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Course Evaluation

What are course evaluations?   

Course evaluations are surveys or assessments completed by students at the end of a course to provide feedback to the instructor and the institution. These evaluations can be used to improve the classroom experience. Unfortunately, course evaluations are not always reliable and can be subject to biases (Stark & Freishtat, 2014). One innovative approach to course evaluations is where an instructor asks students to create rubrics to assess their performance, which can increase student engagement and provide more meaningful feedback (Banks, 2022). Studies show that students' satisfaction with their grades is a significant factor in course evaluations, highlighting the importance of providing clear grading criteria and feedback. Additionally, course evaluations can reflect a college's commitment to responding to all students' learning needs by considering diverse student experiences and perspectives. Finally, students often lack clarity about the learning outcomes of their courses, so course evaluations should include questions about whether students understand what they are expected to learn and how they will be assessed. In summary, course evaluations are an important tool for improving teaching and learning in higher education, and there are various approaches related to how to design and use them effectively. For additional insights on any of these possibilities, please visit the resources and references linked at the end of this page. The following includes additional recommendations and resources for reflecting on course evaluations meaningfully for continuous improvement of teaching practices.   

While course evaluations can provide valuable feedback on teaching effectiveness, there are several challenges associated with relying solely on these evaluations for evaluating teaching effectiveness. 

One challenge is that course evaluations may not always provide a complete picture of teaching effectiveness (Stark & Freishtat, 2014). For example, students may provide feedback on the instructor's teaching style and course materials but may not have a clear understanding of the course objectives and learning outcomes. This lack of clarity can result in incomplete or inaccurate feedback, which can make it difficult to assess the effectiveness of the course. 

Another challenge is that course evaluations may not always reflect the diversity of the student body. Students from different backgrounds may have different expectations and experiences with the course, which can result in varied feedback on teaching effectiveness. Instructors sensitive to these differences may receive lower ratings from some students, even if they are effective in meeting the needs of most of the class. 

Furthermore, there may be inherent biases in course evaluations that can impact their usefulness as an evaluation tool. For example, research has shown that evaluations may be influenced by factors such as gender, race, and age, which can result in unfair or inaccurate assessments of teaching effectiveness (Stanford, n.d). This can be particularly problematic for instructors who belong to underrepresented groups and are already facing challenges in academic settings. 

While course evaluations can provide useful feedback on teaching effectiveness, they should not be the only tool used for evaluation of teaching effectiveness. Institutions should consider a variety measures to evaluate teaching effectiveness to ensure a comprehensive assessment of teaching effectiveness. For example, continuous improvement of teaching can be represented in a myriad of ways, including responsiveness to students’ diverse needs as learners, peer observation of teaching, participation in professional development that has be implemented in teaching practices redesign and other measures to ensure a comprehensive assessment of teaching effectiveness. Please consider reviewing the Documenting Teaching Effectiveness Self-Assessment tool for further guidance (see here). 

Course evaluations can be biased in many ways, which can make it difficult to accurately assess teaching effectiveness. Students may be biased by personal factors, such as gender, race, age, or appearance (Course Feedback, n.d). For example, research has shown that female instructors receive lower evaluations than male instructors, even when their teaching quality is the same. Similarly, evaluations can also be biased against instructors who belong to underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. Instructors may also be influenced by their own expectations, such as expecting lower evaluations from students in difficult courses or from those with low grades (Banks, 2022) (Flaherty, 2022). Instructors may also feel pressure to teach in a certain way or cover specific content, which could impact how they design their courses and potentially impact their evaluations. To mitigate how we respond to and process feedback on course evaluations, we must be aware of the assumptions and biases both instructors and students bring to these documents. Most importantly, we must position and design course evaluation questions in ways that encourage reflection of our own teaching practices and growth in teaching and learning. 

To encourage student agency is to become aware of the unique role a student plays when making decisions about their learning. As students, they are already empowered to evaluate and curate aspects of their learning environment, but many students are unaware and may think instructors need to empower them. Actively encouraging students to practice their agency helps to relieve the potential bias of a student seeing their instructor negatively (?) oppressor. Students play a unique and active role in the classroom. As instructors, we can encourage students to exercise that agency by making classroom decisions and enact an active role in the classroom. The best way to do this is by asking their opinion about topics that are being discussed, options for projects, or even due dates that are flexible. This will allow students to choose the option that works best for them and alleviate the bias that comes with the anxiety of not having a choice in the classroom. 

Course evaluations can be a valuable tool for improving teaching effectiveness and promoting student success. When used effectively, course evaluations can provide instructors with valuable feedback on what is working well in their teaching and what areas need improvement. This can help instructors adjust their teaching strategies, course materials, and assessments to better meet their students' needs. 

