Implementation, Analysis, and Assessment of On-Line Teaching Evaluations

This two-year project involved the introduction of a new, on-line teaching evaluation that enables students to anonymously assess their teachers and courses via computer. A pilot program, during fall 2003, involved 14 faculty volunteers. Student participation was voluntary but was strongly encouraged via both student congress and the student newspaper. Resulting in moderate to strong success, the pilot program was then extended to include the entire College of Liberal Arts of Hamline University during the spring and fall of 2004. The on-line teaching-evaluation program has since been introduced into several other colleges of the University. The evaluation instrument, student compliance, analysis of data, and assessment will be discussed. Comparisons are made (1) by grade received, (2) by class standing, (3) by ethnicity, and (4) of science versus non-science courses. In addition to common questions answered by all students, the on-line form allows instructors to add course-specific questions. Additional disciplinary-breadth assessment questions were added for the fall 2004 evaluation. Noteworthy problems that resulted from the introduction of on-line teaching evaluations will be discussed along with successes.