Evaluating Your Course:

Developing a Student Questionnaire for Your Traditional Course

Clayton R. Wright, crwr77[at]gmail.com

You should take the time to develop a questionnaire that you can use to evaluate your course and instruction. Since students are the recipients of your instruction, it would be logical to ask their opinion of your instructional procedures. Their feedback could improve your future courses. When you receive feedback from students, be cautious when you interpret the results. Students do not perceive your course as you or other instructors do. Students tend to give high ratings to instructors who have a flashy presentation style and lower ratings to those who have an excellent knowledge of the subject matter but have poor presentation skills. If students are required to complete the questionnaire after they have completed a difficult test or challenging activity, they may provide more negative comments than they would if the questionnaire was offered at a different time. I expect that you might act similarly in the identical situation. Do distribute student questionnaires, as the opinions, attitudes, and experiences of students should be considered in your instructional design and delivery. However, combine this information with other sources of input such as the results students achieved during testing, feedback received from other instructors, and those who hire your students. In an ideal world, you would be able to speak to the students a few years after graduation and ask them whether they applied their knowledge and skills and whether you inspired them to think critically about the world around them. The items listed below will help you prepare and present student questionnaires. y y y y y y y Ensure that an open, non-threatening classroom atmosphere is maintained and that you listen to student comments and concerns. Encourage feedback throughout the course. Use a student questionnaire with rating scales and space for students to write. Short, clearly written, one- or two-page questionnaires are best. Ask students to complete questionnaires anonymously. Allow sufficient time to complete the questionnaire. If students have access to a computer and the Internet, consider placing your questionnaire on the Web. You could use online survey tools such as Survey Monkey and Zoomerang to distribute the survey and compile the information.

Once you have obtained the completed questionnaires, check for commonalities in the responses. Prioritize the items that need improvement. List the items that you do successfully. Cautiously interpret the results. Ask yourself questions such as, Did I really go over that subject too quickly? Do I need to provide additional learning resources? Unless you review the results of the student questionnaire with another instructor, it is likely that improvement on your part will be minimal. Choose an instructor you trust and respect or contact

your institutions professional development department. Some instructors will discuss the questionnaire results with their students and others will mount the results on the Internet so that everyone can see the results. Thus, evaluation becomes an open process. What follows is an example of a questionnaire that you could use with your students. It covers the organization, delivery, and facilitation of a course. You may want to adapt it. Note that it provides some, but not a lot of detail about the instructors facilitation skills. The example provided on the next page begins with easy, non-threatening questions and asks for the students suggestions. Then, it poses more challenging questions as it asks them to rate their feelings they must select a point on a rating scale. Finally it concludes with open-ended questions that encourage them to state how the course could be improved. The questionnaire is too long, but it is provided here so that you can select and adapt the questions that you feel would be useful. This type of questionnaire provides much more detailed and helpful information than happy sheets those that simply ask students to say whether they liked or did not like the course and sometimes ask what students liked about the course. It also contains some questions that have been repeated in a different form to check that the students are being consistent with their responses. Design your own course evaluation questionnaire to provide you with answers to the following basic questions: y y y Did students learn from the course? Were the instructional objectives achieved? How successful was the course from the students point of view? Were the instructional methods, resources, and evaluation strategies appropriate for the objectives, content, and students? How could the course be improved?

y
Note:

If you want to evaluate a distance or online course, refer to the article Criteria for Evaluating the Quality of Online Courses by Clayton R. Wright. It can be accessed by conducting a Google or Yahoo search. If you are seeking questions that you can use to elicit whether students understand the subject matter being presented or want to manage your classroom more effectively, refer to Dealing with Challenging Instructional Situations which is published by The College Quarterly. The article can be found on the Web.

____________________________________________________________________________________________ Evaluating Your Course: Developing a Student Questionnaire by Clayton R. Wright, crwr77[at]gmail.com 2

Student Questionnaire:
Course and Instructor Evaluation
Developed by Clayton R. Wright
crwr77[at]gmail.com

These questions must be adapted for distance or online learning.

Course Title: _______________________________________ Course No.: _______________ Instructor: __________________________________ Date of Completion: _______________ 1. How many hours did you usually spend preparing for each class? 2. How much of the assigned readings did you actually read? All _____ Most ____ Half ____ Some ____ None ____ 3. Did you find these readings helpful? Yes ___ No ___ __________ hours

If you indicated No, what readings should have been included in the course? Be specific.

4. Did you need outside assistance or resources to complete the course?

Yes ___ No ___

If you indicated Yes, what type of assistance or resources did you obtain and from where?

5. Was the work load too heavy ____, just right ____, or too light ____? 6. Did the course cover too much ____, too little ____, or just enough ___ information? What topics need more time?

What topics need less time?

7. Did you receive sufficient feedback on assignments and tests? Yes __ Sometimes ___No___ If you answered Sometimes or No, what kind of feedback were you seeking?

8. Was there sufficient local or national content that related the subject matter to your life? Yes ___ No ___ ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Evaluating Your Course: Developing a Student Questionnaire by Clayton R. Wright, crwr77[at]gmail.com 3

For the following questions, place an X in the appropriate box. Note that the scale progresses from strongly disagree (a rating of 1) on the left to strongly agree (a rating of 5) on the right. If the question is not appropriate, please put the symbol NA after the question.
Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

Statement 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 The course objectives were clearly stated. The instructional methods, resources, and evaluation methods were appropriate for the objectives. The instruction provided fit the description given in the course outline. The grading or evaluation system was adequately explained. The required textbooks or learning materials were helpful in completing the course. Optional resources were provided and were helpful. The class sessions were well organized. Ideas were presented logically. Class time was used effectively. New information and skills were linked to previous experiences. The instructor took the time to arouse and motivate student interest in the subject matter and to relate the content to future applications. Adequate time was allotted to deal with important or difficult concepts. The instructor was well prepared for each class or activity. The manner of presentation enabled students to take good notes. A variety of instructional aids or materials, such as media, were used. The equipment that students used in the classroom, workshop, or laboratory was satisfactory. Students were encouraged to ask questions? Students were encouraged to participate in discussions? The opinions of the students were considered by the instructor as the instructor listened to the students point of view? The instructor encouraged students to examine, analyze, and evaluate new concepts. Students were given time to practice new skills. Students were given the opportunity to apply new knowledge and skills to new situations. The teaching methods or strategies were appropriate for the subject matter. The instructor demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the subject. The instructor maintained a positive learning environment. The instructor communicated clearly. The instructor summarized and bridged or linked portions of the course. The instructor clearly identified cautions that students should be careful to observe or hazards that they should avoid.

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The instructor was sensitive to the needs of the students and was genuinely interested in the progress students made during the course. The instructor provided helpful and encouraging feedback. Student tests and assignments were returned promptly. Helpful comments were provided on items that were corrected and returned. The instructor treated all students fairly. The course activities were beneficial and helped me to learn. The course workload was realistic. The course was relevant to my professional interest. I would recommend this course to others.

45. Did the course meet your expectations? Please explain why it did or did not meet your expectations.

46. What did you like most about the course? List at least three items.

47. What did you like least about the course?

48. What changes in course procedures would you suggest? What would you like to add or delete from the course?

49. What is your overall impression of the course?

50. Please provide additional comments in the remaining space. If necessary, use the back of this sheet.

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