Course evaluation

A course evaluation is a paper or electronic questionnaire, which requires a written or selected response to a series of questions to evaluate the instruction of a given course. The term may also refer to the completed survey form or a summary of questionnaire responses.

They are a means of producing feedback that the teacher and school can use to assess the quality of instruction. The process of (a) gathering information about the impact of learning and of teaching practice on student learning, (b) analyzing and interpreting this information, and (c) responding to and acting on the results, is valuable for several reasons. They enable instructors to review how others interpret their teaching methods. The information can also be used by administrators, along with other input, to make summative decisions (e.g., promotion, tenure, salary increases) and formative recommendations (e.g., identifying areas where a faculty member needs to improve). Typically, these evaluations are combined with peer evaluations, supervisor evaluations, and results of students' test scores to create an overall picture of teaching performance. Course evaluations are implemented in one of two ways, either summative or formative.