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Course Evaluations

The word Evaluation on a computer screen.

Course Evaluations

Every course at St. Kate's is evaluated through a tool called CoursEval. The results are anonymous and are aggregated into average scores for faculty. There are two parts to the evaluation: faculty feedback (which has to do with how students perceived your teaching approach and facilitation of the course) and course feedback (which has to do with the design of the course and aligns with categories from our Learning Quality Assurance Program). Students’ feedback in these two areas are used in faculty reviews and as a part of continuous course improvement. 

Students receive an email regarding completing course evaluations 1-2 weeks before the end of the term. This email includes information on completion timelines and directions on how to navigate to the evaluation, which is housed in Canvas.

Seeking Feedback from Students

Student feedback serves as a valuable source of information, allowing instructors to gain insight into their teaching methods, course materials, and overall effectiveness. Students can provide feedback on how they are experiencing the organization of the course, the effectiveness of the teaching, the relevance and volume of readings and assignments, their own process of learning, and their own investment in the course. You are encouraged to seek student feedback regularly and at key milestones throughout the term, as it will allow you to enhance the learning experience and create a supportive and engaging environment.

Summative Feedback

Summative feedback provides an overall evaluation of the learning outcomes, instructional methods, and curriculum. Its purpose lies in informing future improvements, identifying areas of success, and ensuring that the educational goals are met, ultimately enhancing the quality and effectiveness of education.

At the conclusion of each term at St. Kate's, summative feedback is gathered in the form of end-of-course evaluations that are assigned to all students enrolled in a course. All courses are assigned a faculty evaluation that asks questions regarding teaching approaches and course material. Once the evaluation term ends, faculty will receive an email that the evaluation reports are available. To learn more about course evaluations and how to view student feedback, refer to the following ServiceNow article: Faculty & Course Evaluations - CoursEval - Faculty - Access and Report.

Formative Feedback

Formative feedback provides valuable insights into students’ understanding, enabling educators to gauge the effectiveness of their teaching methods and to adjust instructional strategies accordingly. By regularly seeking input from students, educators can identify and address potential gaps or misconceptions early on, helping to prevent further learning difficulties. Ultimately, asking students to provide formative feedback cultivates a collaborative and supportive learning community, where students feel heard, understood, and supported in their educational journey.

Continuous Feedback

Regular check-ins (weekly or biweekly) provide students an opportunity to inform you of any challenges or successes experienced with each module or at a certain point in the course. This can be collected quickly and easily using Google Forms (which allows for anonymity) or by creating a 0-point Canvas quiz.  

Here are some specific questions you can consider asking:

  • What has been the most interesting way for you to learn in this course?
  • What challenges have you faced so far in this course?
  • Have you been able to understand what to do in order to meet instructor expectations?
  • Rate the usefulness of the recorded presentations to your learning in the class so far.
  • Rate the usefulness of the discussion forums for your learning so far in this class.
  • How does the current workload align with your expectations for the class? 
  • How useful is the lecture, discussion section, or homework this week?
  • What are you currently confused about?
  • What has been your favorite or least favorite moment in the class so far?
Midterm Feedback

This timely feedback allows instructors to make necessary adjustments, reinforce strengths, and proactively address any concerns, ultimately enhancing the overall learning outcomes for the remainder of the course.

The start-stop-continue method of gathering feedback allows you to gather actionable feedback about current course practices. In this method, you simply ask students what you should start doing, stop doing, and continue doing in class. This information can also be collected using Google Forms (which allows for anonymity) or by creating a 0-point Canvas quiz.

We have created a sample midterm feedback survey you can import into your course. View the survey in the Course Design Gallery, and import it from the Canvas Commons.