Scantron forms during instructional time in the final week of classes
Changes to the existing survey are:
Rewording of the second prompt from: “Appropriateness of course content (coverage, breadth, depth)” to “Course content reflects course description (coverage, breadth, depth)”
Delete eighth prompt: “Quality of the textbook”
Add prompt in the eighth position: “The instructor displayed interest in student learning”
The Ad-Hoc committee disbands
Rewording, deletion and addition of survey prompts is in accordance with recommendations from multiple sources including student, faculty, and department chairs. The rationale for these changes is to improve clarity both for students and for use in tenure/promotion consideration.
The committee found limited gains in rewording and/or replacing most existing survey prompts on the current course evaluations, because our survey closely mirrors peer institutions. Rather than significantly revising the evaluation form, we recommend improving the method used to describe the importance to students and student training on how to fill out the form. We found this has a far greater potential to promote professional, constructive, specific and actionable responses from students. At a minimum, instructors are to follow the protocol of reading the statement at the top of each form. Other training opportunities for students include showing one of the NMT course evaluation instructional videos or administering voluntary mid-term evaluations.
The committee determined that the institution does not require student access to an adequate technological device to enable a viable electronic method of administration during instructional time, as currently administered. An electronic method of administration outside instructional time has a precedence of significantly reducing the student response rate with typically polarized results. In conclusion, the committee does not support an electronic method of administration, at this time.
The committee recommends adopting an electronic method of administration when both of the following conditions can be met:
Course evaluations are administered during instructional time to ensure a high response rate or online evaluation outside of instructional time can be conducted in such a way as to ensure an adequate response rate
Security measures are adequate
Recommendations to New Faculty at NMT
It is recommended new faculty consult their tenure and promotion chair and department chair on the significance course evaluations play in decision-making processes. In addition, new faculty should obtain and review a copy of the evaluation form.
Instructional Video Links: