Ten Curriculum Assessment Tools Every Dean Needs: 10. Student course evaluations that are worth the trouble
Theological school deans are not just theological leaders for their institution, they must be EDUCATIONAL leaders. That is, they must implement sound educational practices related to curriculum, instruction, supervision, assessment, and administration. There is a variety of ways to assess the effectiveness of the curriculum, and there are several levels of assessment (program-level, course-level, student testing, student projects, etc.). While faculty members can focus on course-level and individual student learning assessment, academic deans need to focus on program-level assessment in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the school's curricular course of study. Here are ten basic curriculum assessment tools every academic dean needs, nine are covered in previous posts:
Outcomes alignment worksheet
Syllabus assessment worksheet
Grade Distribution report
Program retention and completion rate worksheets
Entering student profile
Graduating class profile
Student course evaluations
In this final entry of the series we review:
10. Student course evaluations that are worth the trouble
Student course evaluations, a form of indirect assessment, can be a meaningful component of a school's formative assessment of its curriculum. Unfortunately, most course evaluation tools do not provide sufficiently meaningful data to be helpful. One evidence may be how difficult it is for most schools to collect meaningful data from the evaluations. Another is how students tend to see them as a chore, resulting in cursory responses and a low rate of return. Further, in most cases, the data collected rarely is analyzed at depth or used to prompt pedagogical actions for improvement in teaching and learning.
Two approaches can help make course evaluations worth the trouble for students and for deans. First, a better-designed course evaluation tool, and second, a procedure that helps ensure a higher response rate.
1. A well-designed student course evaluation tool
An effective student course evaluation tool will provide data and feedback that is meaningful. That is, the information from student feedback should address issues of pedagogy that are relevant, measurable, and actionable. For example, the mythical Central Generic Theological Seminary gathers the following clusters of information on its student course evaluations:
(1) Student profile information
(2) Feedback on program-level goals
(3) Feedback on instruction and pedagogy
(4) Feedback on instructor effectiveness
(5) Feedback on the relevance of the course to the practice of ministry
(6) Feedback on program and learning integration.
In order to make these clusters meaningful, the instrument focuses on instructional effectiveness and curricular program goals, not on what students "like" or "enjoyed." Additionally, the clusters of items are co-factored to yield meaningful interpretation. See the attached "Anatomy of a Student Course Evaluation Tool" which shows how the instrument is structured by clusters and for co-factor analysis.
Once the student evaluations are collected (CGTS uses its learning management system (LMS) for its course evaluations) the dean prepares an aggregate report for the Faculty. The aggregate report includes a comparison of selected items over the course of several semesters. The comparison focuses on areas targeted for improvement based on the student evaluations. Here are some examples:
In Example 1 the dean compares student responses to degree program goal 1.A across two semesters. Additionally, the report compares two related items by gender.
In Example 2 the dean highlights three instructional items related to coursework (knowledge, principles, skills) and compares the responses over three semesters. This report item shows improvement in the most recent semester indicating that the interventions faculty members applied in their courses to address these issues are having a positive effect.
In Example 3 the dean compares a cluster of items related to instruction over three semesters. This feedback becomes important for the Faculty of CGTS in helping it realize the need to be more overt in applying pedagogical strategies that help students be more aware of the course learning objectives and to create learning experiences that yield a higher response from students about achieving the course outcomes. As a result of this feedback, the dean led the Faculty in applying teaching and learning practices to increase the effectiveness of these items.
You can download a copy of the student course assessment questionnaire here
2. A rigorous procedure for assessment
The second strategy employed by CGTS is the implementation of policies and procedures that help ensure a high rate of return on student course evaluations. The school's policy makes completion of the student course evaluation part of the course completion requirements. Students who do not complete the course evaluation do not receive a grade for the course. Additionally, the school has put in place the procedures to help ensure this indirect assessment data set is part of the formative assessment plan.
