Understanding Student Course Evaluation Data

Tere Garza, CommunicationArcelia Hernandez, EducationCindy Naples, Mathematics

Kris Sloan, EducationJulie Sievers, Center for Teaching Excellence

Brian Smith, Political ScienceAlan Swinkels, Psychology

Paul Walter, PhysicsJeannetta Williams, Psychology

Center for Teaching Excellence | 27 February 2015

Basic Statistics

Or,

What do I do with these numbers?

Cindy Naples – Department of Mathematics

Criteria

Q1. The course learning objectives were clearly communicated in written form

Count/PercentagesUndergraduate SP13 (top)Individual SP13 (bottom)

Strongly Strongly Disagree % Disagree % Agree % Agree % 113 1% 384 3% 3563 28% 8853 69% 1 4% 2 8% 6 23% 14 54%

Count Mean Median Mode Standard Deviation12913 3.64 4 4 .59 26 3.5 4 4 .81

PercentagesCount/Total = percentage

So, for Strongly Agree:Undergraduate

8853/12913 = .69 = 69%

Individual14/26= 53.8%

How can we use percentages in a meaningful way?

Find the total undergraduateStrongly Agree + Agree = 69% + 28% = 97%

Then, compare the total individualStrongly Agree + Agree = 54% + 23% = 77%

for each criteria

Mean (which is really a weighted mean)

The weighted mean for Q1 above:

Undergraduate Mean = 3.64(113*1 + 384*2 + 3563*3 + 8853*4 )/12913 = 3.64

Individual Mean = 3.5

The mean alone is a very imprecise measure of whether or not a teacher is doing a good job.

Why?

It’s not a resistant measure (easily skewed by even one rogue value).

Example: 4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4. mean = 4

4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,4,3mean = (4*14 + 3)/15 = 3.93

MedianThe middle value of the dataset.

Half the data points are above the median; half are below.

Example: 1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,4,4,4,4: 12 valuesThe middle value is between the 6th and 7th value: 3.5

Undergraduate median for Q1 is 4

Individual median for Q1 is 4

Mode

The most frequently occurring value; not a measure of center

Standard Deviation

A measure of the spread of a distribution. For a normal distribution,

68% of the data lies between +1 and -1 standard deviations

95% of the data lies between+2 and -2 standard deviations

99% of the data lies between -3 and +3 standard deviations

Sampling Distribution of the Mean

If we have a population (like the population of all responses from Q1.)

4 4 .

The result is the sampling distribution of the mean

n meanpopulation 1000 4.025 sampling distribution 500 4.0159

95% Confidence Interval

Put the mean, standard deviation information together with the sampling distribution of the mean and build a 95% confidence interval:

mean ± 1.96 * standard deviation /

For the individual,3.5 ± 1.96 *.81/ = (3.19, 3.81)

Does this interval capture the population mean?

Await the next episode…

From the Learners: Unique Perspectives on Your Teaching

Components of Teaching

Content expertiseThe body of skills, competencies, and knowledge in the specific subject area to be taught in which the faculty member has received advanced education, training, and/or experience.

Instructional designThose technical skills in designing and sequencing experiences which, when engaged by a qualified learner, result in a high probability that specified learning outcomes will be achieved by the student.

Instructional deliveryHuman interactive skills and characteristics that facilitate learning, including:• the ability to motivate students,• generate enthusiasm, • and communicate effectively using various

forms of information transmittal technology.

These skills can be further classified in terms of:• oral presentation skills, • written communication skills, • skills in using forms of IT, • skills in facilitating interactive classroom, • skills in creating an overall learning

environment appropriate to subject.

Instructional assessmentSkills in developing tools, procedures, and strategies for assessing student learning and providing meaningful feedback to students.

From Arreola, R. A. 2007. Developing a comprehensive faculty evaluation system. San Francisco, CA: Anker.

Course management skillsSkills in configuring, maintaining, and managing the resources and facilities required to provide an appropriate teaching / learning environment. Tasks include:• ordering and configuring lab equipment; • arranging for and coordinating guest lecturers; • placing readings on library reserve; • ensuring that appropriate software is loaded in

computers used by students; • arranging field trips; • monitoring and updating the course web site; • grading exams; • completing drop/add and incomplete grade

forms, and • generally handling all the paper work that may

be required by the institution in conducting a course.

Interpreting Qualitative SET Data

• Gather your own feedback before you get the official feedback (mid-course evaluations, 1-minute evals at end of specific class sessions).

• Take the context and characteristics of your course into account.

• Know that almost all faculty members receive negative feedback at some point in their careers, including those who are senior and highly successful.

• Look for patterns in students’ comments – identify trends, note what you have done well and what needs improvement.

• Know the most frequently mentioned areas for teaching improvement within and across universities: 1) clearer, more specific in-class communication; and 2) clearer, more explicit organization of course content.

• Schedule an appointment at the CTE for a consultation to help you interpret your evaluations.

Additional Resources

Further reading:

“Student Evaluations” – the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching

View today’s slides:

Understanding Student Course Evaluations – the Center for Teaching Excellence News Blog:think.stedwards.edu/cte/blog