Evaluations
I think that a combination of written anonymous student evaluations with interviews of students are key. Also as a professor it is always pretty clear to me whether i have done a good job or not...so an objective self evaluation is critical as well.
Matt,
I like the idea of an anonymous student evaluation - for peer student reviews and assessment, unfortunately our Discussion Board posts will always reveal the student who posts, so not sure how or if that could be done at our University.
On instructor evaluations, we get mid-term and post-term student evaluations and that is where I can tell I am hitting the mark, because the students can anonymously rank my performance. Others will email or IM me on how much they enjoyed their class of instruction.
Matthew,
I really like that you have include student interviews. Many times the qualitative feedback you get from interview is very helpful. Students need to feel comfortable, however, in talking with you.
You are also correct in that self-evaluation is essential. Thanks!
Would it be more effective to have an independent reviewer perform the student interviews, to help avoid any discomfort the student may have when giving feedback directly to the instructor?
Jake,
Could be effective either way. That's one reason I do use peer feedback.
Thanks!
I like giving out an evaluation at the end of the semester. The department has their own, but I also like to give one out to the students. It really helps to let me know if the material I'm teaching is interesting or relevant to their lives.
Lisa,
I agree. I always have questions other than the ones the department may be asking. The more feedback, the more I can plan for the next class and make needed changes.