A Student Course Evaluation Sample Here is a sample of student course evaluation questions with questions that cover the various clusters for co-factor analysis. Download Student Course Evaluation sample
10 Vifaa vya Tathmini ya Kurasi Kila Dean Anahitaji "Mafundisho ya ""Theology"" yanaonyesha kwamba wanafunzi wa shule ya theolojia sio viongozi wa kitheolojia tu, bali pia viongozi wa elimu." Yaani, ni lazima watekeleze mazoea mazuri ya kielimu yanayohusiana na mtaala, mafundisho, usimamizi, tathmini, na usimamizi. Kuna njia mbalimbali za kutathmini ufanisi wa mtaala, na kuna ngazi kadhaa za tathmini (kiwango cha programu, kiwango cha kozi, kupima mwanafunzi, miradi ya mwanafunzi, nk). Wakati waalimu wanaweza kuzingatia kiwango cha kozi na tathmini ya kujifunza ya mwanafunzi binafsi, deans ya kitaaluma wanahitaji kuzingatia tathmini ya kiwango cha programu ili kutathmini ufanisi wa kozi ya shule ya masomo. "Hizi ni baadhi ya ""mfano"" za masomo ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi ya msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi wa msingi." Tathmini ya kozi ya mwanafunzi, aina ya tathmini isiyo ya moja kwa moja, inaweza kuwa sehemu muhimu ya tathmini ya shule ya muundo wa mtaala wake. Kwa bahati mbaya, zana nyingi za tathmini ya kozi hazitoi data yenye maana ya kutosha kuwa na manufaa. Uthibitisho mmoja unaweza kuwa jinsi ni vigumu kwa shule nyingi kukusanya data muhimu kutoka kwa tathmini. Jambo jingine ni jinsi wanafunzi wanavyoelekea kuyaona kuwa kazi ngumu, na kusababisha majibu ya haraka na kiwango cha chini cha kurudi. Zaidi ya hayo, katika kesi nyingi, data zilizokusanywa ni nadra kuchambuliwa kwa kina au kutumika kuchochea hatua za kielimu kwa ajili ya kuboresha katika kufundisha na kujifunza. Njia mbili zinaweza kusaidia kufanya tathmini ya kozi thamani ya shida kwa wanafunzi na kwa deans. Kwanza, chombo bora cha tathmini ya kozi, na pili, utaratibu ambao husaidia kuhakikisha kiwango cha juu cha majibu. 1. Uwe na mtazamo wa kweli Mfano mzuri wa utafiti wa masomo ya wanafunzi ni Mfano mzuri wa utafiti wa masomo ya wanafunzi ni Mfano mzuri wa utafiti wa wanafunzi ni Mfano mzuri wa utafiti wa wanafunzi. Yaani, habari kutoka kwa maoni ya wanafunzi inapaswa kushughulikia masuala ya ufundishaji ambayo ni muhimu, ya kupimwa, na ya kutekelezwa. Kwa mfano, Seminari ya Kimungu ya Central Generic hukusanya vikundi vifuatavyo vya habari juu ya tathmini za kozi ya mwanafunzi: (1) Habari ya wasifu wa mwanafunzi; (2) Maelezo juu ya malengo ya kiwango cha programu; (3) Maelezo juu ya mafundisho na ufundishaji; (4) Maelezo juu ya ufanisi wa mwalimu; (5) Maelezo juu ya umuhimu wa kozi kwa mazoezi ya huduma; (6) Maelezo juu ya programu na ujumuishaji wa kujifunza. Ili kufanya makundi haya yawe na maana, chombo hicho kinazingatia ufanisi wa mafundisho na malengo ya programu ya mtaala, sio kile wanafunzi "wanachopenda" au "wanachopenda". Kwa kuongezea, makundi ya vitu ni co-factored kutoa tafsiri yenye maana. Angalia "Anatomy ya Mwanafunzi Course Tathmini Tool" ambayo inaonyesha jinsi chombo ni muundo kwa makundi na kwa ajili ya co-sababishi uchambuzi. Baada ya wanafunzi kukusanywa (CGTS hutumia mfumo wake wa usimamizi wa kujifunza (LMS) kwa ajili ya tathmini yake ya kozi), Dean huandaa ripoti ya jumla kwa Kitivo. Ripoti ya jumla inajumuisha kulinganisha vitu vilivyochaguliwa kwa kipindi cha semesters kadhaa. Ulinganisho huo unazingatia maeneo yaliyolenga kuboresha kulingana na tathmini za wanafunzi. Katika mfano wa kwanza, mkuu wa chuo analinganisha majibu ya wanafunzi kwa lengo la programu ya shahada ya 1.A katika semesters mbili. Kwa kuongezea, ripoti hiyo inalingana na vitu viwili vinavyohusiana kulingana na jinsia. Katika mfano wa pili, mkuu wa chuo anaangazia mambo matatu ya mafundisho yanayohusiana na masomo (maarifa, kanuni, ujuzi) na kulinganisha majibu zaidi ya semesters tatu. Ripoti hii inaonyesha uboreshaji katika muhula wa hivi karibuni unaonyesha kuwa uingiliaji wa wanachama wa kitivo waliotumika katika kozi zao kushughulikia masuala haya yana athari nzuri. Katika mfano wa tatu, mkuu wa shule analinganisha makundi ya masomo yanayohusiana na mafundisho katika kipindi cha semesters tatu. Maoni haya ni muhimu kwa Kitivo cha CGTS katika kusaidia kutambua haja ya kuwa wazi zaidi katika kutumia mikakati ya ufundishaji ambayo husaidia wanafunzi kuwa na ufahamu zaidi wa malengo ya kujifunza ya kozi na kuunda uzoefu wa kujifunza ambao hutoa majibu ya juu kutoka kwa wanafunzi kuhusu kufikia matokeo ya kozi. Kama matokeo ya maoni haya, Dean aliongoza Kitivo katika kutumia mafundisho na kujifunza mazoea ya kuongeza ufanisi wa vitu hivi. Unaweza kupakua nakala ya maswali ya tathmini ya kozi ya mwanafunzi hapa. Mfumo wa pili unaotumiwa na CGTS ni utekelezaji wa sera na taratibu ambazo husaidia kuhakikisha kiwango cha juu cha kurudi kwa tathmini ya kozi ya mwanafunzi. Sera ya shule inafanya kukamilika kwa tathmini ya kozi ya mwanafunzi sehemu ya mahitaji ya kukamilika kwa kozi. Wanafunzi ambao hawajamaliza tathmini ya kozi hawapati alama kwa kozi hiyo. Kwa kuongezea, shule imeweka taratibu za kusaidia kuhakikisha seti hii ya data ya tathmini isiyo ya moja kwa moja ni sehemu ya mpango wa tathmini ya malezi. Mfano wa Tathmini ya Kozi ya Mwanafunzi Hapa ni sampuli ya maswali ya tathmini ya kozi ya mwanafunzi na maswali ambayo yanafunika makundi mbalimbali kwa uchambuzi wa cofactor. Download Mfano wa Tathmini ya Kozi ya Mwanafunzi