Some specific ways in which course evaluations can help improve teaching effectiveness and student success include: 

  • Identifying Areas for Improvement: Course evaluations can help instructors identify specific areas where they may need to improve their teaching, such as course materials, instructional strategies, readings, additional resources, or student engagement. This feedback can help instructors adjust their teaching effectiveness and better support student success. 
  • Tailoring Instruction to Student Needs: Course evaluations can also help instructors better understand the needs of their students and tailor their instruction accordingly. For example, if students indicate that they need more support with a particular topic, an instructor may adjust their teaching materials or provide additional resources to help students succeed. 
  • Measuring Student Learning Outcomes: Course evaluations can help measure student learning outcomes by providing feedback on the effectiveness of specific instructional strategies or course materials (Mowreader, 2023). This can help instructors identify areas where students may need additional support and adjust their teaching accordingly to improve student success.
  • Encouraging Student Engagement: Course evaluations can also help encourage student engagement by providing students with a voice in the evaluation process. By giving students the opportunity to provide feedback on their learning experiences, instructors can help students feel more invested in their education and motivated to succeed (Block, 2021).
  • Instructor Self-reflection: Upon evaluating the course results, instructors can reflect on what difficulties students had within the course. Identifying themes or patterns in student responses. They can also reflect on current teaching practices and evaluate instructional methods and resources to assess how they might have contributed to challenges students faced.
  • Professional Development Opportunities: There are constant opportunities of learning something new. There are resources offered at the University where you can attend professional development sessions, gathering feedback from colleagues, mentors, teaching support staff, and students.  

To elicit meaningful feedback from students on course evaluations, we need to ask specific, open-ended questions that encourage students to provide detailed feedback on their learning experiences (Byrne & Donlan, 2020). In collaboration with the program, Student Partners in the Students as Learners and Teachers at a Hispanic Serving Institution, we designed the following questions that can be asked to elicit meaningful feedback from students via course evaluations:

Assessment of learning  

  • What assignments/activities/topics were most helpful in your learning and why? How can I further improve them? 
  • How were you able to demonstrate your learning and knowledge through assessment activities? (e.g., tests, projects, presentations, quizzes etc.). In what other ways would you like to demonstrate your learning/knowledge?
  • To what extent were the assessments aligned with the course learning objectives? In what ways did you feel that the assessments accurately measured your understanding of the course material?

Student voice in learning 

  • To what extent did you feel your voice as a student was represented in my course (e.g., course readings, class discussions, guest speakers, assessment of learning, etc.)?
  • To what extent did you feel my feedback on your learning elicited dialogue and growth?   

Social implications for learning  

  • How did course materials and instruction support your understanding of the impact your major/field has on society and the environment? Give a specific example.
  • What is a course concept or problem that should be less technical and more practical or social to enhance your learning and why? How do you think this can be changed or adapted? 

 
Connections through learning   

  • First, is there anything that you would like to highlight from, or connected to, the course content, such as a piece of information, advice or disclaimers, certain topics, a lesson on discipline, etc? Second, why do you think this key takeaway(s) is helpful, constructive, or meaningful for you or other students?
  • What was one meaningful moment where you connected course content to your future personal, academic, and/or professional goals? Why was it meaningful? 
  • How engaged were you in the course material? Did you feel that the course material was relevant and applicable to your interests and goals?
     

 Course learning impact on the field of study 

  • How did course topics help you navigate your career choice? Specifically, what part of the content do you think you would use in your field and why?  
  • What specific moments throughout the course made you feel like you’re in the right major/program, such as applying specific concepts to real-world contexts? Why was this moment meaningful or affirming?
     

Resources for learning  

  • To what extent did the instructor provide sufficient feedback and support to help you improve your learning and achieve your goals?
  • Did you, at any point, struggle with any specific content in the course? If so, what was it and what helped or could have helped you understand it better? 
  • To what extent did you feel you had access to everything you needed to complete my assignments? 
  • How did the course materials and resources support your understanding of complex concepts and skills in your major/field? 
     

Different approaches to teaching & learning 

  • What is one thing you would change about the learning activities (e.g., small group discussions/pair discussions/presentations/lab) in this course and why?
  • What is a topic, concept, or problem you feel I could spend more/less time on and/or approach in a different way? Why? 
 
In addition to the five standard questions in the end of semester course evaluations, faculty members can add optional questions to their student course evaluations to learn more about students learning, growth, success and the impact of teaching practices for faculty members' professional growth and improvement. Please use this guide to add additional course evaluation questions.

Resources and References 

Banks, Bryan A. (2022, April 27). An instructor asks students to create rubrics to assess him. Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs. https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2022/04/28/instructor-asks-students-create-rubrics-assess-him-opinion 

Block, Sharon. (2021, March 16). Colleges can use student teaching evaluations to improve the classroom experience. Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs. https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2021/03/17/colleges-can-use-student-teaching-evaluations-improve-classroom-experience-opinion 

Byrne, V. L., & Donlan, A. E. (2020). Presenting a validated Mid-Semester Evaluation of college teaching to improve online teaching. Online Learning. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v24i2.2126 

Flaherty, Colleen. (2022, January 18). Study: Grade satisfaction a major factor in student evals. Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/01/19/study-grade-satisfaction-major-factor-student-evals 

Mowreader, Ashley. (2023, March 14). Students reveal lack of clarity in course outcomes. Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2023/03/15/students-reveal-lack-clarity-course-outcomes 

Stark, P. B., & Freishtat, R. L. (2014). An evaluation of course evaluations. ScienceOpen Research. https://doi.org/10.14293/s2199-1006.1.sor-edu.aofrqa.v1 

Course feedback as a measure of teaching effectiveness. Evaluation & Research. Stanford University (n.d).  https://evals.stanford.edu/evaluating-teaching/course-feedback-measure-teaching-effectiveness 

 

This resource was designed by SaLT HSI Student Partners in collaboration with Dra. Alyssa G. Cavazos.